July 29

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!”—REVELATION 3:15

The fruitfulness of the church corporately is dependent upon the life of Christ, but what about each of us individually? Many people are neither hot nor cold when it comes to serving Christ. They are stuck in the “in between”, not sure of what is involved or where it will take them. There are three basic responses we can make. We can say, “I can’t do this”, “I won’t do this” or “I will do this”. 

The most common response God heard was, “I can’t do this.” Abraham said, “I’m too old.” Moses said, “Who am I that the people will listen to me?” Joshua, David, Gideon, Jeremiah and many others, including the disciples, were of the same mind, “I can’t do this.” Most of us completely identify with that. Though God has gifted us in our own unique way, we still feel apprehensive and ill-equipped. 

Jesus fully anticipated the “I can’t” response. In the three years He spent with His disciples, He was not teaching programs or techniques, but revealing to them their weaknesses and bankruptcy. At the end of the story of the Gospels, the disciples are left in an extremely vulnerable position. Jesus ascended to heaven, leaving them utterly aware of their fears and powerlessness. But He had also instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until they would be clothed with power from on high. That came ten days later on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured down from heaven. 

In His last words to His disciples, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus is not giving them marching orders so that when they arrived in heaven, He could say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He is saying, “I am intimately involved in this process. I will be all you need and I will do this through you.”

That is the whole point for which the Holy Spirit indwells us. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). How did the Father send Him? In utter dependence on Him. Jesus does not send us into the world with a handbook, but is Himself the source of everything we need. Left to our own devices, it is absolutely true we cannot make disciples, but Jesus never said we could. It is He who can, and He will take us out of that “in between”, and enable us in our own unique way to become soul winners!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I pray for a deeper work of your Spirit to direct, enable and equip me to become a soul winner. Thank You, Lord.    

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I dependent on the Holy Spirit in my witness for Christ?