Putting On Christ
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
Today’s Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-15 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
Those who are mature in Christ understand these things. Not that I claim to be so mature. But I am certainly more mature now than when I began the journey. And that is a simple human principle, not a spiritual one.
These principles make more sense to me now. I can relate with them more closely now than before. But we never really stop growing and maturing, do we? That is why the proverb says:
A gray head is a crown of glory;
It is found in the way of righteousness.
— Proverbs 16:31, NASB20
The way of righteousness is a very narrow road lit up with a very bright light. The light exposes our sin, and when we remove one layer of sin, it only exposes another layer, a deeper layer.
Removing our own sin is impossible, because the layers go deep into our very being. Here is an example of that.
I’m an introvert. What that means is that it drains me to be around people, especially around a lot of people. Don’t get me wrong. I do not dislike being around people. It’s just that if I have to be “present” around a lot of people for a long time, I feel like I’ve been running a marathon by the end of the day.
Of course, that can be a problem, because I am a pastor. Obviously, being an introvert does not disqualify a person from being a pastor. God will even call introverts to be His servants. What that does mean, however, is that I have had to learn how to be more extroverted (to “act like a pastor”) and to manage how that impacts me personally.
A friend (who is an extrovert) once told me that I just need to get over it by the power of the Holy Spirit and do whatever it takes to “be a pastor.” I objected by pointing to my MBTI (INTP). But then, he countered with, “What is Jesus’s MBTI?”
And that really resonated with me. Because the Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means, I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22b). And I feel that I should be like that, too.
But, you know, operating outside of your natural personality is not easy. It becomes a struggle in itself. I think my friend was correct in pointing out that I should be able to do whatever it takes by the power of the Holy Spirit to act like a pastor in the way that people expect. But in many ways, are not those expectations culturally (that is, humanly) defined?
And so, because of my own sinfulness, I started thinking, “Could my friend become an introvert if that is what the ministry required?” Because, the Apostle Paul also said, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak” (1 Corinthians 9:22a). Obviously, being an introvert does not make one weak. But is that how our culture tends to see it, especially because the culture expects “strength” on its own terms?
So then, what is it that we ought to expect from one another as “co-workers in God’s service?” One seeds, one waters, and we each have one purpose, but God causes people to grow.
None of us can remove our own sin. What we can do is to put on Christ, who covers over all our sin. And putting on Christ, who covers over all our sin, we know that we all have layers and layers of sin that go to the very center of our being, especially ourselves. And by putting on Christ, we ourselves start to grow.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
— 1 Corinthians 13:12
Even writing this blog is a reflection of my sin. But Christ covers over all of my sin when I am clothed with Christ through faith.
And there is greater freedom when I put on Christ and stay focused on my seeding or watering or whatever for the cause of the gospel, knowing that God will cause the growth.
Father, You alone are good. You alone transcend all the cultural expectations that reflects the sinfulness of us all. I confess that I am a sinner through and through. You know them all, and they are ever before me. But You have covered over all of my sin through the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ. In His precious name I pray. Amen.
