And we have sent with
them our brother
whom we have often
proved diligent
in many things, but
now much more diligent,
because of the great
confidence which we have in you.
If anyone inquires
about Titus, he is my partner
and fellow worker
concerning you. Or if our
brethren and are
inquired about, they are messengers
of the churches, the
glory of Christ. Therefore
show to them, and
before the churches, the proof
of your love and our
boasting on your behalf.
2 Corinthians 8: 22
-- 24
The brother
who was sent along with Titus is generally thought to be Luke for his services
were well known that he has proven to be praiseworthy and he also was chosen by
the churches and had joined the apostles in his ministrations. What can we learn by this narrative? All Christians have the duty to act
prudently, to prevent as far as we can, all unjust suspicions. How is it possible? In the first place it is to act up rightly
in the sight of God. To our best
ability in the sight of men we need to attend to those things that would be
honest. If we fail, and due to original sin
that is within us and the need to continue to grow in our sanctification, there
is a great probability that we will fail at times. God's gift is that He will forgive the true repentant. Charitable love extends beyond the giving of material gifts. Our love is to be extended to aid our
brothers and sisters in whatever need or circumstance they find themselves
embroiled. Are we not ambassadors for
Jesus Christ? Yes! Paul in this letter has made it very clear that we are all,
not just our pastors, or other leaders of the church, ambassadors, no, every
Christian is an ambassador of Jesus Christ.
As Paul commended the Corinthian's for their charitable acts of love we
to be commended for our acts of charitable love for this is the proof of our
love and this is all for the glory of Jesus Christ. All one must do is look at the life, and this natural life we
find that our ambitions alter as we develop in our maturity and this is also
true in our Christian life. You see,
the letters of Paul as written to the Corinthian church were written due to
misuse of Christianity and in their following that which was taught to him by
Paul which was inspired by the Holy Spirit to be given to them. As they became embroiled in their Christianity
they also began to add many things to their religious beliefs that work and
contradict the will of God. Their goal
had not change or was altered by this new life for they made their exercises of
faith their aim. This is happening in
many churches today for they are more embroiled in the doing of good things, which in and of themselves are not all bad, but this becomes their
ambitious aim. This is not the
Christian life with its goal that was set forth by God for the Christian life
has the goal that begins and ends the same, viz., our Lord Himself, Jesus
Christ. We start with Christ and we in
with Him. Our aim should be to attain
the stature of the manhood of Jesus Christ, and not to what our idea as to what
the Christian life should be. The aim
of an ambassador is to do God's will, not to be just useful, not to win the
heathen; of course it is useful in a person is useful if he does win the
heathen, but that is not his aim. The
aim that should be yours is to do the will of Christ our Lord. Let us take a snapshot of the life of Jesus
Christ and by this snapshot we will see that the climax, the aim, of Jesus
Christ was His Father's will which was the cross upon which He was crucified and unless we go with Jesus there we will not have any companionship with
Him. Yes we may be giving material
gifts, we may even be giving moral support, all that is good, all that is also
necessary as a Christian, but unless Jesus Christ is our Lord and our aim in
this life that is to become conformed to Him we really do not have companionship
with Him. Nothing deterred Jesus Christ on His way to the cross,
neither gratitude nor ingratitude discouraged Jesus Christ and His purpose to go
to Jerusalem knowing that He would be nailed upon a wooden stake, a cross, to die
this horrible death that was assigned criminals which He was not. The disciple and ambassadors for Christ, are
not above their Master, therefore, the same things will happen to us on our way
to our Jerusalem. On the way to our
Jerusalem there will be works of God manifested in our lives, people will get
blessed, and even some will show gratitude and unfortunately others will show
gross ingratitude, nothing must deflect us from our going up to our
Jerusalem. Don't be as many have become
as they did in the church there at Corinth and upon what you are
doing rather than your eyes upon Christ.
Don't just fix your eyes upon the horrible acts thrust upon our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ upon the cross. No! Fix your eyes upon the purpose of the cross
and that was by the death of Jesus Christ wehre your salvation was vicariously given
so that you can have eternal life not by anything you have done but by simply
God choosing you, giving to you the faith to choose Him. The cross is our gateway to our salvation
and we do not and but by the grace of God and upon the grace of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ you will end up in glory.
In the meantime our watchword is -- I too, go up to Jerusalem.
I am my beloved’s
and his
desire is
toward me.
Song of
Solomon 7:10
God’s vineyard is before you
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