December 7
December 7
It’s important to understand where the power for the proclamation of the gospel comes from.
I am persuaded that, when it comes to gospel ministry, we give too much credit to the work of human thoughts, plans, personalities, gifts, and power. We tend to credit the messenger, or the way that he or she crafted the message, for any fruit that results. Or we look at a successful ministry and want to imitate its strategies, thinking that, if we model those, we will see the same harvest of fruit. Ascribing to weak and failing human beings what God alone can produce never goes anywhere good. It produces a culture of big personality, one of self-assured and controlling leaders who lack the humility to lead and pastor people well.
Does God give gifts and insight to people for the sake of the spread of the gospel and the maturation and protection of his own? Yes, he does, but no human being has the power to produce lasting gospel fruit on one’s own, no matter how gifted and dedicated one might be. The apostle Paul gets at this reality at the beginning of 1 Thessalonians:
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. (1 Thess. 1:2–5)
The flow of this passage is interesting. Paul first expresses his thanks for the lives of the Thessalonians, their “work of faith,” their “labor of love,” and their “steadfastness of hope” in the Lord. Then Paul makes it clear that all of this has happened not just because of the words that he preached there. He attributes this wonderful harvest of Christian fruit to two things that we must always remember. First, these people had been chosen by God. God chose us long before the preaching of the gospel caused us to want to choose him. This does not make the proclamation of the gospel unnecessary. No, it makes it essential, because it is the means by which God lays claim to those whom he has chosen.
Second, the power of the Holy Spirit alone convicts us of sin. Human spokespeople have no ability to create this heart transaction. It is the Holy Spirit who illumines, giving us the ability to understand the gospel and our need for it. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to believe and to live godly lives. No gospel messenger has the ability to create conviction of sin and trust in the Savior.
We should celebrate the messengers that God raises up. We should want to be one of them. We should quest to proclaim his truth accurately. But remember: the power comes from him.