We know God’s love is unconditional, but can He trust me? Can I, in stewardship, hold to the Gory of God, that which He wants to equip me with?
In recent weeks we have referred to the scripture in 1 Thessalonians 2:3-7, where Paul writes, “..as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which tries our hearts.” He then continues saying he never used words to flatter, nor a cloak of covetousness (greed), “nor of men sought we glory, but were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children.”
How much of my “much speaking” wearies God? Utterance is not only speaking in tongues. Holy Ghost utterance is speaking the words of the Spirit from a heart ruled by the Spirit, which is the Spirit of the Indwelling Christ.
Consider the teaching of our Lord Jesus on the heart of man: Matthew 6:21 “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Jesus also said,“Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and LEARN OF ME; for I am meek and LOWLY IN HEART,” Matthew 11:28-30.
Matthew 12:34-35 “Out of the ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART, the mouth speaks. A good man out of the GOOD TREASURE OF THE HEART, brings forth good things. An evil man, out of the evil treasure, brings forth evil things.”
Matthew 15:8-9 “This people draweth near to Me with their mouth, and honours me with their lips, but THEIR HEART is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
God has deposited the treasure of the Gospel in our HEARTS, in earthen vessels. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, “God commanded the light to shine out of darkness in our HEARTS, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power, may be of God and NOT of us.”
God, who TRIES MY HEART, Who SEARCHES MY HEART, Who knows every intimate THOUGHT OF MY HEART, will not allow me to be put in trust of this amazing treasure that He has deposited within me, until my HEART is totally ruled by the abiding presence of Jesus.
God knows the hidden motive of my heart. Jesus said, John 7:18 “He that speaks of himself seeks his own glory.” (Seeks to impress others.)
Jesus then declared in John 12:49-50, “I have not spoken of Myself, but the Father which sent Me, He commanded Me what I should say and what I should speak. Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said to me, so I speak.”
As the Son of Man on this earth, He was one with the Father, and therefore, was allowed, or authorised/equipped by the Spirit of God for ministry, because He had the mind of God.
Back to the original question, can God trust me? God’s love is unconditional, but there are conditions attached to being trusted by Him. Do I have His mind? No! But I have One living within me who does – the Indwelling Christ! It is He, the Treasure within me, who knows the mind of God, and speaks the creative words of God from a heart ruled by Him….meek and lowly in heart.
God will not trust me with this valuable treasure if I do not learn how to be a good steward of it, just as a godly and wise parent would not trust a young child to take care of something valuable until the child had diligently received instruction in preparation for the task, and shown the maturity by listening and learning to be able to be trusted.
Finally, let us consider the following, 1 Peter 4:10-11 “As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracle of God. If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God, in all things, may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever, Amen.”