We are indebted people, not to live according to the flesh, but to live according to the Spirit. Living according to the Spirit means doing the will of God, translating His thoughts and feelings into our concrete daily actions. When our lives are aligned with the Spirit, we reflect the life of Jesus, who revealed the invisible God. In the same way, we are called to translate the life of Jesus into tangible actions.
Someone who truly lives according to the Spirit will carry the same burden as God’s heart—that He does not want anyone to perish. Therefore, we feel indebted to bring salvation to every person we meet, even though we realize not everyone will receive it. However, let it never happen that someone rejects salvation because of our mistakes or lack of seriousness.
To carry such a burden, a person must first live in holiness, not be bound to the world, and not be made happy by the facilities of this world. If someone still lives in sin and is in love with the world, they cannot share God’s burden and cannot possibly carry the burden of salvation for others. A clear sign of someone who has not truly been saved is the lack of burden for the salvation of others. Conversely, those who live according to the Spirit, build holiness, and long for the Kingdom of God will be ready to sacrifice anything for the salvation of souls, because one soul is more valuable than the whole world.
Yet many people are unwilling to suffer with Christ. They do not understand what it means to love themselves correctly, which is to pursue their own salvation. Wrong self-love is selfishness, but loving oneself correctly means striving to return to God’s original design. A person who undergoes this transformation will hunger and thirst for righteousness, always looking to Jesus as the standard, and striving to become like Him. From that transformative experience, they will begin to “infect” others, bringing them into the same process.
Church ministry often loses its focus because it is not directed at transforming human nature to become like Christ. Yet the fullness of God that radiates His glory must be pursued, and those who experience that transformation will continue to grow. Only glorious people—those who experience a change of nature—are worthy to receive the glorified body. Therefore, every child of God must feel indebted to help others come out of their old nature into the divine nature.
We are called to be the salt of the world, infecting others with a different kind of life. No worldly pleasure—wealth, status, attractiveness, popularity—can satisfy. But becoming a person who pleases God and makes others catch a longing for holiness—that is true glory.