People are the Results

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

PEOPLE ARE THE RESULTS

1 Cor 9:1-2

9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

NIV

This is just the beginning of a long dissertation regarding the support of those who preach the gospel. Yet, there is something in this first statement that strikes at our hearts, or at least stimulates our thoughts. Of course, the Apostles saw the physical form of Jesus, and Paul saw him as or in the bright light. However, when he asks those in that church, as a rhetorical question, are they not the result of his work it is what makes us think. Can we say that anyone is a result of the work the Lord has called us to? If not anyone then could we say anything? But all the works that we do within the church are of a physical nature and simply temporal things that will vanish someday. But to do the work that results in either the number of souls in the kingdom or building up the existing souls that are in the kingdom has eternal results. Of course, those called into some form of ministry, evangelists, missionaries, preachers, and teachers, have direct effects on the souls of people, or at least they should have.  But not all have been called into this type of service. In writing to the Ephesians Paul speaks about the gifts that are given to the church, Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for the purpose of preparing God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity in the faith. We are to become mature and attain the full measure of Christ. Now, the point is that although this is the task of those called to those ministries, it does not relieve the members of the body of Christ to live as isolated parts. Because we are one body, each of us must do the service that builds and maintains the rest of the body. That is we all have a responsibility to lift up other believers, helping them to grow in the Lord. This is eternal service. This is not to say that works that we do in the physical church do not have any results in people. If that work helps the spiritual life or increases the ability of people to worship the Lord, then it has value in the kingdom. However, we think the point is that everything we do should be about having eternal results in the lives of people, either in bringing them into the kingdom or strengthening their walk in the kingdom. People should be the results of our work.