This Service to the Saints— Part II.

John Wesley {1703-91} is famously quoted as saying,

“‘The Gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness’” {Works, Vol. 12, ‘Hymns and Sacred Poems,’ Preface}.  The Wesley Study Bible says, in its commentary on this, spirituality “cannot be limited to an individual, private, inward piety if it is true Christianity.  God gifts each believer to serve the Body; through God’s grace believers are empowered to love and act hospitably toward one another.  For Wesley, holiness is evidenced through acts of mercy, especially toward the poor and needy.  Christians should exhibit the kind of Community seen in the ‘Acts’ Church.  ...In addition to this understanding of social religion as sharing and meeting material needs, Wesley also maintained that Christians need mutual accountability to spur them onto holiness.  He was highly suspect of the individual pursuit of holiness” apart from a Community of Christ’s Followers.  {Italics Mine}

We live in a world at War: which means you live in a world at War.  My observation as a shepherd of souls over the past twenty years is many believers— not necessarily most, but a significant number none-the-less— never depend on Abba long enough, nor pursue Him passionately enough, to fight through the initial ‘push-back’ they get from the enemy.  And inevitably, they turn around and go right back to whatever wasn’t working before they began to look to God!  If they would but stick with the Plan, and cling tightly to the Planner, they would discover in Him the strength they were lacking.  Unfortunately, they don’t stick with the Plan, or the Master-Planner, long enough to learn how to serve others... selflessly, sacrificially, faithfully.  Yet this is precisely the purpose for which we were saved— our lives put to labor in a Cause worthy of eternal glory.

Thus, the final meaning which Paul is expressing by his use of the word “service” is the same one toward which Peter is moving in the last part of 1 Peter 4:11.  “So that in all things [‘in the exercise of every gift and in the serving of every Saint’] God may be praised [‘glorified’ {NAS}] through Jesus Christ.”  This gives us the goal of all ‘saintly service.’  It also reminds us of Matthew 5:16 where our Lord said, “Your good deeds” {plural, by the way, ‘collectively, communally’} are to “glorify your [plural again = ‘you all’s’] Father in Heaven.”  Think about it.  If that’s not the goal, then it’s not His glory!  ‘Hmmm, whose is it?,’ you say.  Well, I’m glad you asked.  It’s ours.  “To Him be the glory and the power [the ‘dominion’ over all!] for ever and ever.  Amen.”  Amen, indeed.

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296
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Heart’s Journey – Live Generously and Love Graciously