ONE LIFE, ONE LORD

These are notes from a sermon George Müller gave at one of the Clifton Conferences of Christians. The date of the sermon is unknown.

"I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts." (1 Kings 19:10, ESV)

My dear Christian friends, we are to be jealous for God—for His honor and His glory—and not for our own honor, glory, reputation, and name; not for our political party, church denomination, or even for our particular religious practices. Let's desire to have the same attitude as John the Baptist, a holy man of God, who said, “[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, ESV). The more we are willing, like John the Baptist, to humble ourselves and seek not our own honor, the more we can be used by the Lord. He will also see to it that if we honor Him, He will honor us (see 1 John 2:30).

In all things—including zeal for God’s honor—our Lord Jesus is the perfect example we should keep before us and strive to imitate. But to follow Him in any measure, we must receive our spiritual lives through faith in Him! By nature, we are dead in our trespasses and sins (see Ephesians 2:1). In that state, we have no real desire to honor God—in fact, we’re unconcerned when He is dishonored! But once we become God’s children through faith in Jesus, reconciled to Him and forgiven of our sins, everything changes. We desire to please and honor Him, and to see others do the same.  

Our zeal for God increases or diminishes depending on where the eyes of our hearts are looking. If we are looking at the beauty of God’s attributes and character, this zeal will increase. We must grow more and more convinced of who He truly is—gracious, loving, generous, kind, and compassionate! He is ready and willing to help and bless us. He is patient, faithful, powerful, mighty, and infinitely wise. In short, we need to know God as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures—not by human opinion or even the common ideas of Christians. And when we do, our hearts will be filled with love for Him, filling us with eager longing to honor Him more and to teach others to do the same.

Jesus knew the Father perfectly. He came from His very presence! As the perfect Man and servant of the Father, He meditated on the Scriptures day and night (see Psalm 119). Again, the more we, as God’s children, dwell on His Word, the more we will be convinced of the true beauty of His character. This will lead us to desire to please Him more deeply, encouraging others to know Him as well, so that they, too, may live in a way that pleases Him.

It has never been truer today than when the apostle John first said that the whole world lies under the control of the evil one (see 1 John 5:19). It’s of vital importance that all God’s children live to honor God as lights in this godless world, our zeal for God’s glory evident. We may face many difficulties as we seek to do so, but God will help and strengthen us. But we must remember to ask—and expect—help from Him! At times, those who seek to glorify God may feel almost alone—or even completely alone—just as some of God’s servants did in the past. Yet the more isolated we feel, the more vital it becomes to live for Him, to pursue His glory with zeal, and to remember that such faithfulness will be richly rewarded by His grace. At other times, it may seem as though our efforts for God are in vain. But the Holy Spirit assures us otherwise through the Word: “Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV). And again: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9, NIV).

As we come closer to the end of the age, the Bible tells us that spiritual darkness, departure from the Holy Scriptures, and, consequently, godlessness will increase all the more—though it will take a form of godliness (see 2 Timothy 3:1-5). The path of a true disciple will become more and more difficult, but for this very reason, it will be very important to live for God, testifying about Him, and to live contrary to the world and be set apart from its ways. 

If we want this to be true of us, we must devote ourselves to prayerful reading of God’s Word, applying it personally to our lives. The Bible should be our Book above all books; everything else is of little worth in comparison. Without this, we will remain immature in grace and knowledge.

Dear brothers and sisters, how many of us are truly resolved in our hearts to live for God, to be zealous for Him, and to be genuinely set apart from the world? We only have one short life on this earth. Our chance to bear witness for God by how we live will soon be over. So let us make the best use of it. Let none of us squander our lives—not even a single moment—for they have been given to us to be used for God and His glory in this godless world.  And may we shine as lights in this ever-darkening world, sharing hope and truth to many, and ever giving glory to the One whom we love—our worthy Lord Jesus!