Our
Call
by
Allen Logan
Once there was a King called forth by the Father, who came
forth among us and humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of
death, even the death of the cross. The need for this, beyond our obvious
need for redemption; was that the only way to defeat the pride of Satan was
with the humility of the cross. This path of humility is I believe
foundational for the existence of true biblical unity.
Psalm 133 speaks to us of the goodness of being in unity. In verse three,
unity is compared in a figurative sense to the dew of Hermon. To better
understand what the Lord is speaking here, it would be a good idea to take a
quick look at what the ‘dew of Hermon’ is. Mt. Hermon is situated at the
northernmost border of Israel and receives moisture in the form of rain,
dew, and snow. This moisture is the source for springs that feed into the
Sea of Galilee, which in turn is the source of water for the Jordan River.
Ultimately this ‘dew’ is one of the primary sources for life-sustaining
water throughout the land of Israel.
As one considers the spiritual implications of this, we can see that
being in unity (whether in each local congregation or across denominational
lines) is vital for the issuing forth of God’s life-giving love and mercy
into the parched neighborhoods that we live in.
Isaiah 35:5-7
says –
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.
The parched ground shall become a pool,
And the thirsty land springs of water;
In the habitation of jackals, where each lay,
There shall be grass with reeds and rushes
.
Having said this much, it would be good to remember that the battle for
unity begins with the thoughts and intent of the heart; the place where
lofty thoughts either exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, or they
are brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
In Genesis 11, we find a story about a people who had a desire to ‘make a
name for ourselves’ with the end result being the confusion of their speech
and the end of their little building project.
Since we know that God is not the author of confusion, one can conclude
that the cause of this babel stemmed from a desire of men to make a name for
themselves, with the root cause of this being the pride of life.
The danger of Babel is a very real threat to the church today. Too long
we have been divided where the language we speak seems like total confusion
to the world around us. The doctrinal differences that seem to divide us
need not be set aside as I believe that some of the range of
beliefs that are in the body of Christ only serve as signposts to specific
callings since
“There are differences
of ministries, but the same Lord.” (1 Cor. 12:5) Paul
encourages the believers in Ephesians 4 to
“...walk
worthy of the calling with which you were
called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with
one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace.”
It is certainly true that God has always promoted godly men to positions
of prominence within the Body of Christ. However, it is also equally true
that the men and women who seem to have made an eternal impact in this world
are the ones whose lives are lived in the shadow of the Cross- knowing that
the Lamb of God alone is worthy ... “To receive power and riches and wisdom,
and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
This type of leader has a sense of God’s anointing not only on his life,
but also on the lives of those who serve with him in the Lord’s vineyard.
This type of leader will truly let nothing be done through selfish
ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind (he will) esteem others better
than himself. (Phil 2:3) He or she understands that the blessings of the
Lord are commanded where God’s children walk as one.
Micah 6:8
says–
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
This is our call
.
Jesus made
this calling a little clearer when He declared:
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find
it. (Matt. 16:24-25)
The body of Christ isn't in need of more leaders that
try to serve, but the Lord is looking for servants who will lead.
How our
nation and the world needs true disciples of Our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ that will simply take up their crosses... no agendas.
Remember...
“the message of the cross is foolishness to
those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of
God.” (1 Corinthians.
1:18)
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