Are You Missing The One Thing: Christ?
The One Thing
Have you ever spent time in the presence of someone who has a singular focus? If they talk about anything, it always leads back to and is connected in some way to that singular focus.
As we grow in our intimacy with God, we realize that God has a singular focus—the Christ (that is, Jesus and the church).
Even though God may talk about many things in the Scriptures, use many people, and give many gifts, they are all just means to an end—to His Singular End—the Expansion of Christ in all the nations of the earth.
Our Common Error
Do you feel a call to evangelism? Wonderful; to Missions? Brilliant. Are you passionate about exegetical preaching? Awesome. Do you love topical preaching? Sunday school, prophecy, mercy ministry, praise the Lord, are all important, but in God`s eyes, they are just a means to an end. They are not ends in themselves and so should not be treated as though they are.
Many saints make these things ends in themselves and then make a second mistake and judge others believers by them. So those who love exegetical preaching judge those who love topical preaching. Those who love the ministry of the Word may want to look down on those who feel called to evangelism and missions and vice versa. Those who love ministry to the poor look on and judge others who are given to prayer.
Endless, useless arguments among believers beating other saints over the head with what they believe to be the “most important thing”. The Lord seeks to remind us that all these things are just various means of grace, and they are not the summit of God`s purpose and intention. Unfortunately, this practice of making major distinctions over these things brings division in the body and has gone as far as people forming new denominations and movements around these issues.
Refocusing On Christ
But let us know this: All of these only have value to the degree that they are connected to God`s eternal purpose—increasing Christ. All these things that we divide and argue over are like tools in a garden: important and useful, but the Gardener is not in love with any one of His tools even though He uses them.
He is in love with His Vine and its Branches—He is in love with the Growth and Health of Christ, and all things exist for THAT singular purpose. Let us not love and become obsessed with spiritual and scriptural tools—let us become obsessed with Christ.
Face To Face With Myself
- Do you find yourself looking down or judging other believers in your heart because of what they believe or don`t believe, practice or don`t practice? What effect can this have on your relationship with God and with your brothers or sisters with whom you disagree?
- Do you have a pet ministry emphasis, doctrine, teaching, gifting that has become the single most important thing to you…even more than Christ Himself?
- Have you come to a place where you have made the single focus of God your single focus as well? If not, what are the obstacles that hinder you in coming to that place?
Face to Face With Jesus
Spend a few moments with the Lord, talking to Him about the above questions and anything else that came up in your time of reflection.
Let us ask the Lord to give us a “Mount of Transfiguration” revelation, where Jesus is so glorified in our hearts and set apart as holy, that good things like “Moses” and “Elijah” diminish and disappear in importance and we come to the place like Peter, James and John we see Jesus ONLY.
