You are known
I was recently speaking with my wife about a missionary of the 19th century that preached the gospel in China and then in Africa. It really impresses me that people I don’t know would do this. But what about all of us in the body of Christ? I don’t know you, you don’t know me but each of us is a member of the body of Christ; a member the Lord Jesus Christ - the Head of the body - knows personally very well. And here is the point: We may not be known by many. Our names many not make it to the pages of Christian magazines, the screen of Christian TV or the shelves of Christian bookshops. They may never be remembered, as Paul’s or Peter’s name, and may not be among those mentioned in the church history books. BUT, and here is a big BUT, the LORD knows all of us perfectly well! For the Lord, all of us, known and unknown to men, have made a huge difference by believing in Him! All of us, known and unknown to men, ARE KNOWN BY HIM. To all of us that believe in Jesus Christ and in His resurrection is written in Romans 8:
Romans 8:28-39
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to Hispurpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
These words are not written only to famous Christians, only to those who gave their life for the faith, or only to those for whom we read about in the Bible. These words are also written to US, the simple believers in Jesus Christ. May be in this world our names will not make it past the pages of the telephone book BUT they have made it to the pages of the book of life! May be in this world only few will know and remember us BUT I KNOW ONE THAT IS NEVER GOING TO FORGET US: GOD.
Isaiah 49:15
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you."
Hebrews 13:5
"He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Do you know all the 12 apostles?
Continuing on the same topic, I would like to go to Matthew 10:2-4 where the names of the 12 apostles are given. There we read:
Matthew 10:2-4
"Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him."
I’m sure you will find very few people who don’t know Peter, John and Thomas. But I’m pretty sure that you will also find few that if asked who were the twelve they would without difficulty remember Simon the Canaanite or Lebbaeus or James the son of Alphaus. These are the rather "unknown" of the 12. Except occasions like the above, we will find them mentioned in the Scripture only with the collective term the twelve or "the disciples". They don’t have their own epistle in the New Testament, they do not have their own story in Acts and we don’t hear much about them in the gospels. They were however disciples of Christ, PERSONALLY CHOSEN AND KNOWN FULLY WELL BY HIM….. As you and me! As the Lord said:
John 15:16
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."
It is not we that chose the Lord but the Lord that chose us, YOU, personally. You are his personal choice, his preference, greatly favored by Him! His love for YOU passes knowledge it says in Ephesians 3:19! And as II Corinthians 15:58 tells us:
II Corinthians 15:58
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
Your work in the body of Christ is NOT in vain. You may not be somebody that Church history (as it is written on earth) will ever write about but you are somebody that Church history as it is written in heaven will do. You are chosen by the Lord and your labor for Him is not in vain! KEEP IT UP strongly! You are personally chosen by Christ "to go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain"