In recent times YouTube channels, Vimeo, social media, Podcasts and many
other platforms are filled with Christian messages for Christians. There is no
dearth of Christian messages to hear from your favorite platform based on
your choice. I have debated on this topic in my previous posts. Every day,
thousands and thousands of new videos, posts are put up by people from all
over the world. We are blessed with innumerable Christian messages and
Christian resources but we need to ask some serious questions before we are too
excited about this fact.
In all that we hear and actively involved, how has all this
impacted us? What are the outcomes? The ready answers are, that people are
growing spiritually, they are getting close to the Lord. But is that all there
is to it? People forget that there are two sides of Holiness for example James
1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to
look after the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself
unstained from the world.”. Keeping pure and holy definitely yes, but
then reaching out by your acts of kindness and gospel is not made obsolete just
because we are incapacitated in many ways.
Let me draw your attention to the book of Corinthians. The
apostle Paul founded the Church in Corinth. A few years after leaving the
Church the apostle Paul heard some disturbing reports about the Corinthians
Church. They were full of pride excusing sexual immorality. Spiritual gifts
were being used improperly, and there was a huge misunderstanding of key
Christian doctrines. Therefore, he poses this pertinent question on the ways
the gifts of the Holy Spirit were used. 1 Corinthians 14:14, “what is the
outcome then?”.
Generally, the final outcome of individuals and Churches in
most cases is to obtain the spiritual gifts, example the gift of prophecy, or
speaking tongues etc. and keep growing in the Lord. But here Paul makes it very
clear that exercising spiritual gifts per se is not the final outcome or an end
goal in itself. If you carefully read in I Corinthians 14:12 he says, “So
also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the
edification of Church.”. The early Church was more active in creating
an impact in the lives of each other, edifying one another, stimulating one another,
exhorting one another. The gifts of the Holy Spirit did not operate in
isolation. We are by all means to use our gifting to draw people
closer to God and to the mission Christ has given to us.
Now, how are we impacting the Non-Christian world? How are
all the spiritual gifts, great worship, persistent prayer translated in taking
the mission to the outside world? Let us be reminded as the Bible uses
Christians to these metaphors, “You are the salt of the
earth”, (Mat 5:13) “You are the light of the world” (Matt
5:14) “you are the fragrance” (2 Cor 2:15). Have we
forgotten that there is a mission given to us, other than to preach Gospel
and attract people to Christ? Then why are so many people today unable to reach
out to the Non-Christians irrespective of all their spiritual gifts? Do you see
the chasm? Let us not forget that each one of us are responsible to edify
Christians and remind them of Christ's mandate; the Great Commission and
simultaneously spend a considerable part of our time to reach out and
connect to the Non-Christian friends.
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