“I know your works…”
I noticed as I recently read through the letters to the seven churches in Revelation that Jesus informed each of them that He knew their works. Some of those works were good and some of them were not good. No matter whether the work was good or bad Jesus knew it. I think that this would be Jesus’ message to our churches today and I also think that this would be His message to each of His people. Jesus knows everything about our works. Jesus knows what we are doing. Just as Jesus had intimate knowledge of what the churches in Revelation were doing, He knows what we are doing in our churches. He knows whether or not we are ministering to our communities or just to ourselves. He knows whether or not we are carrying out the great commission through our daily witness and through our church’s giving. Jesus even knows what we are thinking as churches and what is in our hearts. For example, Jesus knew that Ephesus, the first of the seven churches, had “lost their first love.” He knew that their love for Jesus was not as strong as it had been, and that their love for people had subsequently diminished. He knows whether or not your church is a loving church. Just as Jesus knows what is going on in His churches, He knows what is going on in His people. He has intimate knowledge of our lives. He knows whether or not what we are doing is in His will. It is reasonable to assume that if Jesus knows what we are doing, He knows why we are doing what we are doing. Jesus is always aware of our motivations for our actions – even our good ones. The motivation for our bad actions are easy to determine, but our good actions might be a little more complicated. For example, Jesus knows whether or not what we are doing is His will. This means that Jesus has things that He wants us to do that only we can do. It is possible that what Jesus wants you to do will go undone, or that He will get someone else to do it. I have no way of knowing what God’s will for you is, and would not even try to tell you, but He knows and He wants you to know. Furthermore, we need to ask ourselves if we are motivated to do what we do out of a love for Jesus and for people? Just as Jesus knew this about the church at Ephesus, He knows it about us. It is not a bad thing that Jesus knows our works. Jesus knows our actions intimately because He loves us deeply. He loved us enough to die on the cross for us, and to save us. Jesus is part of our lives to begin with because He loves us. If He didn’t convict us of our wrong actions through the Holy Spirit, we would just go our own way and make a real mess of our lives and our churches. We see all of the time what happens when churches go their own way and do their own “church work.” We see what happens all of the time when people go their own way and do not try to live for Him. It is out of love that Jesus disciplines us and calls to us to confess, repent and do better. I have experienced this in my life, and have been glad for His intervention in my life. Here is the point for you: Jesus knows your works and He wants what is best for you. That is why He intervenes in your life. Pay attention to what He is trying to tell you and what He is trying to tell your church. Bro. Joe
1 Comment
Margaret M Jones
10/19/2015 08:38:50 am
Good Message
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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