Seventeen

"Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"(Matthew 9: 10, 11).

When we make a study of the history of the Christian Church from the time of the New Testament down to the present day, a most interesting fact stands out. That fact is the striking impact that the coming of the Holy Spirit in power on Christians had on changing their attitude to sinners, being evident in a marked and deepened concern for those who are lost. This development was so dramatically obvious on the Day of Pentecost, when about three thousand converts were added to the believers. That same pattern, of many sinners being converted, at times by the thousands, stands out throughout the entire Book of The Acts.

This same pattern is quite evident in the ministry of John Wesley, whose ministry, following his Aldersgate experience, was in striking contrast to his ministry prior to that experience. As the result of the Holy Spirit's dramatic ministry through John Wesley, multiplied thousands were swept into the kingdom of God.

The majority of the people reached through Wesley's ministry were the kind of people that the churches of that day actually turned away. This resulted in John Wesley being compelled to develop the "Methodist Societies", which later became Churches, to nurture and train the new concerts. Yet these were new converts who were turned away from the established Churches when they should have been joyfully gathered into the Churches.

William Booth had experienced a personal Pentecost, and, once again, the Holy Spirit used him to win many thousands to a vital experience of salvation in the Lord Jesus. William Booth often repeated his charge to the people, "Go for souls, and go for the worst!" Once again, for the most part, these new converts were unwanted by the established Churches, and thus the Christian Mission, later named the Salvation Army, came into being to provide for the new converts.

The Lord Jesus made it abundantly clear that when the Holy Spirit came in power on the disciples, and on all Christians whom He fills, the Holy Spirit's presence would result in Him motivating all whom He filled to lift up and exalt the Lord Jesus so that all people everywhere would be gathered in to the Savior. Those who were gathered in would be men and women, old and young, from all sections of human society, including the worst and the lowest of people. The Lord Jesus "is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him"(Hebrews 7: 25). He is even able to save from "the guttermost" to the uttermost!

Every new convert, no matter who they are, or what they may have been, needs to be gathered into the warm and loving fellowship of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, there to be faithfully nurtured and helped to grow to perfection in their Christian life. This is the will of God.

"Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature"(Mark 16: 15). When the Lord Jesus said, "every creature," did He really mean, "every creature?" Or did He mean that those of us who are Christians who profess to be loyal to Him could pick and choose which of the people of the world we would go to, and which, for whatever reason, we could choose to ignore?

It is so important that we who do make the claim that we are being transfigured into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit who fills us, pay the closest attention to the words which Paul uses in the following statement: "The love of Christ compels us"(2 Corinthians 5: 14). Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is reminding us that it is never a matter of our choice, but of the compulsion of the love of the Lord Jesus who fills our hearts. If it is His love that compels us, by what kind of twisted reasoning could we imagine that that same self-denying, self-sacrificing love would permit us to be selective in which people we will share His gospel with, and which of those lost souls for whom He died we can ignore.

The answer to that question has already been given, loud and clear: "For God so loved the world"(John 3: 16). "The world" includes each and every person in the world. It is "the love of God (that) has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us"(Romans 5: 5). The love of God is not selective, is no respecter of persons, and as it is His love that fills the heart of every Christian who is transfigured into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ, this means that the love which motivates them cannot, and will not, be selective, or show respect of persons either.

To return to Paul's statement: "The love of God compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all." Is it true that "One died for all?" As we think about that statement, think also about those whom we would rather not have to go to, and, think about the Lord Jesus who fills our hearts and lives, the Lord Jesus who is our life. He asks us, "As I died for that particular person, on what basis can you decide that you can ignore them? What answer could we possibly give?

"He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves."(verse 15). This includes all people! Yet there are so many of those for whom He died who still do not "live", who cannot enjoy the new life He offers, because Christians have chosen to ignore them, which means that Christians have chosen to leave them "dead in trespasses and sins!"(Ephesians 2: 1). Leaving them: dead! The very people for whom the Lord Jesus died so that they might live!

Obviously any person who is guilty of such neglect knows very little, if anything, of the love of the Lord Jesus flooding their hearts as He lives in their hearts..

And, not only that they should "live", but that they should "live . . . for Him who died for them and rose again!"(verse 15). That they should be enabled to live to honor and glorify the One who died for them. That in both time and eternity they should live to exalt Him!

