1Co 3:4-9 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (5) Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (6) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (7) So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. (8) Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. (9) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
We are guided by these verses not to think of ourselves and our efforts more highly than we ought to think. We are nothing and the fruits of our own imaginations are nothing unless it is God who works in us both to do and to will His good pleasure.
If we witness to a person and he understands the gospel so that He claims faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who has given Eternal Life and forgiveness of sins; such a SOUL is not OUR exclusive fruit. Someone else might have witnessed to him before, thus planting some seed, some radio, some book, some encounter might have led him to less resistance until such a time that GOD Himself led him to you. So it is inappropriate and actually carnality for a man to lay claim that a soul won to the Lord is "his fruit"
Sovereign Grace preachers who believe in predestination know full well that preachers are mere instruments of God and therefore if someone else's labours enter into theirs so that eventually they don't get the credit or attribution as to who really led them to the Lord, then that is just fine and no loss should be felt.
Let us give all glory to God and forget about factions, names, our own housebuilding upon the foundation of Christ, and let God be the judge on the last day.
Amen
I have heard that phrase several times before when preachers or christians would claim that this person or that person is their fruit. That is a sad thing for me because I think those who claim that are lacking in knowledge about the truth. I'm glad you shared this message, bro nilo. And, I hope many will read this and share this.
ReplyDeleteLet us remember that for us Christians, it is not about us but rather it is about giving Glory to God, our Creator, Saviour and our Everything.
Yes, I have heard that claim from certain preachers and christians. That, this or that person is their "fruits". Unknowingly (maybe), PRIDE is setting in their hearts, thus they probably lost their rewards for their evangelistic efforts.
ReplyDeleteI pray many will be able to read your article on this; it is a good lesson to us all. That, our christian life is not about the SELF or US, but about giving GLORY TO GOD, who is our everything.
I agree with what you wrote. Let us therefore take heed that PRIDE or the leaven effect of sins may not take over our hearts.