To Those Who Have Ears To Hear:
Delving a little deeper: While James 2:17 is a beautiful poetic depiction and directive of the essence of true worship, it also exposes those who are given to narcissism and selfishness.
The Counsel of Diotrephes (Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees):
⁵Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. ⁶They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. ⁷For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. ⁸So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth. ⁹I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. ¹⁰When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. ¹¹Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.
3 John 1:5-11 (NLT)
This passage also describes malevolent individuals who urge those who hold the world's goods to deny assistance to those whom Jesus sends forth without resources. People who embody the spirit of Diotrephes are inclined to all manner of wrongdoing. Twenty first century layman's terms might refer to such individuals as "haters." And indeed, since history tends to repeat itself, as is confirmed in the Bible, these individuals were originally labeled as "haters" by The Word of God (Jesus himself).
²⁹Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. ³⁰They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. ³¹They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. ³²They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1 29-32 (NLT)
The Apostle Paul acknowledged, we're not all are given the same assignment. For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. 1 Corinthians 1:17 (NLT) In fact, God has even given cities (His daughters) and nations (their mothers) a specific assignment in His grand design.
As king Solomon so eloquently said, there's a time and season for everything. While some are purposed to give, in a certain season, others are designated to receive; if that were not so, then to whom are those tasked with giving supposed to give? This concept isn't limited to individuals. For example: a time of disaster is not the season for the afflicted land to render aid, but instead to receive aid. Howbeit, if that city or nation withheld or were bias in rendering aid to their own indigent people, God may choose to prevent others from helping them in their season of need. If neither Paul nor Apollos take precedence over Christ, who sacrificed himself for us, certainly, we are to give no place to Diotrephes. Nevertheless, despite the Diotrephes mindset in our midst, we are responsible for completing our assignments according to our gifts and calling.
⁶In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, SPEAK OUT with as much faith as God has given you. ⁷If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. ⁸If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, GIVE GENEROUSLY. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. ⁹Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. ⁹Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:6-9(NLT)
This passage, which in a broad sense teaches us to basically "stir up our gift," is echoed in James Ch.2v17. We are tasked with faithfully and fervently put into ACTION whatever gifts we've been given. We must be courageous enough to walk in our calling in the face adversity and adversaries alike. Here Jesus goes again with the same running theme
because more specifically, the admonition "Faith without works is dead" directly addesses those who hold the world's goods within the body of Christ, being called to serve other believers who are in need.
It requires both courage and humility to operate in a calling that demands giving without expecting anything in return. Yet, is that not the embodiment of Christ?
"Lead us not into temptation." Stop allowing your influencers to lead you into tempting God. "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." Romans 13:14 (NIV)
The fourteen years that I've been in this assignment, which began at the house of the LORD, is a long time and has indeed been trying. Howbeit, it pales in comparison to the three hours that Jesus endured on the cross for my sins. Therefore, my response to Him continues to be, "Here am I Lord, send me."
Delving a little deeper: While James 2:17 is a beautiful poetic depiction and directive of the essence of true worship, it also exposes those who are given to narcissism and selfishness.
The Counsel of Diotrephes (Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees):
⁵Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. ⁶They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. ⁷For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. ⁸So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth. ⁹I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. ¹⁰When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. ¹¹Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.
3 John 1:5-11 (NLT)
This passage also describes malevolent individuals who urge those who hold the world's goods to deny assistance to those whom Jesus sends forth without resources. People who embody the spirit of Diotrephes are inclined to all manner of wrongdoing. Twenty first century layman's terms might refer to such individuals as "haters." And indeed, since history tends to repeat itself, as is confirmed in the Bible, these individuals were originally labeled as "haters" by The Word of God (Jesus himself).
²⁹Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. ³⁰They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. ³¹They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. ³²They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1 29-32 (NLT)
The Apostle Paul acknowledged, we're not all are given the same assignment. For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. 1 Corinthians 1:17 (NLT) In fact, God has even given cities (His daughters) and nations (their mothers) a specific assignment in His grand design.
As king Solomon so eloquently said, there's a time and season for everything. While some are purposed to give, in a certain season, others are designated to receive; if that were not so, then to whom are those tasked with giving supposed to give? This concept isn't limited to individuals. For example: a time of disaster is not the season for the afflicted land to render aid, but instead to receive aid. Howbeit, if that city or nation withheld or were bias in rendering aid to their own indigent people, God may choose to prevent others from helping them in their season of need. If neither Paul nor Apollos take precedence over Christ, who sacrificed himself for us, certainly, we are to give no place to Diotrephes. Nevertheless, despite the Diotrephes mindset in our midst, we are responsible for completing our assignments according to our gifts and calling.
⁶In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, SPEAK OUT with as much faith as God has given you. ⁷If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. ⁸If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, GIVE GENEROUSLY. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. ⁹Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. ⁹Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:6-9(NLT)
This passage, which in a broad sense teaches us to basically "stir up our gift," is echoed in James Ch.2v17. We are tasked with faithfully and fervently put into ACTION whatever gifts we've been given. We must be courageous enough to walk in our calling in the face adversity and adversaries alike. Here Jesus goes again with the same running theme
because more specifically, the admonition "Faith without works is dead" directly addesses those who hold the world's goods within the body of Christ, being called to serve other believers who are in need.It requires both courage and humility to operate in a calling that demands giving without expecting anything in return. Yet, is that not the embodiment of Christ?
"Lead us not into temptation." Stop allowing your influencers to lead you into tempting God. "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." Romans 13:14 (NIV)
Provocation is sin
(God does not reward sin)
You don't welcome the servant into your household to harass or to steal their Master's spiritual goods.
You don't welcome the servant into your household to harass or to steal their Master's spiritual goods.
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Reflection: As I've stated before, a buffet-style approach to scripture interpretation poses significant risks. The Word of God must be contextually discerned. Even Apostle Paul, who wrote, "Love keeps no track of wrongs," most assuredly led by the Holy Spirit, documented in detail the hardships he faced. The Holy Spirit did not end with Paul.The fourteen years that I've been in this assignment, which began at the house of the LORD, is a long time and has indeed been trying. Howbeit, it pales in comparison to the three hours that Jesus endured on the cross for my sins. Therefore, my response to Him continues to be, "Here am I Lord, send me."
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