How could anyone who professes to be a transparent earthen vessel from whom shines the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, act in such a manner as to deny the Lord Jesus the glory and praise that is due to Him?

Do we imagine that we will be able to stand before the judgment seat of Christ - for in this same chapter of 2 Corinthians Paul reminds us that we must all appear "before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad"(verse 10). Do we believe that when we stand at His judgment seat that we will be able to give any reason that He would accept for neglecting even one of those for whom He died? One of those whom He urgently seeks to reach and bring to Himself through us?

The Lord Jesus has clearly announced, "He who does not gather with Me scatters abroad"(Matthew 12: 30). When He commissioned every Christian, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature," His purpose was most definite. In requiring us to preach the Gospel to every creature, He is reminding us that His plan, His will, is that by the enabling of the Holy Spirit who fills us, we will gather in every possible person that we can reach. "Gather with Me!"

Paul also included this most searching comment, "Knowing, therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (2 Corinthians 5: 11). In the light of the fact that we know that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and there give account to Him, we take the most careful note of all of the things that the Holy Spirit has been seeking to teach us about the Lord's expectations.

"Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name," - that is, preached Your Word in Your name! - at least to those we decided were the ones we would share it with - "cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness"(Matthew 7: 22, 23).

Why would the Lord Jesus accuse them of "lawlessness"? Because they chose to be a law unto themselves. Instead of doing all that the Lord Jesus commissioned them to do, they did only what they themselves chose to do. The Lord Jesus quite rightly defines that as "lawlessness!"

"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word"(John 14: 23). That does not mean, keep His Word when it falls in with our own desires, and ignore it when it happens to suit us.

The true spirit that demonstrates that a Christian is actually pressing on to perfection is expressed by the apostle Paul. Remember, he said, "The love of Christ compels us!" He also gave to us his own testimony of all that this compulsion meant for him: "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Corinthians 9: 16).

"The love of Christ compels me!" "I have been entrusted with a stewardship!" (verse 17). "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful" (1 Corinthians 4: 1, 2). "It is required on stewards that one be found faithful!" When is the steward required to be found faithful? Found faithful, first in the discharge of the duty the Lord Jesus has entrusted to him. Then, found faithful as he stands before the judgment seat of Christ to give account.

Paul wanted to be able to stand before the judgment seat of his Lord as one who was found faithful, and thus to bring even greater honor and praise to the Lord who had chosen him. He was totally on the Lord's side! How did Paul express this strong motivation and loyalty in his life and service?

"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more" (1 Corinthians 9: 19). Why did he so willingly accept this role? The love of Christ compelled him. He saw all that the Lord Jesus had already done, and Paul deliberately chose to freely and fully identify with his Lord.

He "made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of bondservant"(Philippians 2: 7). The Christians who, like Paul, are personally filled with the Holy Spirit, deliberately choose the same role: of being bondservants - to all of the lost, no matter who they are, what they are, or where they are. It does not matter how deep in sin and depravity they may have sunk. The Lord Jesus willingly paid the price to save all sinners and gather them all to Himself, even the very worst! And those in whose hearts the Lord Jesus lives will willingly make the same choice: His choice!

Paul took in the whole picture as he studied the total loyalty of the Lord Jesus to the responsibility His Father had given to Him. "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross"(verse 8).

Paul was so taken captive by this amazing love of the Lord Jesus that fully embraces every person that he made his own personal commitment, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him"(Philippians 3: 7 - 9).

Therefore, Paul did not rule out of consideration any person, because, "Christ died for all!" And, "the love of Christ compelled him!" "To the Jews I became as a Jew"(1 Corinthians 9: 20). He totally identified with the Jews in all of their need so that: "I may win Jews!" "To those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law"(verse 20).

That would have not been that difficult for a man like Paul: "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless"(Philippians 3: 5, 6). Yes, he knew exactly just what it took to fit in with the Jews, he had been one himself for so long. But this was different, his goal now was to gather in to the Lord Jesus as many of the Jews as he possibly could.

"To those who are without the law" - that is, the Gentiles - who were so completely despised by the Jews. So this proved to be a totally different situation for him. Yet, he says, I became as one "without the law!" He totally identified himself with the Gentiles, so that he could gather as many of them to the Lord Jesus as well. In doing this he attracted the hatred and opposition of so many of the Jews everywhere he went, in exactly the same way that the Lord Jesus came to be despised and rejected by so many of the Jews.

