A Servant of the Spirit

A Servant of the Spirit

A servant of the Spirit will work with the Spirit of God and against everything the Spirit opposes. In the Spirit he will examine people and situations. He will always be in the place where judgments are passed and decisions are made. He knows no one according to the flesh, but he knows everyone through the Head, Jesus Christ. Therefore, friendship and kinship will not play a role in his spiritual decisions, because for him flesh is flesh—whether it belongs to a close relative or not. As it is written, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Matt. 13:57. He does not believe something just because a certain person said it. He looks into things himself to find out what God’s mind is, and then, on that basis, he acts and speaks. For him, the decisions and opinions of the majority mean nothing if the testimony of the Spirit is lacking. The Lord Himself works in people’s hearts to provide for His servant’s earthly needs. Thus he feels free in his work and is not in bondage to the givers. He does not need to create churches to get many people to support him. He prefers to suffer evil for the sake of the gospel and is satisfied knowing that his name is written in the Book of Life in heaven. Having been set free from all, he makes himself the servant of all.

Vanity is an abomination to him, and if anyone in the church worships this idol in secret, it is no secret to him. Promises and flattery have no effect on him. He does not allow people to blow the trumpet about where he goes and what he does. He does not keep a diary, because he always lives in the awareness of the Lord’s presence. And to him, boasting about himself is disgusting. He knows the weaknesses of the churches, and he gives praise sparingly. He is not fooled by the rich, because he does not need their money, nor does he admire the educated man, because he knows that the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. He does not accept the title of “pastor,” because he understands that everyone who has gone from darkness to God’s marvelous light is a king and priest before God. He conducts himself as a brother among brothers and loves to remain hidden. He seems slow to act when others think something should be done, but at times when others have no idea that anything is wrong, he takes action. He is an enigma. He is loved and feared. Transgressing the boundaries he has set is to risk your own life. Anyone who does not believe this will experience it.

Wisdom is his most prized possession, and by the Spirit of counsel and might he tears down the strongholds that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. He is very lowly in his own eyes, and that is why his bodily presence is weak and his speech is contemptible. Pastors and theologians see him as someone horrible. In their presence he is abhorrent—which is also how he feels about himself—and a stone of stumbling. The assemblies of the dead will not receive him, for there the truth has long since fallen in the street. He moves about freely—outside the camp. There he has an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. Those who listen to him become like him to a greater or lesser degree.

To those who oppose him, he is like Leviathan—the arrows of the archers bounce off his scales, and every tongue that rises against him in judgment is condemned. This is the lot that the Lord has given to every servant of the Spirit. His heritage is from the Lord. He is no stranger to opposition, and he is well acquainted with the sufferings of Christ. He considers the times, and on the evil day he is hidden in the hand of the Almighty—yet he goes straight ahead toward Jerusalem, even when the Spirit testifies that chains and tribulations await him there. The lords of this world who rule in the present darkness have laid their full weight on him, only to discover that they are too light. His hands are trained for warfare. He is dangerous for wolves and hirelings, but he is a good friend and protector of the upright in heart.

He sees much and says little, which is why his silence often speaks more than words. He loves to be alone, but many seek him out to listen to him. He is like a carcass, drawing the eagles to himself. Not many of his contemporaries appreciate the light he has, because most people are deceived by the “light” and “greatness” of their age. Yet far off in the future, he will shine like a fixed star against the dark firmament of his generation. He is worth more than ten thousand, and at his passing, people will recognize that a light has gone out. Yet it lives! And it shall live forever!

Who is a servant of the Spirit, and who wants to become one??