Category: Devotion of the Day

Gatherers

He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Matthew 12:30

Our Lord here joins position with practice. We are first with Him – not just for Him – and out of that grows duty: we gather with Him. “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” – there again He joins relationship with results, fellowship with fruitfulness: “Abide in me…much fruit.”

Our business is to become better Christians ourselves, help others to be better Christians, and win still others to become Christians. It grows naturally out of being a believer and disciple that one should also be a witness. Andrew did not have to take a study course in soul-winning to send him after his brother Peter, nor did Philip have to be urged during an annual “revival” before he did “personal work” with Nathanael.

When anything good comes our way we usually tell it. Strange that the greatest good tidings of all should find us holding our peace. Maybe we have just become canvassers looking for “members” instead of gatherers looking for souls.

The Prefecting of the Saints

For the perfecting of the saints.
Ephesians 4:12

It is also the business of every believer to help other Christians to become better Christians. If a brother be overtaken in a fault we are to pray for him, not persecute him. Jesus was out to restore backsliding Peter, to fire him up – not fire him out. Peter was marked “Special”; “Go tell his disciples and Peter.”

The New Testament abounds in instructions to love one another, exhort one another, comfort one another, forgive one another, prefer one another, provoke one another to love and good works. W provoke one another, but not to love and good works!

The gifts of our Lord to the church, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, are not for display but “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” To know Him ourselves and to help others to know Him better!

And as we help in the perfecting of others we are perfected ourselves. Working on ourselves all the time produces a warped saint. Our best improvement comes round-about, indirectly, as we help one another along.