Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the gospel of God should be recognized as the abiding reality. Reality is not human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell— it is redemption. The need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today. As workers, we have to get used to the revelation that redemption is the only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when testing comes.

Paul did not say that he separated himself, but “when it pleased God, who separated me . . .” (Galatians 1:15). Paul was not overly interested in his own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of redemption. Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God. “Don’t ask me to be confronted with the strong reality of redemption on behalf of the filth of human life surrounding me today; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes.” To talk that way is a sign that the reality of the gospel of God has not begun to touch me. There is no reckless abandon to God in that. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul was not conscious of himself. He was recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered, and separated by God for one purpose— to proclaim the gospel of God (see Romans 9:3).

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January 31, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

I have been facing some interesting and challenging issues of late; issues primarily facing other people. I have been used for a portion of the challenge or opportunity to help facilitate a next step for that other person and it feels natural and somehow self-completing. Even though my own life is not “all together”, being used to help someone else seems to bring all my uneven issues into a kind of perspective…and I seem to gain faith, hope, courage, and strength.

And God says…”Jesus gave you two commandments only….love your God with all your heart and love others as yourself. He only gave you two ….and obedience to both will complete you, not as a destination, but as a journey. We have begun to discover that you are only complete as you love your God with all your heart and as you love others and reach out to them in demonstration of that love. “

Luke 10:27 (Amplified Bible)

²⁷And he replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.^(A)