Paul did not live as one who was without the law. "(Not being without law toward God, but under law to Christ)"(2 Corinthians 9: 21). Nevertheless he did everything that he could to be as fully identified with the Gentiles as possible, identified with those who were despised and rejected, so as to gather as many of the Gentiles as possible to The Lord Jesus.

There are far too many Christians today who have failed completely to catch the vision which Paul shared with the Lord Jesus. He knew that before he could be used by the Holy Spirit to gather in more Gentiles to faith in the Lord Jesus he had to convince the Gentiles that he accepted them himself! His attitude toward them was not judgmental, but the genuine expression of Christ-like concern and compassion for them in their need of the Savior.

Paul had no concern to protect his reputation with other people. The Lord Jesus did not come to protect His reputation with men either. If that had been His main concern the Lord Jesus would never have left Heaven's glory. His concern was to gather in to Himself the lost, including the least and the lowest; "To call sinners to repentance." Therefore if His reputation had to be sacrificed, so be it. "The friend of tax collectors and sinners!" That was the scornful and mocking way they derided and ridiculed Him. "As without law. . . that I might win those who are without law" (verse 21).

"To the weak, I became as weak"(verse 22). Fully identifying with all those that came into that category as well! He let all such people know that they would never feel anything that remotely suggested a superior attitude as far as Paul's involvement with them was concerned.

Again, today, there are too many of the "weak" who are being made to feel as though they are quite inferior as the result of the attitude of Christians, including many who profess to have the Lord Jesus living in their hearts and lives. The Lord Jesus never made the "weak" feel as though they were inferior. Think of the "woman taken in adultery"(John 8). It was those who accused her and raised the threat of stoning her who made her feel that she was the lowest of the low. But not the Lord Jesus. He was moved with compassin for her. "Neither do I condemn you!"

The condemning, superior, "holier than you" attitude is totally devoid of the love of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus was committed to lift up that "weak" woman who was taken in adultery, He wanted her to come to experience His strength in her life, He wanted her to know that in spite of her sin and weakness she could become a true child of God. "That I might win the weak!"

How we need to think so very carefully about what Paul, a man who was genuinely filled with the Holy Spirit, now goes on to say, and, remember, He was inspired by the Holy Spirit to make this statement: "I have become all things to all men!"

What a stark contrast that is to the attitude that claims, "People will have to accept me just the way I am before I would have anything to do with the likes of them!" That kind of self-righteous "holiness" is so completely devoid of the attitude that will attract people to the Lord Jesus, rather, it repels them. Which means that the Holy Spirit cannot use such people to gather the lost to the Lord Jesus. Those kind of people are scattering precious souls to the whirl wind, precious souls who may never again be in the position where they can be reached.

The Christians who are "strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith," are the ones who thankfully say with Paul, "I have become all things to all men." There is no thought given to just being concerned about those people that I think I might be "comfortable" with, nor any idea that there are some types of people who would fit in better in our fellowship than some other people would.

"All things to all men, that I might by all means save some!" That I might save some of those "all men." Paul readily acknowledged that it was his desire to win as many people as possible, no matter who or what they were. He wanted to be able to gather in as many as would respond to him as he presented the gospel to them. He knew that "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15: 7).

On the day of Pentecost a large crowd of many thousands of people gathered, responding to the news that something quite extraordinary was taking place where the disciples were gathered. There were some of the people who were saying that the disciples were drunk with new wine. Others of the crowd offered their suggestions. But they were all so highly curious about these unusual developments.

There were all kinds of people there from a wide variety of places, from different backgrounds, different cultures, and different languages. "They were all amazed and marveled" (Acts 2: 7). "They were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, Whatever could this mean?"(verse 12).

Peter stood before that vast crowd that had gathered. He could see that it was made up of people from all different backgrounds and cultures. Yet he did not hesitate. We read, "Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them"(verse 14). "Men of Israel, hear these words(verse 22), Jesus of Nazareth"(verse 32). And he proceeded to preach to that vast crowd the message of Jesus, crucified, risen, and glorified by God as their Savior from sin and all of its consequences.

John Wesley followed the example of Peter. Being filled with the Holy Spirit and motivated by the love of the Lord Jesus, he went out into the open air where vast crowds had also gathered to hear the message he brought. The crowds were made up of people who never entered any Church, first, because they did not feel comfortable in the Churches; but also, because they knew that their "kind" was most unwelcome in those Churches.

