The Ministry-Orientated Mindset is of the spirit of Religion, while the Christ-Oriented Mindset is of True Christianity
Many professing Christians, both those who attend church and those who do not, are under a false understanding of what true Christianity really is. They think it is about undertaking certain rituals or rites, such as getting baptised in church, attending church and following liturgy. However, that is not what true Christianity is about. True Christianity is about seeking a real intimacy with Jesus Christ who is God Himself.
Yet, on the other hand, there are many Christians who are very active in church, attending church every week, each Bible study, even leading Bible studies, attending every prayer meeting, leading praise and worship sessions, and even sacrificing their own to organise church activities, who are not truly saved. This is particularly the case at ministry-orientated churches where everything is about ministry, rather than Jesus. While such people may know that it is not works that save them, but Jesus alone, by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), their works show that their hearts disagree with this truth. Instead, their works shows that they think that they must do such works to be saved.
Such a mindset is under the spirit of religion, which treats and perverts Christianity into a pursuit of religion, rather than the pursuit of Jesus Christ. It is a mindset which thinks that doing works in necessary for oneself to be validated before God. This is akin to thinking that one needs works to receive Salvation, and hence that one can by one's works gain Salvation, which is not only to effectively deny that Christ's Work on the Cross is complete, but that one's works are better than His.
One may argue that such works are 'good works' done in accordance to James 2:14-26, whereby without such works, one's faith is dead:
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
The good works in James 2:14-26 refers to works that are done out of faith, not done in seeking to validate oneself before God, in focusing on one's own performance in measuring one's righteousness. Where one is doing ministry work, not because one trusts in it for Salvation or because one is seeking to validate oneself before God with it, but because one is led by the Spirit, it is a good work in accordance to James 2:14-26. For one seeks to follow not self in doing one's own Will, but that of the Spirit, which is to please God:
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
(Romans 8:9-11)
For the works of the Spirit in a person is righteousness (Romans 8:10). It is only by following Him can one do works of righteousness that God regards as righteous. Any work that one simply regarding as righteous because one does is, is self-righteousness, which is against the righteousness of God. There is only one way to worship God, that is, in spirit and in truth. There is no other way to worship God, except to walk in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
Where one is doing such ministry work to validate oneself before God in anyway at all, even to the slightest, in trying to demostrate one's righteousness, or to gain righteousness through one's own strength, it does not count as a good work before God. Rather, it is a work of the flesh that does not please God because "whatever is not from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). Such works are not only useless, but sin, because it is done in the flesh, which cannot and does not please God, but can only oppose God (Romans 8:5-8). Isaiah 64:6 says that "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags". This refers to the works of righteousness that we seek to do in our own strength from the flesh, as opposed to true works of righteousness (1 John 3:9-10), or good works that must manifest as good fruits, lest we be cut down and cast into fire on the Day of Judgment:
Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
(Matthew 7:17-20)
Good fruits, which are good works, must be produced to be saved until the end (James 2:14-24), but one must recognise that such works cannot be done in one's flesh at all whatever, but in the Spirit and only the Spirit. Such works cannot be done by one's own efforts whatsoever, but only by abiding in Christ:
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
(John 15:1-8)
Where one does all kinds of works, most notably ministry work, in the Name of Christ, but does so in one's own flesh, not ultimately for God but to validate oneself, it is itself sin that God utterly hates. For all of one's works that are not done in faith, but in the flesh, are sin. Jesus had the most frightening words for such people who are religious in doing all kinds of ministry work in the Name of Jesus but doing so in their own flesh, and therefore sin against God:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, 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 7:23-25)
These people were not said to be lawless because they committed gross or blatant sins that everyone loves to condemn, such as adultery, abortion, euthanasia, eugenics, homosexuality, or fornication. All their works, including their so-called "good works" were lawlessness, despite doing so in the Name of Christ, because they do not know Christ in loving Him, and so Christ did not know them.
God hates works that are done in the Name of Jesus in one's flesh, even more than any other work done in the flesh. For it is one thing to rely on the flesh to do good works, but another to do so in the Name of Jesus Christ. It is itself to blaspheme God by doing works in the flesh for one's own self-validation, and claim that it is done for Christ. It is to deny the Word of God itself in trying to validate God by one's own human efforts when one cannot.
The ultimate Will of God for us is to know Him, in being united with Him. This is to love God which is demonstrated by obeying the Commandments of Jesus (Romans 14:15). Ministry work is only a calling for some for whatever purpose it serves in accordance to the Will of God, that He uses to draw people to Him so that they may know Him and be united with Him in love. It is not the means by which one becomes righteous, or gain righteousness.
Neither does doing ministry work itself amount to righteousness or good works, which is one of the most pernicious deceptions of the spirit of religion. Rather, it is the manner of spirit, and the heart in which it is done that determines whether it is amounts to righteousness or good works before God. The spirit of religion deceives people into thinking that ministry work is itself righteousness or good works that always pleases God, such that as long as it is ministry work, it amounts to righteousness or good works before God.
We must be Christ-oriented, not ministry-orientated, for it is Christ who is the ultimate end which we must pursue. It is only through Christ Himself through whom we can bear good fruits. It is not ministry, and never ministry, upon which we can ever rely on or trust in to bear good fruits before God to please Him. To trust in ministry as a means to produce works of righteousness to seek God, is to make it an idol, that which one trusts in above all else to find joy and peace.
We must reject any hint of a ministry-oriented mindset, and replace it with a Christ-oriented mindset that focuses on Christ and Christ alone, and pursues Him single-mindedly. For He is the Groom waiting for His Bride, who He loves as Himself, wholly, and without any taint in His Love. Let us be utterly consumed by His Love for us, the Church, who is His Bride, and may we love Christ with the uttermost passion, seeking only His Return, as the Shulamite Girl awaited her groom in the Song of Solomon.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
For your love is better than wine.
