There are Christians who are busy with spiritual activities, yet such spiritual busyness—being deeply involved in church ministry—does not necessarily have the power to transform a person’s life into one of partaking in the divine nature. To partake in the divine nature means to manifest God’s character in every aspect of one’s conduct. Indeed, one may still stumble in living it out, but even so, others will still find compassion, concern for others, and a willingness to break bread and share the cup of wine with that person. Such Christians are the ones who reveal God’s glory.
In the New Testament era, God no longer reveals His glory through physical or worldly standards. In the Old Testament, God often manifested His glory through strength and visible signs, but that is no longer the case in the New Testament—especially in the early centuries, when Christians were persecuted and even brutally killed, as though God were powerless. Yet it was precisely in such circumstances that God revealed His glory through believers who bore the divine nature—those who truly knew Him, both intellectually and experientially. A person who understands God’s will, is sensitive to Him, and does His will, reveals the glory of God.
This should prompt us to reflect: have we revealed God’s glory in our daily lives? Consider Abraham, a man called by God. The fragrance of his life spread powerfully wherever he went; everywhere he went, he carried that fragrance of calling. Every aspect of his life reflected God’s calling. Naturally, every believer should live the same way.
Suppose church activities do not lead someone to partake in the divine nature increasingly, it is a subtle and intelligent deception of the powers of darkness, which imprison many Christians and hinder them from growing properly. They may feel they are on the right path—feeling more spiritual, more capable, and more successful in ministry—yet such growth is, in truth, misdirected and unhealthy. They think they have chosen God and are satisfied with their form of Christianity. Such people no longer have the longing to move to a higher level; they lack the hunger and thirst for righteousness that Jesus spoke of in Matthew chapter 5.
For many Christians, that hunger has shifted—not a thirst for righteousness, but for material comfort: how to replace their car, buy a new house, or increase their possessions. There is nothing wrong with replacing a vehicle or buying a home; however, such things must never become sources of pleasure, but rather instruments to serve God. We must therefore learn to distinguish between needs and wants.
Needs are those things useful for God’s work, whereas wants often spring from personal satisfaction, pride, or self-glorification. Among clergy and church workers, this misplaced hunger usually evolves into ambition—to increase the number of congregants, open additional church branches, or expand ministry programs. Again, these things are not inherently wrong, as they may be part of holistic ministry—but they must never become sources of personal pleasures.
In truth, by the standard of genuine faith, it cannot be denied that very few people truly qualify as believers. Perhaps even some of us cannot yet be called people of true faith. The genuine example of true faith is Abraham. We should be grateful that God grants us His patience and enduring mercy, continually guiding us. But there comes a point when God will allow those who refuse to change to go their own way—because they no longer belong among the true believers.
Therefore, let us not take this lightly, even if we are pastors or servants of God. By the standard of genuine faith, it is hard to deny that only a few truly belong to the category of true believers. The evidence is clear: many Christians are no different from unbelievers. If the only difference between us and them is that we attend church or have Christian-sounding names, then that is indeed naïve.