As John Wesley looked at those vast crowds, he knew the kind of people that they were, he recognized that the lives they lived completely alienated them from the type of Christianity that was then prevailing in the Churches. The people in the crowds who came to hear Wesley were all sinners of one kind or another, so many of them were people who had sunk quite deep into the vilest expressions of depravity.

Yet John Wesley did not hesitate. Like Paul before him, necessity had been laid upon him by the Holy Spirit who filled, possessed and motivated him. He immediately and powerfully began to preach to these people the same message that Peter preached, Jesus, crucified, risen, and glorified as their Savior from all sin.

We watch William Booth as he began his invasion of the East End of London. This was an area in which there were no Churches of any kind, but plenty of gin shops. No clergy would be seen in those dirty streets, but plenty of drunkards, prostitutes, thieves, and other criminals of all types; sinners openly living in the deepest, most degrading of sins.

William Booth, a man who was also filled with the Holy Spirit, a man whose entire life was totally motivated by the love of the Lord Jesus who reigned supreme in his heart and life. As William Booth looked at all of these people, this servant of the Lord Jesus said to his son Bramwell, "These are our people!" He was made all things to all men, no matter how deep in sin and depravity they had sunk.

William Booth began to preach to these people the identical message to that which Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. It was the same message that John Wesley preached to the vast crowds that gathered to hear him. It was the powerful message of Jesus, crucified, risen, and glorified by God that was offered to these people of the East End of London, Jesus as their Savior who was able to save them all to the uttermost.

Peter, Wesley, Booth, and so many more, all courageously stood in the power of the Holy Spirit, totally confident in the Message of Jesus and Him crucified, expecting the Holy Spirit to use them powerfully as they made themselves "all things to all people if by all means they may save some!"

If that was true of those Spirit-filled men of God, its should be equally true of every Christian today, especially every Christian who testifies of having received the experience by which they are filled with the Holy Spirit, so that the Lord Jesus continues to live and reign supreme in their hearts. If that is not true today, then it is clear and irrefutable evidence that the claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit is quite spurious!

In each of their situations, Peter, John Wesley, and William Booth proclaimed the gospel to sinners with the confident expectation that no matter how deep in sinful depravity the sinner had sunk, that not only was the Holy Spirit able to effectively use the gospel to bring those very sinners to true repentance and saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit was also well able to bring them through into the victorious fullness of new life in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit have no doubt whatsoever that, no matter how vile the past may have been, "the blood of Jesus is able to cleanse from all sin!" They are convinced that no matter how many complex and confusing situations the person's previous life of sin may present, the Holy Spirit powerfully applying the Word of God was well able to sort out all of the tangled threads of their lives, and He was able to do so with such thrilling effectiveness that those very sinners would, and could be "presented perfect in Christ."

Peter, John Wesley, and William Booth demonstrated courageous confident in the message of Jesus and Him Crucified, and in the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit to apply that message with life-transforming effectiveness that resulted in multiplied thousands of sinners not only being saved, but going on to live lives of constant victory.

Perhaps it is at this point that we are confronted with what is our real problem today. Perhaps it is here that we are compelled to think about the answer to the question as to why we feel that there are some people that we really do not want to get involved with, people whom we would rather not see bring their perplexing and tangled problems into our Churches.

Could it be that we have lost faith in our message? That we can no longer bring ourselves to believe that in such perplexing and difficult situations the gospel is no longer the power of God unto salvation? That, in fact we have lost faith in both the Person of the Holy Spirit, and the power of the Word of God? We see people whose lives are in such a terrible mess, we question whether even the Holy Spirit would be able to sort out their mess and set them free to become perfect in Christ? That some of these people are so mixed up that the Word of God does not have the answers that will meet their needs?

If that is true in any sense of any of us. then it would strongly suggest that we have not yet entered into that true experience of the Holy Spirit seen at Pentecost, that experience which marked the lives and service of Peter, John Wesley, William Booth, and so many more like them. They were convinced, the preaching of the cross is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe!

These men who were so gloriously filled with the Holy Spirit, and so powerfully used by Him, would join in saying with Paul, "For necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel" - so as to gather in to the Lord Jesus sinners who so desperately need the Savior.

Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit are motivated by the Holy Spirit to do this vital work that is so important to the Lord Jesus: "Seek and save the lost."