Cast Out

Cast Out

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

“Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to exhort everyone night and day with tears.” Acts 20:31.

Just imagine what a worker Paul was. Have you ever heard or read about such a worker? The ones he worked with must have been sinners, even great sinners, seeing that he took the matter so seriously; or he must have regarded every sin—whether it was a big sin or a small sin (humanly speaking)—with great seriousness.

Consider how valuable these people were who came to Paul requesting such help! Paul understood what Jesus had said: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

If Paul had lived according to His own will, he would most likely have pushed some of them away. However, he considered them as sent by God since they all wanted to be under such influence. He saw it in the same way as we read about Jesus: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” 1 Pet. 3:18.

We could ask this question: “Was there something in His flesh that needed to be put to death, seeing He was righteous?” Yes, there had to be for him to be made alive in the spirit. If He had done His own will He would have—possibly—cast many of them out. The Pharisees and the scribes murmured among themselves when they saw that Jesus received sinners and ate together with them. Matt. 9:10-13; Luke 15:1-2. Jesus had the same flesh as they. Rom. 1:3. However, they did not understand the salvation with which Jesus had come, and therefore they did not understand the compassion He felt for others. Neither did they understand the “dying of Jesus” so that the life of Jesus could be revealed in their mortal flesh. 2 Cor. 4:10-11.

It is quite common that sympathy and antipathy play a role in people’s lives—also among believers—but such people are not servants of God who partake of sanctification. Rom. 6:22.

Many people were offended by Jesus and went away, even many of His disciples whom He had blessed with spiritual gifts. John 6:60-63. There were also many who left Paul. And there are also many who leave the church when they hear exhortation after exhortation. Heb. 10:23-25; 2 Pet. 1:12-13.

There are many people who accuse other brothers and sisters, but they are not servants of the Spirit. Instead of exhorting them they are offended by them. They do not believe that God has given some of those who are His to them so they can suffer—the just for the unjust—in order to lead them to God. Such thoughts are foreign to those who live for themselves. Neither do they suffer death in the flesh in order to be made alive in their spirit. No matter how much they hear about it, they do not receive light over the fact that it concerns them. However, Jesus has put servants in the church who endure all things for the sake of the elect. 2 Tim. 2:10. They are the ones who build up the body of Christ. Then Ephesians 4:11-16 and 5:27 will be fulfilled.