Means of Grace
‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned’ John 15:5,6
There are biblical activities we can do that allow Christ’s life to flow in our lives. These activities are sometimes called “means of grace.” They are spiritual disciplines. They are taps through which the life giving water of life, Christ’s life, can come to us.
This is the third devotional in this series that look at ways we can confuse the tap with what comes out of it. Previously, we warned:
Don’t elevate anything God uses to bless your life with the rich, refreshing life of Christ that comes through that instrument
Let’s take it a step further.
Don’t elevate anyone God uses to bless your life over the rich, refreshing life of Christ that comes through that person
In my time as a Christian I’ve seen a number of wonderful men and women that God has raised up and used powerfully as instruments of His blessing. I’ve sometimes seen followers of these wonderful ministries elevate them to a place of virtual infallibility.
In the 1940’s God raised up a man in America by the name of William Branham. Extraordinary miracles were commonplace in his meetings. Detailed words of knowledge were part of every meeting. But his followers elevated him to the point where they believed he could no wrong. They convinced him he could no wrong. He became deceived and as he increasingly taught bizarre unbiblical ideas, his followers followed him down that slippery pathway. They transcribed his messages with every pause, every ‘ah,’ ‘er,’ ‘mm.’ His death in a car crash in 1965 left behind followers who gave him a prominence no man or woman on earth should carry.
Paul faced this problem of elevating the minister in the church in Corinth. The church was lining up behind its favourite ministries – Paul, Apollos and Peter (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)
What after all is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow (1 Corinthians 3:5-7)
Don’t ever elevate any person God uses to bless your life over the rich, refreshing life of Christ that comes through that person. The life of Christ is far more important than any minister He might use to bring it to you.
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