Why is working for Jesus not like social work? Work done by people in the social services and by charitable organisations is good - so helpful – and what would we do without it? Yet our work has a different dimension. We do it in Jesus, for Jesus. Our secret is we carry a heart oneness with Him and it is from Him our love, our joy, our long suffering with people flows.
Jesus compared Himself to the stem of a vine, and us to the branches joined to that stem. It is only as we abide in this richest and most luxuriant of stems, the Source of All Life, gaining our sustenance from Him, that we will grow and produce the grapes (the fruit of love, joy, peace, long suffering etc.)
Many Christians fear that doing works of love will propel us into a side steam instead of continuing in the main river of God’s purposes. ‘It is not the gospel, the pure, undiluted gospel they say. We are not leading people to eternal salvation, which is the work of the church. It is social work.’ They are right; it will lead us into a side stream - UNLESS, UNLESS our heart are united with Him – and with one another. Our source of life must come from Him. And, after all, if our hearts are full of Him, we carry within us the power of the gospel that saves - for Jesus and the gospel are inseparable.
No comments:
Post a Comment