Good morning Zebras,
People often comment on my ability to see God lessons
in everything. I know it has
nothing to do with me, it’s a gift God has given me to share His truths with His people,
These three plants were all the same size all planted at
the same time. But a month later they
look totally different. Originally as I
watched them grow at different rates I thought of the parable of the four
soils: (Matthew 13:1-23.)
But it isn’t the soil that is different, it just seems like
one plant is trying harder. My whole garden is suffering because I have two
“lazy” plants.
In the same way, the whole church suffers when each
individual Christian doesn’t do their best to grow into the faith and walk in
unity with other believers.
Ephesians 4:11–16: “It was He who gave some to be apostles,
some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and
teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure
of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and
forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by
the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead,
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the
Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by
every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part
does its work.”
People say we have no right to judge one another but that’s
only partially true. According to Paul,
we have no right to judge the world, they are lost and in need of Christ, but
we an obligation to “judge” believers. In a rarely quoted text we read:
1 Corinthians 5:9–13: “I wrote to you in my letter not to
associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral
of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would
need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with
anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or
greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with
such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those
inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the
evil person from among you.”
If we were to live transparent lives before one another,
acknowledging and confessing our sins, encouraging one another to live up to
the standard set by God, there wouldn’t be such a spiritual discrepancy between
believers. Everyone would be growing.
Everyone would be the big flowering plant.
But since we are afraid to be transparent and honest, even sometimes
with ourselves, too many Christians remain stunted, unable to produce true
spiritual fruit.
Love,
Jill
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