(Song of Solomon 1:2)
Yet, on the other hand, there are many Christians who are very active in church, attending church every week, each Bible study, even leading Bible studies, attending every prayer meeting, leading praise and worship sessions, and even sacrificing their own to organise church activities, who are not truly saved. This is particularly the case at ministry-orientated churches where everything is about ministry, rather than Jesus. While such people may know that it is not works that save them, but Jesus alone, by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), their works show that their hearts disagree with this truth. Instead, their works shows that they think that they must do such works to be saved.
Such a mindset is under the spirit of religion, which treats and perverts Christianity into a pursuit of religion, rather than the pursuit of Jesus Christ. It is a mindset which thinks that doing works in necessary for oneself to be validated before God. This is akin to thinking that one needs works to receive Salvation, and hence that one can by one's works gain Salvation, which is not only to effectively deny that Christ's Work on the Cross is complete, but that one's works are better than His.
One may argue that such works are 'good works' done in accordance to James 2:14-26, whereby without such works, one's faith is dead:
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
The good works in James 2:14-26 refers to works that are done out of faith, not done in seeking to validate oneself before God, in focusing on one's own performance in measuring one's righteousness. Where one is doing ministry work, not because one trusts in it for Salvation or because one is seeking to validate oneself before God with it, but because one is led by the Spirit, it is a good work in accordance to James 2:14-26. For one seeks to follow not self in doing one's own Will, but that of the Spirit, which is to please God:
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
(Romans 8:9-11)
For the works of the Spirit in a person is righteousness (Romans 8:10). It is only by following Him can one do works of righteousness that God regards as righteous. Any work that one simply regarding as righteous because one does is, is self-righteousness, which is against the righteousness of God. There is only one way to worship God, that is, in spirit and in truth. There is no other way to worship God, except to walk in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
Where one is doing such ministry work to validate oneself before God in anyway at all, even to the slightest, in trying to demostrate one's righteousness, or to gain righteousness through one's own strength, it does not count as a good work before God. Rather, it is a work of the flesh that does not please God because "whatever is not from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). Such works are not only useless, but sin, because it is done in the flesh, which cannot and does not please God, but can only oppose God (Romans 8:5-8). Isaiah 64:6 says that "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags". This refers to the works of righteousness that we seek to do in our own strength from the flesh, as opposed to true works of righteousness (1 John 3:9-10), or good works that must manifest as good fruits, lest we be cut down and cast into fire on the Day of Judgment:
Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
(Matthew 7:17-20)
Good fruits, which are good works, must be produced to be saved until the end (James 2:14-24), but one must recognise that such works cannot be done in one's flesh at all whatever, but in the Spirit and only the Spirit. Such works cannot be done by one's own efforts whatsoever, but only by abiding in Christ:
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
(John 15:1-8)
Where one does all kinds of works, most notably ministry work, in the Name of Christ, but does so in one's own flesh, not ultimately for God but to validate oneself, it is itself sin that God utterly hates. For all of one's works that are not done in faith, but in the flesh, are sin. Jesus had the most frightening words for such people who are religious in doing all kinds of ministry work in the Name of Jesus but doing so in their own flesh, and therefore sin against God:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, 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 7:23-25)
These people were not said to be lawless because they committed gross or blatant sins that everyone loves to condemn, such as adultery, abortion, euthanasia, eugenics, homosexuality, or fornication. All their works, including their so-called "good works" were lawlessness, despite doing so in the Name of Christ, because they do not know Christ in loving Him, and so Christ did not know them.
God hates works that are done in the Name of Jesus in one's flesh, even more than any other work done in the flesh. For it is one thing to rely on the flesh to do good works, but another to do so in the Name of Jesus Christ. It is itself to blaspheme God by doing works in the flesh for one's own self-validation, and claim that it is done for Christ. It is to deny the Word of God itself in trying to validate God by one's own human efforts when one cannot.
The ultimate Will of God for us is to know Him, in being united with Him. This is to love God which is demonstrated by obeying the Commandments of Jesus (Romans 14:15). Ministry work is only a calling for some for whatever purpose it serves in accordance to the Will of God, that He uses to draw people to Him so that they may know Him and be united with Him in love. It is not the means by which one becomes righteous, or gain righteousness.
Neither does doing ministry work itself amount to righteousness or good works, which is one of the most pernicious deceptions of the spirit of religion. Rather, it is the manner of spirit, and the heart in which it is done that determines whether it is amounts to righteousness or good works before God. The spirit of religion deceives people into thinking that ministry work is itself righteousness or good works that always pleases God, such that as long as it is ministry work, it amounts to righteousness or good works before God.
We must be Christ-oriented, not ministry-orientated, for it is Christ who is the ultimate end which we must pursue. It is only through Christ Himself through whom we can bear good fruits. It is not ministry, and never ministry, upon which we can ever rely on or trust in to bear good fruits before God to please Him. To trust in ministry as a means to produce works of righteousness to seek God, is to make it an idol, that which one trusts in above all else to find joy and peace.
We must reject any hint of a ministry-oriented mindset, and replace it with a Christ-oriented mindset that focuses on Christ and Christ alone, and pursues Him single-mindedly. For He is the Groom waiting for His Bride, who He loves as Himself, wholly, and without any taint in His Love. Let us be utterly consumed by His Love for us, the Church, who is His Bride, and may we love Christ with the uttermost passion, seeking only His Return, as the Shulamite Girl awaited her groom in the Song of Solomon.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
For your love is better than wine.
(Song of Solomon 1:2)
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