We were created for God’s own good pleasure. We were formed
by his own hands, each one of us. Our make and design was made by him for his
own satisfaction. This implies that we don’t live for our own pleasure or to
please ourselves but to please him. He created us in his own image and likeness
so that he can have fellowship with us but sin has alienated us from God. Yet
still he desires to have us and to give us what he has originally designed for
us.
Therefore we are recreated in Christ unto good works which he
foreordained that we should walk in them. It is quite a natural thing for a new
born Christian to have that desire and passion to be involved in working for
the Lord. With all zeal and enthusiasm the newly born believer goes all out to
serve God wholeheartedly. He does not hold back anything at all.
However, in all these he is tempted to use his or her natural
abilities and strengths to please God. In that sin is inevitable and that becomes
a big challenge. A challenge that has the potential of sending the once
faithful believer to a place of frustration and backsliding. He tries to use
his strength to please the Lord but it does not work the way it had been. The
Scripture says without faith it is impossible to please God. We must relate to
God in faith and that is the way we can please him.
Some believers are only happy that they are saved and remain
satisfied with that. They don’t involve themselves in any work of ministry. As
you know, the devil finds work for an idle hand. A sinful lifestyle begins to
creep in on such a Christian and before he realizes he is deep in sin. Many
believers are in sins that have entangled them because they have decided to
stay away from ministry. Some are also using their activities in the church to
cover up for their secret sinful lifestyle. This kind of lifestyle is a serious
contention between light and darkness and in fact leaves the believer with a
lingering mental battle with sin. Scripture says be sure of this; your sin will
find you out.
Talking about involving yourself in ministry I mean that your
zeal for the Lord’s work should not dwindle. Apostle Paul said do not be
lacking in zeal but continue in your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. You
have to be on fire in the service of God with your strength and abilities drawn
continually from God. In Acts 6 the Apostles ordered that some be put in charge
of serving tables so that they can give attention to the ministry of the word
and prayer. Don’t be quick to judge that what those disciples were asked to do
at the tables was not important. No, because if they had not done that the
growing dispute among the Hebrew and Greek widows would have defeated their
whole purpose of winning the lost.
However, we notice in later scriptures in the book of Acts
that Philip and Stephen were involved in the ministry of the word and prayer.
In all your work for God if it is only full of activity, that is moving about
here and there without ministering the word and praying you can easily
backslide. As a growing believer who took seriously and passionately the
ministry of the word, in this I mean evangelizing frequently and prying for
lost souls, I noticed after some time that I was not so conscious about sin
anymore. The thought of whether I have committed any sin today or not was not
there. This was because I was so consumed with saving the lost and the various
ways and means to do that. When you involve yourself in ministry in such a way
the devil does not get to tempt you with sin let alone inflict you with guilty
conscience.
