Yesterday, we looked at Edmund Burke’s statement, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” The article said, “It matters that good people do good.” People may disagree with what the good is. Some will say we should be politically active to make good change. I’d agree, but there is something more important. Some will say we need to help the poor. That is important, but there is something more important.

Discernment is necessary and that takes spiritually mature people who are willing to set aside the desires of their flesh to trust God and do what is right in every area of life. Unfortunately, Christians are fooling themselves to think that they are spiritually mature, because they are not doing the big sins and they know a little bit of God’s Word. What is a spiritually mature person?

The issue is not “spiritually mature.” The issue is spiritual obedience to the will of God in spiritual parenthood – that is making disciples. It doesn’t matter if you are single or married, man or woman, talented or not, or rich or poor. The issue is – are you spiritually obedient to the will of God in making disciples?

Jesus made it clear in the Great Commission,

¹⁹ “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matt. 28:19-20 NKJ)

The apostle Paul affirmed that in his letter to the Corinthians,

¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:18-20 NKJ)

God not only reconciled the world so that it could choose to receive God’s gift of salvation, but He passed that responsibility onto us. He has chosen no other back up plan. We are to seek reconciliation with the world, so that others can understand the gift of salvation and be discipled to the Lord Jesus. Additionally, we are to disciple each other to spiritual parenthood. That is, helping each other become disciplers of disciplers. When Christians do not follow through with that responsibility, they (we) are good people not doing what is good, and evil will eventually triumph.

Let me address that intention tomorrow.