Tuesday, March 25, 2014

INIQUITY or INTIMACY

Iniquity is simply "self will UN-harnessed by God’s will;” it is simple, we will our way into things God has nothing to do with. Iniquity does not necessarily have to be something all wicked and everything, it can even have good intentions that seem to be righteous and all.
For instance, Jesus said, "on that day will they not say, have I not cast out devils in thy name, and done many wonderful works in thy name,etc..." Casting out devils and doing many wonderful works, especially in the name of Jesus does not seem to be all that wicked. However, to Jesus, they worked iniquity; they were performing those things out of their own will rather than out of the presence of Jesus (intimacy). They were more in love with their ministry than they were Him.
If we are not careful we carry the idea of Christ in what we do rather than Christ carrying us in what we do. "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following..." (Mark 16:20). "The Lord working with them” is the key here.
Jesus turned the seventy loose, when they returned; they were all pumped over having cast out devils. Jesus' response to them was not, "good job boys." His response was, rejoice not that you had power over the demons, but rather rejoice that your names were written in the Lambs book of life.
Here again, we are to do these things out of the presence of Jesus (fellowship) with grateful hearts, not out of the sense of duty or out of the sense of reward for having done so. We are co-labors together “with God;" as we are in fellowship "with Him," we see what He is doing and we join Him.
Sometimes we do things out of our gifting or even out of our talent because of the attention or gratification it brings us. It is not about us, it is about the pain we are ministering to; it is about the influence of God advancing the Kingdom through us.

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