It is not the number, but the Spirit that we cherish.
The truth sets free all who receive it; love brings to heaven all who cherish it.
If we spend most of our life convincing one person for heaven and see no success — is this failure?
If we do it by the Spirit of love, through the power of truth, it is success, regardless of the result.
For it is this same Spirit that brings millions to heaven. Thus, it is this same Spirit by which we spend our life pleading with even one soul.
If this is the circumstance we were entrusted with — we have not failed.
With that same Spirit, in another circumstance, we would have succeeded with millions.
But our job is not to secure numbers — but that, burning with holy thirst, we allow the Spirit of God dwell in us through faith and obedience.
- Psalm 42:1 — “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
If we spend our entire life convincing our mother or father, wife, son, or daughter to leave their earthly ways and receive the Lord through faith in their hearts, allowing Him to change them into holiness — is this unholy to do?
Only if it is for personal record.
But if our motive is the deepest longing to spend eternity with them in the presence of the Lord who gave them to us, then our endeavor is of heaven.
Jesus would have gone to the cross even if only one person were in danger of losing eternity.
If we save one person, we nurture the same Spirit that saves thousands and millions.
Some are more stubborn, some are easier — yet it is never our power that makes anyone believe.
It is the Spirit of God that draws them.
The question is: Are we drawn by that Spirit?
Is that Spirit within us?
If yes, then work within your own environment — work where God placed you to work.What if we bring no one with us?
If the Spirit of God dwells within us, the rewards we receive are not dependent on our merit but are gifts of God.
We will receive the same reward as the one through whom God saved millions.
And if the Spirit truly lives within us, we are part of the great network through which He works to draw souls unto Himself.
That means we did play a role in their salvation — for the very fact that we live unto God helps souls be saved.
Our life is our testimony; our faith itself brings people to God.
Have you ever seen a family that is perfect in the Lord?
Then why not make yours that family?
If none exists, and you focus wholly on your own family to reach holiness — will not your family become a reason for others to seek God?
And if your family does not reach holiness despite your sincere endeavors, will not your tireless zeal, your efforts, and your sacrifices toward them be a testimony in themselves, drawing souls unto God?
It is not whether our words are received, but whether we speak the truth.
It is not whether we are believed, but whether we love as God loved us.
It is not whether our efforts avail them, but whether we stand available.
It is not whether our intent is seen, but whether we fear that God sees.
- Psalm 33:18 — “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him.”
It is not whether our actions are praised, but whether we care if God is pleased with us.
For God searches the heart — and actions reflect the state of the heart.
- Romans 8:27 — “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
To change the heart is to change the actions;
but to change the appearance of the actions may leave the heart unchanged.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 — “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
- Romans 12:1–2 — “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” — Titus 1:15
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” — Matthew 6:22–23
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28
It is not possible to love God and remain unchanged.
It is not possible to love God and not be a vessel of salvation to others.
It is not possible to love God and not share in the harvest of His labor — to partake in His joy, to enter into His rest, and to be made the “cause” for the souls He saved.
Though our deeds were nothing more than incorruptible love for Him, we are accounted among those through whom His salvation reached others.
- John 4:35–38 — “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
³⁶ And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
³⁷ And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
³⁸ I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” - Matthew 25:19–23 — “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
²⁰ And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
²¹ His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
²² He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
²³ His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” - They invested all that God freely gave them — and it bore returns not through their labor, but through His grace.
- Hebrews 4:8–11 — “For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
⁹ There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
¹⁰ For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
¹¹ Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
Faith is that we did nothing of ourselves; yet, through the intimate courage to acknowledge the mystery that, merely through our love of God, He saves others through us — making us participants in His saving work and answerable for that entrusted influence.
This is heavenly peace.
- John 7:38 — “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Do you have this?
If you do not, and yet many souls were brought through you into the kingdom, you will receive the resurrection of the wicked.
But if you do have this, and no soul was seemingly brought through you, you will receive the resurrection of the Lord Himself, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself gave a parable: a master gave equal wage to those who worked the whole day and to those who worked only one hour before the end of the day.
The early workers were envious of the gift given to the humble ones — for they esteemed their own labor more than the work of the late workers — they esteemed their own labor more than the grace of the master.
Thus, they did not regard God’s gift, but believed they received it by merit instead.
In truth, none of their work could satisfy the master’s demands — but the master was good, and paid them generously, not because they deserved it, but so they might have a good life.
Those with the evil eye will not enter heaven, but only those who appreciate God’s gift in sincerity.
The prodigal son tells the same story.
The one who wasted his father’s inheritance in whoredom, but repented in heart when he had nothing left, even though he had nothing left of the inheritance that was given him, was welcomed more than the son who diligently worked in his father’s house all his life, kept all his father’s inheritance, and even multiplied it, yet disapproved of his brother’s salvation.
That fault-finding son, who grumbled at his own father’s love, showed that he had no part in that love — he neither loved his brother nor his father, nor held dear the love his father had for them both — but remained in his father’s house for material interest.
Mercy was a stranger to him; and without mercy, being in a family is being in prison.
Freedom comes when the will to forgive comes into play.
Had love been his motive, he would have rejoiced at his brother’s coming back to life from the dead.
All we give to our children is gift, and all we have received from our parents is gift.
The sacrifice a parent gives toward his child is unmeasurable — it cannot be paid off.
If my child is fatally sick, and miraculously his health is restored, I will not dwell on the causes of his sickness, but will give thanks that I have him back — even if those causes were his own fault.
My interest is life with my child, not repayment for my sacrifice.
For who can repay the sacrifice a caring parent gives to his child? Only God — who restores full strength and life throughout eternity.
But a child cannot repay it.God takes pleasure when we come to Him — not when we pay our debts.
His sacrifice was made to buy us — our attention, our love for Him — to draw us to Him, not to settle accounts.
His aim was love, not transaction.
He died to adopt us, not to demand compensation.
His motive is mercy, not justice in the human sense.
He gave Himself not to make us debtors, but to make us sons — from slavery He called us to sonship.
He did not give His all to burden us with obligation, but to bring us into communion — to restore our relationship.
Not to reclaim what was lost, but to restore who was lost.
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