Two Ways - Gift and Authority

Two Ways—Gift and Authority

Cannot Be Left Unused

First, you should not use a brother because you see he is useful and leave another brother unused because to you he seems useless. In the church there cannot be any member left out. To recover the testimony of the Lord Jesus, all the one-talented must rise up. All who belong to the Lord are members of the body. Everyone must rise up and exercise his gift. And then you shall see the church. Do not despise the one-talented. Do not substitute others for them or suppress them. Believe in God and put them to work. Since God has confidence in calling them servants you must have faith to cause them to work.

Authority Solves Problem of the Flesh

Second, in the church we need have no fear of the activities of the flesh. For two things must be established in the church: one is authority, the other is gift. All the one-talent people should come forth to serve, to work, and to bear fruits. What if the one-talented come with their flesh? Let me say to you that their flesh must be dealt with. The solution to this lies in authority, for authority represents God.

Gift is gift, and authority is authority. They are two different things. All the one-talented people must exercise their gifts, and the problem of their flesh is to be solved by authority. Suppose a brother is serving, and his flesh is brought in. Tell him this: "Brother, you cannot do that, you cannot bring in your flesh." Or say to him, "This attitude of yours is not right, we will not permit such an attitude." When he hears this, he probably will go home tomorrow and refuse to do anything. If so, you must seek him out and say to him, "You cannot quit, you must do the work." Although he has brought his flesh in, he should still be allowed to do the work; only he must be told what he can do and what he cannot do. Deal with him with authority.

This that has just been discussed looms as a very great temptation. As soon as the one-talent person is used by the Lord, his flesh immediately comes in. The flesh of the person and his one talent appear to be joined together. We must resist the flesh but use the one talent. Today’s practice is that we too often bury the one talent as well as bury the flesh. Where, then, is the reality of the church in all this? No, we must do differently! Use authority to deal with the flesh, but also encourage the one-talent people to function. Perhaps they will say, "To do is wrong, and not to do is also wrong; what, then, should I do?" The answer is, "To do is indeed wrong, because the flesh has come in; yet not to do is also wrong, because the talent is buried. The one talent you have must come in, but the flesh must go out."

If authority can be maintained and all the functions of the members of the body can be brought in, you will behold on earth a glorious church. The way to recovery is then made easy. I do not know how long a time our Lord will grant us in the future. I believe, however, our way is becoming clearer and clearer. We must concentrate all our thinking and galvanize all our energy on helping brothers and sisters to serve together as a body. And thus will the life of the church truly begin, and the Lord will surely come soon.