THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST Devotion 2 of 12 The Apostles were concerned about fruitless efforts. While some imagine that no work for the Lord can prove futile, the Scriptures present quite another picture. It is quite true that "your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor 15:58). However, that "labor" includes spiritual discretion. There are some works that are Divinely terminated – a point in time when Divine tolerance comes to an end. The flood is a case in point (Gen 6:3). Sodom and Gomorrah are another, whose cry came up before God (Gen 18:21). There came a time when the "iniquity of the Amorites" became full (Gen 15:16). Labor that is "vain" is labor expended beyond the circumference of Divine longsuffering. – Tomorrow:
"Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." (2 John 8-9, NASB)
Our text will identify another kind of labor that is "vain." It involves the continued expenditure of effort without corresponding God-glorifying results. Right here there is an inordinately high level of spiritual naivete in the professed church. There are too many servants laboring among calloused and indifferent people – people who yield no fruit to the glory of God. I certainly do not mean to promote godless intolerance for those who are something less than ideal. I do mean to awaken a godly concern for conditions of fruitlessness.
After three Sabbaths of reasoning and preaching in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia, Paul imposed a change of venue. Encountering uninterrupted opposition by faithless Jews, Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles, unwilling to expend endless energy preaching to unresponsive hearers. "Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:46). Any further labors among such people could no longer be justified.
Paul told the Galatians of his concern for their condition. Their propensity for Law thrust him into a possible condition of him having labored in vain. His words are remarkable. "I am afraid of [or for] you, lest I have BESTOWED UPON YOU LABOR IN VAIN" (Gal 4:11). How tragic that this could be said to anyone hearing the Gospel: "for I stand in doubt of you" (Gal 4:20).
Paul urged the Philippians to shine as lights in the world, "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, NEITHER LABORED IN VAIN" (Phil 2:16). He sounded a similar warning to the Thessalonians "For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and OUR LABOR BE IN VAIN" (1 Thess 3:5).
Jesus Himself threatened wayward churches they would be removed if they did not return to Him. "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent" (Rev 2:5). Should this occur, all of the labor that had been expended on them would have been "in vain."
INFERIOR RESULTS
In a telling admonition concerning the caliber of disciples resulting from a man's ministry, the Spirit declares it is possible to lose something in the world to come because of inferior disciples produced in this world. Solemnly Kingdom laborers are told, "let every man take heed HOW he buildeth thereupon." He then identifies the people won over by the preaching as materials – some superior, and some inferior. "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." The "work" in question is people, who are elsewhere confessed to be "my work in the Lord" (1 Cor 9:1).
The "fire" that will test every mans "work," or converts, is the day of judgment – "the time" (1 Cor 4:5). At that time, every man's work will be tested. The Lord will not look at a church roster, or the record of coverts a preacher may have maintained. Every professed convert will be examined for eternal suitability. The outcome of that examination is stated in these words. "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, HE SHALL SUFFER LOSS: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Cor 3:12-15). The laborer himself will also be subjected to the test of Divine judgment. He is someone else's work as well (1 Cor 3:5).
Here is the thing to note. The worker will "suffer loss" if his works do not stand the fiery test of Divine judgment. I know that some feel "any man's work" to be what he does, but that is a wholly false supposition, and will not stand up under the emphasis of the third chapter of First Corinthians. People are the point throughout that passage, not works of beneficence, or other human expressions.
True Kingdom workers are concerned about losing in the day of judgment – losing because they spent their labor on people who ultimately prove to be rejects.
THE PLEA
John sounds a solemn warning to "the elect lady and her children" (2 John 1). The truth dwelt in them, and they were walking in it (vs 2,4), yet they were still being attacked by the evil one. Some versions emphasize that those addressed by John could lose what they themselves had worked for: "Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for" (NIV). Others state John himself had worked for what they might lose: ‘we lose not those things which we have wrought" (KJV, NKJV). Still, others state the people will lose what John had worked for: "Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished" (NASB). The point is the same in all of the expressions. John did not wish to lose what he had worked for. If those upon whom he bestowed labor lost the benefit for themselves, he would lose something also, just as First Corinthians stated. Unfortunately, this is a strange sound to the contemporary church. You rarely hear such warnings.
John desired a "full reward" for those to whom he ministered, as well as for himself. He knew this was not possible apart from spiritual growth and advance. In fact, he will declare that identity with the Father depends upon a dynamic relationship with Christ. Those who insist upon walking at a distance from Jesus stand in jeopardy of condemnation! That is what this text is about. We will find that the "doctrine of Christ" is His personal tutelage, and is indispensable to spiritual growth.
Jesus is the "good Shepherd" of the sheep, and a "great" one, indeed (John 10:11; Heb 13:20). It is not possible to keep the things salvation brings to you – any of them – if you do not listen to Him (Heb 12:25) and fellowship with Him (1 Cor 1:9)! To put it in the sense of our text, you must remain under the teaching of Jesus, maintaining the status of a disciple. Should you choose NOT to do that, you will lose, and those who have expended labor on you will lose something also.
PRAYER POINT: Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask for grace to conduct my life so that neither I nor those who have expended labor upon me, will lose anything.