Competition
(Part IV of Zadok, the True Minister)
© by Gary W. Crisp
The Competitive Spirit
These three things, competition, jealousy and division are killers within the church. In the world, you may could get by with one or two of them, but all three even hinder worldly ventures. The world smiles at competition; it winks at jealousy, but division in worldly circles is not often tolerated, whether it be in politics, business or sports.
Competition in the world cannot be helped, but Christians in the world should be “helping” to rid this problem, rather than being a part or an aid to this situation. As “striving for excellence” breeds the “desire to perform”, performing to please God will cause competition wherever it is allowed to exist. One of the first and most natural outgrowths of competing will be jealousy, because there will always be someone “just a little bit better” than we are. Jealousy, harbored in the heart (even the heart of one individual) will bring about division. Human nature, being what it is, makes this so, and only God’s Grace can make it right.
One With Jesus and the Father
In John 17, Jesus spoke these words on the eve of His crucifixion. Though they are lengthy, I feel it will serve us well to review them; here they are (the “they” and “them” He refers to is us):
[this is implied]. (16) They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (17) Sanctify them through Your Truth: Your Word is Truth. (18) As You have sent Me into the world, even so I have also sent them into the world. (19) And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they might also be sanctified through the Truth.
(editor’s note: that’s us) which shall believe on Me through their word; (21) That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; let them be one in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me. (22) And the glory which You gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One: (23) I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in One(ness with Us) -- [again, this is implied] ; and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved Me. (24) Father, I will that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My Glory, which You have given Me: for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. (25) O Righteous Father, the world has not known You, but I have known You, and these have known that You have sent Me. (26) And I have declared unto them Your name, and I will declare it, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Joining this portion of scripture with John 15 (the lesson of the True Vine) we see a principle that is repeated over and over. Any time any Biblical principle is repeated several times, it multiplies its importance. When Jesus, Himself, repeats something over and over, we need to take a very serious and honest look at whatever it is. Six times He uses the word one, and four times (verses 11, 21, 22, 23) He specifically asks the Father to “make us one” or “keep us one”. This is one of those principles that are both simple and profound, but we must closely look at His request. Why is “being one”, or to put it another way: Why is “unity” so important? Why must we “abide in Him”, “Him in us”, us “in the Father”?
Simply put: Intimacy is power.
Even in a marriage, a strong, powerful union is one based upon intimacy. Intimacy in marriage is far beyond the sexual, though it includes that. More important, though, marital intimacy is trust, faith, closeness, familiarity and friendship. In His life, Jesus knew that when He came to earth to “take on the seed of David according to the flesh” (Romans 1: 3 and John 1:14; Galatians 4:4 & 5), the most important thing for Him was to maintain the very same relationship He’d had before with His Father...that being of intimate and close contact with Him.
This is why, so many times in the Gospels, we see Jesus “withdrawing for a time to pray”. And for Him to ask the Father to “make us one” and “keep us one” only heightens the importance of such a principle. Think of this: How many times, when He had withdrawn by Himself to be alone, did He pray that prayer of the Father, and it was never recorded by the disciples? We’ll not know till we reach our home in heaven. That we might be one, even as Jesus and the Father. That we all might be one. But my favorite verse in all this is verse 23...“I in them and You in me, that they may be made perfect in one...”
“I in them and You in me, that they may be made perfect in one...” Even as Christ and God the Father are One, we can also be “perfect” and one. How this works, I don’t really know, but even as Paul says in Ephesians 4, verse 14: “Till we all come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ...”, even our unity brings about perfection. “Being made perfect in one...”
Now, back to “striving for excellence”, “performance” and “competition”...can we see a little more clearly how these things hinder, if not outright destroy unity? Any thing that hinders what God desires of us is wrong, is bad, is unhealthy for the Body. Anything. And we have seen how important it is to the Father and to Jesus that we all “be as one”, haven’t we? Then why, my brothers and sisters, do we sit back and do nothing when unity is threatened?
A minister once replied this way (when I had asked him why he refused to deal with a “very obvious divisive problem” under his domain): He said, “I close my eyes, and pretend it isn’t there. And my ears, so that I can’t hear it”.
