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More Than Enough

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If sinning were a competition, Paul said he was first. Of course, he wasn’t boasting, he was setting up his point that he was also first in the pack to be saved by Jesus (“Chief” and “first” in the next quote are translated from the same word).

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (1 Tim 1:15-16).

Though Paul was one of the greatest opponents of God and His people (Acts 9:1-6; 22:1-5), when he saw the proof that Jesus was the resurrected Christ, he believed and became a pattern to others. His life provides an example that shows that one may have everlasting life through Jesus regardless of his or her past, abilities, or challenges.

When Paul asked Jesus what to do, Jesus didn’t say, “Nothing, you believe in me,” or, “Do a lot of good things and you’ll be saved.” He sent Paul to Damascus where he also sent Ananias. Ananias was to teach Paul what he must do (Acts 9:6-7, 10-19). We don’t have the whole lesson, but we do know that Paul was penitent, because now that he believed that Jesus was the Son of God, he wasn’t going to fight against Him anymore. In the conclusion of his message to Paul, Ananias said:

“The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:14-16).

Regardless of Paul’s past, his obedience to the message of Christ was enough for his sins to be washed away. Today it is still enough, no matter what you may have done. But God wasn’t finished with Paul yet. Paul was a chosen vessel of God to bear His name (Acts 9:15).

His enemies said, “His bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible” (2 Cor 10:10). If so, that was the point. Paul had explained:

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor 2:1-5).

Further emphasizing this fact, Paul had some type of health issue that he wanted to be rid of. He reflected:

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:7-10).

Also today, regardless of where we have come from, how talented (or untalented) we are, or how physically capable we feel, if we give God what we have, he makes it enough.

More than enough.

– Van Sprague (Church of Christ at Houston Park, Selma, Alabama)

The Work and the Worker

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Under Nehemiah’s leadership, and by the grace of God, the Jews rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days! It wasn’t time to rest, glorying in their achievements, however. They still had enemies outside the walls and a city to rebuild and run inside. Next, Nehemiah appointed workers to important tasks (Neh 7:1-4). Examining the jobs and the characteristics of those assigned to them, we can make applications today regarding the important work of the church and the necessary character of those who do it.

We need to make hay while the sun shines. While that is not what Nehemiah meant when he told the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites only to open the gates when the sun was hot, he was telling them they had a job that needed to be done, and there was an appropriate time to do it. The city needed protected. Enemies who planned to attack in the cool of the morning would lose the cover and comfort of darkness if they had to wait until the sun was well up. When the gates were barred, the townsfolk were to ensure that guards were appointed at specific parts of the walls, and that guards were stationed in front of their own houses (Neh 7:3). Such deployment would elicit the urgency and diligence that was required for the job. Vigilance was especially important, considering there were still few people in the large city (Neh 7:4), a deficit that a wily enemy would exploit.

Today, the Lord’s church has the important task of sowing the seed of the kingdom. When Jesus was with the disciples, he encouraged them to see the potential of the work and “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matt 9:38). Jesus warned those questioning Him that His time on earth was drawing to a close, they should believe in the light while they had it (John 12:34-46). He was the light of the world and did the works of God while it was “day” (John 9:4-5). In other words, Jesus did what He should do when He had the opportunity to do it. God’s people have an important job, and we need to do it while the sun is shining. “… the night is coming when no one can work.”

Not so fast. Just because the work needs to be done while it is warm, it doesn’t mean just any warm body is fit for the task. Sure, there are practical considerations. Do they have the skills necessary to accomplish the job they are given? But the more important question is, are they faithful? While Hanani was Nehemiah’s brother, don’t think it was nepotism that won him his job. Look, he gave him charge of Jerusalem because “he was a faithful man and feared God more than many” (Neh 7:2).

Our Creator does not need stand-ins for faithful servants. He set standards for those who do His work. In the case of those who were considered to care for widows, God didn’t check to see if they had their food-handlers’ cards or could balance a checkbook. The apostles said, “Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3). God calls those who worship and serve Him to be faithful. To be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18), someone must “let the word of Christ dwell” in them richly (Col 3:16).

Are you faithfully applying the Word of God in your life? Fearing God more than many? What is between you and being a good worker for God?

– Van Sprague (Church of Christ at Houston Park, Selma, AL)