Article - Doing the Devil's Work

Doing the Devil’s Work

I received an e-mail this week strongly criticising a major outreach that is happening across Australia at the moment – the “Jesus, All About Life” campaign run by the Bible Society. It saddened me to see once again (hopefully) sincere and well-meaning Christians who attack and frustrate the efforts of other Christians in the belief that they are defending the purity of the church and the gospel message.

You don’t have to look very hard to find many examples of Christians attacking other Christians over all sorts of issues. Yet we all serve the same Lord who prayed for us “…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ^22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: ^23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. ^[1]

Our reactions to others usually say more about us than they do about them. The reaction against the J.A.A.L. campaign I believe showed a lack of awareness of the total scope of the campaign and the churches involved in it. It may also highlight a very rigid idea of how we should share the gospel as well as some other things – it’s not up to me to speculate! This is why we have the “log and speck” principle that I have talked about so often. We are meant to correct and rebuke each other in love, but it must always be preceded by self examination. Am I being judgemental? Am I holding on to a grudge? Am I being suspicious? Do I have enough information to make a good assessment? Am I being teachable? Am I demonstrating humility and love as well as concern for the truth?

When we act according to our natural impulses we do the Devil’s work for him. We hurt each other and we hold each other back from doing God’s work. When we examine our own hearts and pursue the glory of God through unity with other believers, we build ourselves and others up to make the Church even more effective. Whose work are you doing?