Healthy, Growing Churches (2)

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work… those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. Titus 3.1, 8

Letters 93.9.30
Augustine (354-430)
“The faithful who are holy and good may be few in comparison with the larger number of the wicked, but … ‘many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.’ God shows to himself ‘a numerous people, zealous for good works.’ … Even when sometimes darkened and, as it were, clouded over by a great number of scandals … still this people shines forth in her strongest members.”

The saints of the Lord have been set apart from the ordinary course of humanity to be a people zealous for good works (Tit. 2.14). We must believe that, properly equipped, not only will they be zealous to do good, but ready and careful as well, so that the people around them will see their good works and glorify God (Matt. 5.13-16). Christians have been redeemed for good works (Eph. 2.10), and the Law of God, being holy and righteous and good (Rom. 7.12), is the place to begin in learning those good works that help us increase in love for God and our neighbors (Matt. 22.34-40). But if those called to equip the saints for good works do not teach them the Law, and lead them to delight in the Law and all the Word of God, then they will not be equipped for good works (2 Tim. 3.15-17). Church members may be “few in comparison” with the unbelievers in their community, but we must work to equip them as strong members of the Body of Christ, zealous, ready, and careful to do good works. We’ll know we’re doing our job as shepherds when the people shine like the light of Christ in their Personal Mission Fields.

Meditate on Hebrews 13.17. How does this passage relate to the equipping of the saints for every good work?

T. M. Moore

Organizing with the Spirit
The Lord Jesus is building His Church. His Word is the blueprint, His Spirit is the General Contractor, and we are all builders together of the Body of Christ. But are we doing our work God’s way, or ours? The Spirit has His ways of organizing our work, and we do well to understand as much as we can about His methods. This is the argument of Dr. Kent Miller of Michigan State University, and you can watch our Conversationwith Dr. Miller, and download a free copy of his paper on the subject, “Organizing with the Spirit,” by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Quotations from Church Fathers are from the Ancient Christian Commentary Series, published by InterVarsity Press.