Posted by
jgrantswankjr on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 6:06:39 PM
 |
|
|
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
". . .for the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." I Corinthians 4:l9
Those
into showmanship focus this verse upon their marvelous exploits in the
name of religion. They yearn for center stage. They set up for the next
performance. Their audiences exclaim over what power is set loose in
their coliseums.
When the disciples returned to Jesus to
relate how marvelous were their village ministries, Jesus cautioned
them not to concentrate on that kind of power. Instead, He told them to
thank heaven that their names were written down in the Lamb's Book of
Life. Now that's power. It's the power set loose at Calvary.
When
Paul writes about power, he writes it in the context of those who have
called too much attention to themselves. "I will come to you shortly,
if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are
puffed up, but the power."
Paul was not impressed with marvelous power; he was impressed with marvelous integrity--the power of the interior.
"What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?"
In
other words, Paul was ready to discipline those into their own
egocentric power displays. He was determined that the church would know
only the interior power--lowliness, meekness, humility.
When
Jesus walks alongside the cross carrier, Jesus instructs him on the
power sources of heaven. They produce "poor in spirit" evidences. In
other words, Jesus teaches the disciple how to let Jesus servanthood
work out through human personality.
When Jesus abides within
the human spirit, there can be no display of conceit. Jesus is a
jealous God. He will not stand alongside pride. Therefore, either pride
must go or Jesus must go. If Jesus stays, then the power of poverty
comes through.
It does not take
much to work up an audience nor come upon carnal extravaganzas for
attention. That can be seen through in a fleck of time. But it takes
some doing to come upon Jesus' brochettes. It takes everything the
disciple can muster to submit to the bent frame of Calvary, to live out
that sacrifice in daily grind.
Do you evidence that kind of
kingdom power? It is the only kind that God commends: "Well done, thou
good and faithful servant. . ."
|
|
|
|
|