I’m serious! This was his reply. And this was a very gifted, very Godly young minister of the Lord! Someone I had admired and respected greatly. Another minister (a pastor of a very prominent Dallas church) had this to say after a completely embarrassing situation occurred during a service in his church. I asked him, “Why didn’t you do something as the pastor, the leader of this flock?” He just smiled sheepishly and told me, “I did...I closed my eyes, hung my head, wished it would go away, and looked for a hole to crawl into...”
I could not believe my ears as I heard such things. These were men of God! Anointed and chosen to fulfill Ephesians 4:11-14. These were men I knew; I had fellowshipped with them. But I could not understand why they would choose to ignore such divisive and harmful things that had such terrible effects upon the sheep in their care. I told them both that they were in their respective places of leadership for the very kinds of situations like this!
Pastors, shepherds, and leaders must deal with disharmony, divisiveness and “rifts” caused by unruly and carnal people in their churches. They must! That’s why the Lord placed shepherds over His Flock! For the record (in case anyone is wondering): I was in both of these churches, seeing and hearing both of these situations with my own eyes and ears, as they occurred. This isn’t hearsay. As a matter of fact, I will not repeat any kind of circumstances like these unless I have had first-hand knowledge. And I do not repeat these things to belittle or berate good ministers and good churches, but we do need to know these things, face them and deal with them. Sadly, these are only two of many cases I could cite; there are much worse scenarios, but I’ll not go further, except to say that the enemy knows how important unity is; that’s why he attacks it the way he does.
People strive for perfection, while missing the only true perfection that amounts to anything...that being the one brought on by true unity in the Body. We say we want to be like Jesus; Jesus said He was like His Father, obeying all that He heard; passing along all the Truth of the Father. I would be remiss if I did not say that unity is one of the most needed things in the church today, and unity is one of the most important things that Jesus talked about in relationship to believers. When will we see that we need to get involved in dealing with this great chasm between us and being one in the Body?
Paul said, in 2nd Corinthians 13:9 - “For we are glad, when we are weak and you are strong; and this also we wish: even your perfection”; again, in Hebrews 6:1, the author writes: “Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection...”; and finally, in Hebrews 7:11 - “If perfection had come by the Levitical priesthood, then why was there a need for another priest after the order of Melchisedek?”
Here, the writer speaks of Jesus (Hebrews 5:10), saying that we, in the natural, could not reach a state of perfection, else the Levitical priesthood would still be in order, fulfilling their priestly duties. Jesus, once and for all at Calvary, did away with all manly duties as a priest. Now we look to Him, the “Author and the Finisher” of our Faith, for all necessary intercedings. Godly perfection is the only thing that matters now, and Jesus achieved that on the cross. His death, burial and resurrection signed, sealed and delivered anything and everything that will ever be needed for our living, growing and becoming perfect in Him.
If we strive for anything, let us strive for perfection by “striving to enter in at the strait gate, for many will seek to enter in, but will not be able...”. These are the words of the Master, in Luke 13:24. Paul adds this: “...that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together (not with and against one another) for the faith of the gospel.” Jesus said not many would enter in, probably because they would be striving with one another, rather than being in unity, striving for the faith.
The church, at large, is in disharmony and in disarray. Only those who will admit this can help the problem: Through prayer, through personal hands-on approach, through wisdom. As we have seen, winking at it, hoping for it to go away, does not help one bit. Please, dear brothers and sisters, make this a priority in your prayers. I pray for each of you who read this, that God will strengthen your resolve to be “one with each other”; “one with the Body”; and “one in the Spirit”. I also pray that He “stir up” your inward man, releasing the gift of Grace that He placed there; and may He set your heart free to know and realize the calling He has placed upon your heart. We need one another. The Body suffers without each part doing that which God designed for it to do.
This was Paul’s prayer and hope and wish for this church, as well as for all who would read this for years to come. This is my hope as well. I pray we reach that point of unity that seems so very far away. With His Grace, we will.
Even though this is the end of this particular teaching... looking at the things and principles of Zadok, the righteous ministers, there is so much more to this. If you would like to read the lessons I have that include Abiathar, what his name means and much more, you may do so by clicking here.
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