There are people who faithfully attend church and do work for Jesus, but when something does not agree with their own thoughts, they say that they will quit, not considering what can happen to the work of God. Such people are like dead branches that have been cut off from the Church, the Lord’s body. There is no reason to rebuke believers who have become like dead branches. When fruit does not grow on a living branch, we take care of it. But when no fruit grows on a dead branch, we do not care of it. A dead branch simply needs to be cut off and removed having no reason to complain that it bears no fruit. In the work of the Lord, we should agree and obey unconditionally. But if someone obstructs the Lord’s work and refuses to cooperate, that is an ungodly behavior. Ungodly person puts forward his own righteousness and rises up against the holy work of God.
There are unrighteous people who, while doing the work of the Lord, suddenly desert their ministry without hesitation, saying that they have received no benefit from their work but instead have suffered material, personal, and time-related losses. A person who is ungodly and continually produces unrighteousness is of no use before God. Those who are of no use will inevitably be cast aside. This happens because they have lost godliness before God. They may think that they quit in order to protect themselves from personal loss, but in reality, God is pushing them out of that position.
Those who withdraw their mission that the Lord entrusted by being offended say that they withdraw from the position. But, in reality, God pushed them out of the place. Therefore, the ungodly ones who lost their place to stand on can't be take part in the Lord's work.
Therefore, you need to know that you are losing your place to stand when you find yourself wanting to withdraw from the Lord’s work or becoming reluctant to serve Him. You are gradually losing the godly position where you are supposed to stand. As you gradually lose the place where you should stand, you may end up leave the church. From a human perspective, it may appear that you are leaving because you are hurt or offended. But in reality, you are leaving because you no longer have a place to stand.
Pastor Seok-Jeon Yoon
Extracted from Yonsei Newspaper #945
