“But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.” Psalms 16:3
The LORD delights in each of His beloved saints, working with each of us “both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) After all, isn’t it He alone who made and saved each of us? Is He not capable of finishing that good work He alone began in us?
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6
There’s a time that we are to mind out own business and let God deal with His children. After all, they are His and not ours. He is their LORD and Master and fully capable of molding His clay the way He sees fit and in His own blessed timing.
“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4
Now, of course the context of the verse above is concerning non-essentials. If we see a brother or sister in a fault or sin, we are called to prayerfully and with meekness of spirit to go and seek to help them overcome (Galatians 6:1-3; James 5:19-20).
Back to minding our own business (MYOB) …….
“Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man (John) do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” John 21:21-22
After Jesus told Peter that he would be martyred for his faith in Christ, Peter asked Him about John’s future. Jesus here diverts and refocuses His disciple Peter as He will do with us. He says “Peter, what business is it of yours concerning John and how I will use him and how he will leave the earth? You follow Me Peter, that’s all you have to concern yourself with.”
Of this passage, R.A. Torrey notes:
“Jesus never answered questions of speculative curiosity but always pointed the questioner to his own immediate duty.” What the Bible Teaches, R.A. Torrey, p. 155
Firstly, God doesn’t like murmuring or busy bodying and warns us often in His Word against such (Numbers 13-14; 1 Corinthians 10:10; 1 Peter 4:15).
“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” 1 Peter 4:15
The LORD would have us to individual “work out (y)our own salvation with fear and trembling,” knowing that He is working in us “both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)
Consider how Jesus answered Peter’s inquiry into what the Savior would do with John and how John’s life would play out. Jesus basically directly Peter to mind his own business and let God be God and as such, to direct the unique path of each of His beloved people.
The LORD would have us daily pray for His other (true) children, asking Him to conform them to His holy image and to dispense His multiplied grace into their lives daily.
Do you fervently pray for fellow members of the body of Jesus daily, trusting God to have His perfect way in their lives?
The true believer is never to partake in the unconstructive nit-picking of a non-essential issue concerning another saint. This is called “evil surmisings” or evil suspicions and evil guessings (1 Timothy 6:3-5). When someone comes to you about an issue with another believer, that person coming to you had better have already gone to the person in question themselves privately (Matthew 18:15) and the matter must be one that is a sin unto death and not just something that is not essential to salvation. Firstly, it must be established that the issue at hand is an essential to salvation and not just something that is a non-essential (Galatians 5:19-21). Then, we must ask the person coming to us about another if he/she has already gone to the individual in question.
What is a non-essential? Read Romans 14-15.
What is a “sin unto death” or a soul-damning offense? Read Galatians 5:19-21.
“If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” 1 John 5:16
Sign up here to receive the Moments with My Master email sent out 2-3 times weekly to edify Christ’s body.
Follow Us!