THE PURPOSE OF GOD THE SERVANT'S AIM

THE PURPOSE OF GOD THE SERVANT’S AIM

The more I read the scriptures and learn from them the mind of God as to the church, and compare His mind with the deformity to which the name church is attached in Christendom, the more through His grace am I urged to hold to what it is in His mind, and believing, that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world, I work for it in spite of everything and every one if it must be so. I am not contending for a phantom. I would that all men should see the administration of it. I know they do not, and how could they, in the medley of Christian denominations! God’s mind and purpose remains as sure today on the earth as ever it was. The Holy Ghost is as much set for it as ever. The gifts are given from the ascended ^[p. 148] Head as much as ever for this self-same purpose. Man is the only one refractory to the will of God — overpowered and subverted by the determined and unrelenting wiles of the enemy. The contention of the evangelist is with Pharaoh, the god of this world; he carries the gospel of the grace of God into distant lands and souls are saved. The evangelist is continually occupied with his own line of service, but if he forgets in any measure that his gift was given him from heaven, from the ascended Christ, so far he confines his work to the emancipation of souls from the thraldom of Satan, and overlooks their heavenly destination, and thus the church is not really reinforced by the new converts. There might be many conversions in a place where there was really not much addition to the church in that place, though I have no doubt when the Lord is working in a place saving souls, the saints are also blessed. I believe the evangelist, who has Christ’s chief interest most before him, would be the one most efficient to do his Master’s pleasure among the haunts of men. But no one can go higher than his object.

Another servant one sees occupied with the state of souls, and he in godly zeal keeps brushing away, labouring to make them shine; that is his object, and his work reveals it. The church as it is in the mind of God is not, as a rule, the object before the heart of servants. Would the gospel be neglected if it were? Would the state of souls be overlooked if it were? Certainly not. A servant can be occupied with his work and have but a scant idea of the purpose of his Master. This may be enough for mere service, but not for a servant who would be a friend of Christ. The object and use of the assembly on the earth I believe is very little known, and therefore it is not a paramount interest with many. Whatever God is most set for, Satan is most set against. God is most set for the church now, Satan is most set against it. Hence every servant, even the most faithful, may be deceived by an apparent success when he adopts any line of service below the present chief purpose of God; more souls may be converts, more saints may come to hear, more may speak of the blessing they have received, and yet the purpose of God may be lost sight of. Satan is crafty. If he can ^[p. 149] divert the servant from the highest point, he will let him have some success lower down. We see instances of this every day. Do you prefer success to all men forsook me, but the Lord stood with me?