Calvin Synod Herald, 1978 (78. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1978-09-01 / 9-10. szám
REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 3 FIELD, BUILDING, FELLOW WORKMEN L. 1 Cor. 3:9-23 T. 1 Cor. 3:9 My dear Brethren, God has shown His love toward man many, many times and in many different ways. But our Lord proved His love toward man in creating man in His own image, by caring for mankind, by sending His beloved Son to live on earth, and finally, in sacrificing His only Son for mankind. This is the way in which mankind became children of God; ransomed by the blood of Jesus and purchased for God for all eternity. The greatest Love made the greatest sacrifice in redeeming mankind. An unheard of possibility may be ours if we choose wisely, if we accept this possibility which has been prepared for us. God’s plan is perfectly beautiful. We would all like to live happily — and our Lord wants to extend this happiness to eternity. And it is possible, if we accept from God the way through which we can attain this goal. To become children of God, there are three steps: To become His field, His building, and His fellow workers. 1. In the Bible we read that we are His field. In the eyes of industrialized mankind, the field loses its real value; but if we think of our farmlands, which furnish us with food for all the nations on the earth, we feel it’s real value. Our forefathers came to these shores to work, to earn money and use this money to purchase land in their respective villages. The Lord calls us His field — not marshes, forests, brushland, rocky ground, prairie or wasteland. He has to break up the rocky ground to culivtate our hearts so that we may be able to receive His Word, and thereby produce good grain, thirty-fold, sixty-fold or a hundred-fold. How many times have we rejected the Word of God? We may have heard it, but we did not respond to what was said to us. The Word of God cannot change our lives unless we receive it, and surely this is for our own benefit. This is why the Word is being preached and proclaimed; so that we would receive it and it would change our lives. 2. The Lord calls us His building. Surely, we are God’s building, the house in which He lives. In our city dwellings, we are attached to our father’s house. For little ones and adults alike, it is with pleasure that we return home. Home is perhaps the most comforting and beautiful house in the whole world. God calls us His house and we live in His land. He prepared the foundation for us at the time of creation. He placed us on the foundation to build and to survive. Have you felt the security of this rock and have you felt secure knowing that the foundation is solid? God asked you to build your future upon Him, to build with love, devotion, forgiveness, mercy, goodness and faith. If you have built with permanent material, you know that the Lord lives in you. You became God’s house, His temple, cathedral... You all know o'f the famous painting depicting Jesus as He knocks on a door. If you open the door you receive happiness; but if the door remains shut, you deprive yourself of peace of mind and happiness. Even with closed doors you feel insecure but by letting Jesus in, you feel that the entering stranger brings warmth and sunshine into your life. 3. The Lord wants us to be not only His field and house, but also His fellow workers. It is not enough to know that we live in His land, that He lives in us, but if we received Him, we have to do something with Him and for Him. He made us His disciples and He wants us to be His witnesses. He sends us to make disciples of all nations. In our world today, the church and its members remain silent. We feel that religion is our own private business. Let everyone think about it for himself — Jesus proclaimed love and mercy from His Father. The disciples, the first Christians were professing Christians; and our forefathers were of the same calibre. The Lord calls us to be His fellow workers, His witnesses. What do we do for our fellow man, our relatives, or members of our family? How sad eternity will be not having the members of our family, our relatives and friends around us! Why don’t we do something for them? Tell them about Jesus, about His love and sacrifice for us... Tell them that He is waiting, asking us to repent, to become His field, His house and fellow workers ... Be a helping hand, a calling voice, a way and a bridge for all to come to the Savior. “Work while the day is bright... Work for the night is coming.” Amen. Francis Vitéz TAKE TIME Take Time TO THINK... It is the source of power. Take Time TO PLAY ... It is the secret of perpetual youth. Take Time TO READ ... It is the fountain of wisdom. Take Time TO PRAY ... It is the greatest power on earth. Take Time TO LOVE and BE LOVED__ It is a God-given privilege. Take Time TO BE FRIENDLY ... It is the road to happiness. Take Time TO LAUGH ... It is the music of the soul. Take Time TO GIVE... It is too short a day to be selfish.
