Ministry Carried Out in God

By: Chef Tofu

The Holy Spirit brought a verse from John 3 into my mind recently: “But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God”. I’ve been seeking God on what it means to have works that are carried out in Him. Along with that, what does it mean to have works that are not carried out in Him?

The Holy Spirit has also been impressing John 15:16 on my heart: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you”. This led me to seek the Lord on what it means to produce the kind of fruit that abides verses fruit that doesn’t abide.

I’m sure all believers would say that they want their works to be carried out in God and that they want their fruit to abide. In the past, I believed if someone is a Christian, their works are always carried out in God and that their fruit is always the kind of fruit that abides. However, Jesus makes it clear in John 15 that it’s the one who abides in Him that produces much fruit. The one who does not abide in Him cannot do anything. So, producing the type of fruit that abides is conditioned upon staying connected to God- the source of all fruit. Similarly, in John 3, it’s the one who does what is true that comes to the light because they are confident that their works have been carried out in God. This raises the question: If you are a believer, does this automatically mean that you’re producing fruit that abides and that your works are being carried out in God?

One of the passages God used to answer this question for me is the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10. It seems Martha and Mary both loved The Lord. They both wanted to welcome Him and honor Him. Martha welcomed Jesus into her home and was serving Him. Mary was sitting at His feet and listened to His teaching. They were honoring Jesus in two different ways and both ways, Jesus commends in scripture. As believers, we are called to serve God and serve others. We are also called to sit at His feet and listen to Him. I don’t think the reason Jesus commended Mary as choosing the better portion was because Martha was disobeying God by serving. The words Jesus used to describe Martha in her serving are “anxious” and “troubled” and “distracted”. The very thing she thought she was doing unto The Lord distracted her from The Lord. I don’t think the point of this passage is to stop serving and only sit at Jesus’ feet, but an invitation to step into the type of ministry that is from a heart posture that is always sitting at His feet: the work that is carried out in Him, producing the type of fruit that abides.

As believers, we are always beloved children, accepted and welcomed by The Father; this identity never changes. However, just like Martha, we have the capacity as believers to go through all the motions of ministry: serving others, Bible studies, evangelism, etc., without being actively connected to the Person of Jesus or being motivated by the love of God. It’s possible as believers, to be around the things of God without encountering the real, living, active Person and Presence of God. Like Martha, what we intend to do to bless His heart can be the very thing that distracts us from Him. Martha was in the same room as Jesus trying to serve Him but missed Him entirely.

So, how do we produce the type of fruit that abides and how do we do ministry in a way in which it is carried out in God? I think the answer is found in our heart condition as we minister. James 2 says faith is active along with works and that faith apart from works is dead. Galatians 5 says it’s only faith working through love that counts for anything. 1 Corinthians 13 says without love we are a noisy gong, a clanging symbol. Ministry that is carried out in God with the type of fruit that abides is ministry that is irrevocably connected to and flowing out of faith and love, ushering from an intimate and active relationship with Jesus. It’s ministry that doesn’t run ahead of God, but keeps in step with the Holy Spirit, seeking His heart on what He wants to do and how He wants to do it. It’s evangelism that doesn’t depend on a script, but depends on seeking God’s heart for the person we are talking to, asking Him what He wants to do in them as we minister to them. It’s praying without ceasing as we minister. Most importantly, it’s kindling a love relationship with Jesus with a heart posture like Mary’s every moment of every day that knows more than anything we could ever do for Him, God is more interested in our hearts; in just having us as His kids, as His friend, as His bride.