Instruments not Servants

Philippians 1:15

To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will. 

Matthew 7:21-23

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord!” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name? Then I will announce to them, “I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!”

Some may appear as true servants of God (with many gifts – of tongue, healing etc). But these may just be instruments that God uses to honour His Word. (Didn’t God use Balaam to bless Israel? Balaam who would have cursed Israel for a reward?) (see Numbers 22 & 23).  

An excerpt from Oswald Chambers “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount” : -   “God honors His words no matter who preaches it. The people Jesus Christ refers to in Matthew 7:21 were instruments but an instrument is not a servant. A servant is one who has given up the right to self to the God whom he or she proclaims, a witness to Jesus, a satisfaction to Jesus Christ wherever he or she goes. The baptism of the Holy Spirit turns people into the incarnation of what they preach until *the appearance and reality are one and the same” *The Holy Spirit does this. How?

1.       The Holy Spirit is to be received (we are not to believe the Holy Spirit but to receive)

2.       When we are saved – by God’s grace God put in us the possibility of not sinning. We are no longer slaves to sin [to say we cannot sin anymore is a lie. If we magically cannot sin anymore on salvation our obedience would not be worth anything]

3.       From the moment of putting in us the possibility of not sinning (or the emancipation of our bondage from sin), our character is of value to God. We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Fear and trembling and gratitude that He gave us a chance to work it out, to be completely delivered. The Holy Spirit works in our salvation, in the entire process enabling us, assisting us until, we move from the appearance of servanthood to the reality of servanthood.