Goodness and purity should never be traits that draw attention to
themselves, but should simply be magnets that draw people to Jesus
Christ. If my holiness is not drawing others to Him, it is not the right
kind of holiness; it is only an influence which awakens undue emotions
and evil desires in people and diverts them from heading in the right
direction. A person who is a beautiful saint can be a hindrance in
leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Christ has done for
him, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself. Others will be left
with this thought— “What a fine person that man is!” That is not being a
true “friend of the bridegroom”— I am increasing all the time; He is not.
To maintain this friendship and faithfulness to the Bridegroom, we
have to be more careful to have the moral and vital relationship to Him
above everything else, including obedience. Sometimes there is nothing
to obey and our only task is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus
Christ, seeing that nothing interferes with it. Only occasionally is it a
matter of obedience. At those times when a crisis arises, we have to
find out what God’s will is. Yet most of our life is not spent in trying
to be consciously obedient, but in maintaining this relationship— being
the “friend of the bridegroom.” Christian work can actually be a means
of diverting a person’s focus away from Jesus Christ. Instead of being
friends “of the bridegroom,” we may become amateur providences of God to
someone else, working against Him while we use His weapons.
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