What does God the Father want from each of us believers this morning? Life-long growth in abiding fruitfully in Jesus.
• When your body stops growing—your abiding fruitfully should not.
• When your financial worth stops growing– your abiding fruitfully should not.
• When your power and influence on earth stop growing– your abiding fruitfully should not.
• When your accomplishments in your field stop growing– your abiding fruitfully should not.
See what I mean? There is a part of you that will never die and should always grow. That concept should be on your mind every day you live on this planet. Life long growing in fruitfulness, abiding in Jesus Christ!
Probably every one of us in this room has heard the famous words of Charles Thomas Studd (1860-1931),
“Only one life, ‘twill soon be past;
only what’s done for Christ will last.”
However, few of us realize when it was that he said those words. It was on his deathbed with his precious family gathered around him. He had already told each of his children that he wished he had something to give to them, but he had nothing left. Then he said, “I gave it all to the Lord, a long time ago.”
This spiritual giant actually gave his children more than anyone could imagine. His children had seen their father grow year by year in the Lord. They saw his personal devotion to the Word of God. They watched him refined by constant health problems, reoccurring weakness and bouts with intense pain. They had watched his tireless devotion to the Lord that carried their frail dad to the remotest and most dangerous spots on earth—all to share the glorious Gospel of Christ. In the end, every one of his children served the Lord to their last days. They saw and followed the example of his great dedication to God.
When Avis B. Christiansen (1895-1985), the wife of the Vice President of Moody Bible Institute heard these precious words spoken by C.T. Studd at his death, she began to ponder them. A few years later in 1937, she wrote a now-famous hymn, “Only One Life to Offer”. Listen to her reflections that turned into a prayer of devotion to the Lord she also served with all her heart (hymn # 378):
Only one life to offer–
Jesus, my Lord and King;
Only one tongue to praise Thee
And of Thy mercy sing;
Only one heart’s devotion–
Savior, O may it be
Consecrated alone to Thy matchless glory,
Yielded fully to Thee.
Only this hour is mine, Lord–
May it be used for Thee;
May ev’ry passing moment
Count for eternity;
Souls all about are dying,
Dying in sin and shame;
Help me bring the message of Calv’ry’s redemption
In Thy glorious name.
Only one life to offer–
Take it, dear Lord, I pray;
Nothing from Thee withholding,
Thy will I now obey;
Thou who hast freely given
Thine all in all for me,
Claim this life for Thine own to be used, my Saviour,
Ev’ry moment for Thee.
Growing in Christ is accomplished by abiding in Him. Allowing Him to chasten (spank us as needed) and prune us (guide our lives away) from anything that we will have to leave behind because it was not worth Christ’s dying for. What are you living for today that is worthy of the price paid for your life? Are you living for what Christ died for?
(WWJ-69; 041107AM)
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