Matthew 19:16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”

      The story of the young man who was looking for the salvation plan he wanted to manage and be comfortable in became a disappointment to him when the Lord asked him to sell all he had so he could help the poor and follow Jesus. Matt. 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. He was willing to be a follower of Christ as long as he could pull the purse strings to his wealth and become a Christian philanthropist. However, when Jesus suggested that the wealth the young man was trusting be sold off, his salvation plan fell apart. If what the young man had said was true, that he had kept all the commandments from his youth, there was still an idol to deal with and he discovered that he was lost even though he was following God’s laws. He could buy whatever he wanted in life, except he could not buy his eternity.

      I heard an interview with a church minister who was being defrocked/asked to leave her position because she did not believe in the resurrected Christ or the reality of the triune Godhead. She argued that she should remain the pastor of the church because her good works were bringing fulfillment to her life and therefore, did not need to have Jesus as her Lord because what society needed was hands-on community service. She wanted her title as a minister/pastor but not the orthodoxy of the church. She only wanted the access the church association gave her to help meet the needs in her neighbourhood. Her soul desired to do the good deeds that society needed, and therefore, her question was “Why should the denominational rules and beliefs stand in the way of her wanting to help the needy?” All I could think of was, “How did she fake her way through seminary studies, and how was it that her motives were not seen for what they were before she was ordained?”  She was a good-works philanthropist, without a philosophy.

      The scripture in 2Timothy was appropriate to this situation. 2Tim. 3:5 Holding to a form of outward godliness religion, although they have denied its power for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith. Avoid such people and keep far away from them. I was taken aback by her cavalier attitude towards the gravity and sanctity of the heart that is needed as one enters the ministry. Her blatant use of the church for personal gain and self-seeking fulfilment had a dishonouring view of the Holy Spirit that placed Him on a shelf somewhere. If one does not believe in Jesus as the Saviour, why not just go volunteer at the hospital, or work with the Red Cross within your neighbourhood? Many good works organizations need help all the time and are looking for those people who want to go out into the neighbourhoods and labour because the needs of society are many.

     I am only speculating, but perhaps in her case, becoming a volunteer elsewhere would require her to submit to the authorities and management in those organizations that help the needy. Maybe her present position stroked her ego as – the one in charge of what she deemed suitable good works. Who knows the motives but the fundamentals of God sending Jesus to die for our sins is the main event in Christendom. As to why she would want to dress up in the ministerial coverings of the church and not accept the Lord and Saviour who is the head of the church, it makes one wonder if more ministers have simply become philanthropists without a philosophy. If it is just for good works alone that people want to be part of, Jesus points out that the poor will always be there and anyone can go and help them at any time they want. One does not need an organization to help those in need.

      Matthew Henry said, “It is dangerous to despise the mystery of God, and as dangerous to receive the mysteries of Satan. The Apostle Paul said we were to be pitied if all we had to offer was good works without believing in the resurrected Christ. 1Cor. 15:19 If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men. Our faith in the Godhead and resurrection of the Lord is the foundation of why we submit our lives to be in a relationship with God and to do the good works the Lord asks us to do. 1Cor. 15:14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. We are saved unto the things God asks of us, but not by the works themselves.

      Our ever-increasing and growing love for the Lord and our desire for a deeper relationship with Him will enhance our ability to work out the callings He has placed within our hearts. Our desire to promote the welfare of others comes to us through the love we have for God and our love for one another. The deeper our faith in God grows, the deeper our desire to work His plan on the earth becomes important to our lives. James 2:18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” Saints, we need them both, faith in Christ, and works led by the Holy Spirit to complete our lives. The closer we get to God the more we will want to do what pleases Him. We are God’s philanthropists with a wonderful and holy philosophy. In Him, we live and move and have our being. In Christ we are complete.