SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY

These are rhetorical questions. Paul did not ask them to seek an answer but rather to forcefully assert his authority as an Apostle of Christ. Paul never had the shadow of a doubt concerning his calling.  But what would happen if anyone of us, ministers of Christ, had to face a similar challenge?  When this kind of situation is caused by people who are very close to us and whom we love sincerely, the pain is real and deep. 

First Question: Freedom of the spirit.

Am I not a free man?  While ministering in Corinth, Paul voluntarily renounced his right to be financially supported by the Church in order not to limit his ministry and not to hinder the Gospel.  Even though in certain situation he voluntarily makes himself a slave to everyone in order to save some (I Corinthians 9:19-23) he, however, remained a freeman.  He was not prepared to let himself be manipulated by man’s opinion. This is so important in a minister’s life. 

I always commend the members of my ministry team for their collaboration.  A man alone can achieve nothing of some importance.  We will always have to attend committees to set up plans etc. But it is so much important to remain a man of God while working with others as a member of a team, a man who continually listens to the voice of God and who has no other goal than the glory of God. We need the wisdom of God to remain a free man of God while working with other valuable man of God without letting anybody enslaving us under man-made yokes. We should pray to keep this equilibrium.

Sometimes we are so careful not to frustrate anybody and are always trying to please everybody that, without even realizing it, we are no more instruments that God can use.  Are you a free man?  Sometimes the voices of man so filled our heart that we cannot hear the voice of God.  So my dear brothers and sisters in the ministry, be men and women of God, free from man-made yokes, while all the time valuing teamwork for all that it represents. Our colleagues are God’s gifts for our ministry.  Otherwise we work under stress. Paul says in Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ

Be free from sin, anger and envy and be full of love and consideration for others. Be filled with the Holy-Sprit and always pray in the Spirit.  A calm spirit is the hallmark of spiritual maturity and the condition to hear God’s voice, and forgiveness is the doorway to real calmness.  It is the price for spiritual authority.

Second question: God’s calling.

Am I not an Apostle?  Obviously we are not all apostles (There are so many self-appointed apostles nowadays).  But the Lord himself has called us to the ministry.  Do you have any doubt about that? Are some people challenging your calling?  Even though you may not be an apostle, however, you are a servant of God and He gave you a specific ministry. Every one of us, ministers of Christ, do have a special personal experience with God when He called us.  My experience is certainly very different from yours. It left an indelible trace in my heart. I know he called me and remember every word he told me on that day to confirm the burning desire that was in my heart. I have absolutely no doubt about his calling.  You will never be able to speak and act with spiritual authority if you have any doubt about your calling.

Third question: Personal encounter with the Lord.

Have I not seen our lord?  I have never seen the Lord in a literal sense and I guess you haven’t either. (It’s my greatest desire to see my Lord). The first twelve apostles lived with the Lord, they were eye-witness. Paul, who never met Jesus Christ while He was fulfilling His earthly ministry, seemingly didn’t have that authority. To authenticate his calling as an Apostle, Christ revealed Himself to Paul (see Acts Chap. 9; Galatians 1: 11-12; I Corinthians 11: 23-25, 2 Corinthians 12: 1-6). Paul saw Christ and heard His voice. It was first hand experience with the resurrected Christ.

What about us?  Again my experience will differ from yours. I was converted in the opening crusade of late French Missionary Aimé Cizeron in Mauritius in October 1967.  Huge crowds heard for the first time the full gospel with a flow of healing miracles. Never before had the Mauritians experienced such a revival, never. It was tremendous. I was 16 years old

And I saw with my very eyes the presence and power of the Lord at work. This kind of experience cannot be forgotten. I can say that in certain manner: “I saw the Lord at work.”  I met the Lord there.  He came to me in that way.  Your experience may differ, but I am certain that He came to you and spoke to you in a particular way. Have you really forgotten the unforgettable? It goes without saying that this first memorable encounter should be followed by daily personal communion with the Lord in prayer and worship. Moreover our intimacy with God should become deeper and stronger day by day

Fourth question: Fruitfulness in the ministry

Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?  Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." A man working under the anointing of the Holy Spirit within the boundaries God has assigned to him is bound to have a fruitful ministry.

Moreover, the fruits of his ministry will remain. As the years go by, the authenticity of the ministry will be evident for all.  All we have to do is to remain humble and faithful, always pressing forward and to never give up. It’s God’s work to make our ministry bear fruit. We can’t do it by ourselves. When we look back over the years, from the bottom of our heart flows an abundance of praise and thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done. And the best is yet to come. But the full scope of the fruitfulness of our ministry will be revealed when, overcoming death, we’ll stand before our lord on that glorious day.

Our Character and conduct.

The way we relate to people will either strengthen or destroy our ministry. It is always very heart breaking to see an authentic man of God destroying his ministry by his own imprudent and inconsiderate behavior, sometimes even meddling with sin. We have to be constant concerning our life principles. People don’t respect inconsistency in a man of God’s life. In this regard Paul says in I Thessalonians 2:5: “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover greed – God is our witness.  We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.  Remember, people respect consistency and can very easily recognize faithfulness and sincerity.

                                                                                                                                                   God bless you abundantly.

email: wilchrist@intnet.mu