The Goal of the Gospel

So many who have been prominent in the Christian world do not know anything about what it means to have their heart broken for Christ and what it means to be "wasted on God". We like to be always "on the go". But the Lord would prefer us to be imprisoned for him, that is, not moving freely and independently. God dares to put his greatest embassadors in chains, like those in apostolic journeys. The Gospel has achieved its end when we learn how to please Him like Paul who made this his supreme aim (2 Cor. 5.9).

If we suffer for Christ and are broken! If what we are has truly changed! Not of what we do or preach! Unless we allow the breaking of everything, even our most precious possessions, at the feet of the Lord Jesus we shall not make an impression. Is this not what Mary did? "To what purpose is this waste? (Matt. 26.8).

Our greatest treasure is to do for Christ and to be wasted and receive nothing in return. I have never met a person who has not set out to satisfy the Lord and in turn was not satisfied Himself. This is the secret of pleasing God - wasting ourselves on Him. It seems as though we are giving too much and getting nothing - and that is the secret!

We may give to all the poor of the world and if we are not changed, what good will it do for us before God? They murmured against Mary (Mark 14.4). And God considers this act by Mary to be even more important than feeding the poor.

"While he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of spikenard very costly; and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head...Jesus said...Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of here" (Mark 14.3,6,9).

Isn't that amazing? What she has done here is part and parcel with gospel, and when the gospel is preached so will what Mary did, shall accompany it. She did this before Jesus was crucified. Those that went to see Jesus after He was crucified could not annoint Him at that time because He was resurrected. We need to do now and not wait for later. The time is now to have ourselves rightly pleasing God.

To draw others to God is a most simple forumla - to be broken and suffer, which leaves an indellible impression on the spirit sense of others. This sense creates a hunger in others. They then go on seeking from that which has been planted in them. Furthermore this induces further preaching.

Can you let go of even those spiritual things God wants you to no longer cling to? Even these precious spiritual items in addition to the other more worldly affections?