"They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always" - Galatians 4:17-18
Whilst Christians are commanded to deal with individual cases with charity, nonetheless, it is impossible when it passes by your nostrils not to think that you're smelling the spirit of the world and to recognise it as such. Treating others with kindness and grace may yet co-exist with an unavoidable suspicion that something is very wrong, and that we'd be wise to a) keep a sensible distance and b) ourselves operate otherwise.
In the above verses from Galatians, Paul was speaking about false brethren: the "Judaizers", who sought to recruit the Galatian churches to their false gospel of justification through Christ plus obedience to Old Covenant laws. Nonetheless, it refers to a matter seen throughout the Christian world today. A matter rarely mentioned, unless I have been looking the wrong way.
The Judaizers presented themselves as being zealous for God's truth, and for God's standards. They, after all, preached laws that God himself had given, and which were good things. Was not being enthusiastic for those things a good? Who could question it? An apostle of Jesus Christ not only could, but had to, and did, not only question but refute it. The Judaizers' "zeal for God's truth" was a trojan, cloaking their own naked ambition. Such was their zeal for their real cause - their own pre-eminency - that they would quite happily exclude the Galatians from the blessings of the gospel of grace - which had brought those Galatians life, knowledge of Christ, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and incorporation into the people of God and the promise of an eternal inheritance - in order to achieve it. That's quite some zeal: and a very evil zeal.
Christian brother or sister, is it only people preaching rank heresy who possess that same zeal and who are animated by the same lust for pre-eminence, for man's praise and fame amongst those of their chosen domain? Do you not think you often caught a strong whiff of the same odour in many sound Christian institutions, conferences, colleges, ministries, websites, blogs/podcasts and the like? Many attempts to build one's own personal brand, and zealous entering into all kinds of pointless and empty controversies in order to further not the glory of Christ, but the development of someone's brand/institution/reputation?
It is good to be zealous for Jesus Christ, his honour and glory, and his priorities - spreading the gospel to the lost, building up his sheep in the local church, glorifying his name through good works in the home and community, and eagerly awaiting his return. But he forbids us to attempt to serve two masters (one reason for which is that since it's impossible, you'll only deceive yourself and others in the attempt). And he forbids us to seek any of his glory for ourselves. In Christian ministry, "the way up is down", and those who seek the true and eternal glory must be willing to be the servant of all: genuinely willing, not just willing to be praised by other men for their 'umble service.
Show no interest in your personal brand, because the one who will sit on the throne and judge the nations (judge you) on the last day, has no interest in it except insofar as he is disgusted with your displays of the flesh. Show no interest in the prestige of your institution, because if it gets too much of it it may become a rival to his purposes and need destroying in order to advance those purposes. Show no interest in a "wider ministry" that means neglecting the flesh-and-blood sinners who inhabit the place where God's providence has placed you. Leave aside your reputation except insofar as it will aid the preaching of the gospel if you are known to live in the light (and then with great care because of the danger of self-deception).
How many churches and other ministries are ultimately trojan horses whose real aim is to win fame, praise and boost the ego of their founders and followers? How many have little to do with encouraging the weak and stumbling sheep in Christ, and much more to do with building a personal empire? The last day will tell us. I shudder to think, because I can't help noticing that familiar smell. As a son of the first Adam myself, I know it well. May I die with Christ more each day, so that the only life I seek is that of his resurrection.
