“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.’ (Now this, ‘He ascended’—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Eph. 4:7-13. God’s care for His church is perfect. He has given the churches the gifts they need in order to grow and develop. Jesus Himself has given these people to the church, and the church could not be edified without them. Therefore they are extremely valuable servants in the church, and the goal of their work is that the entire church might be equipped for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. By their ministry, faith is born in the hearts of the saints, so they can come to the unity of the faith that a life of victory over sin is fully possible. Their entire life’s work, expressed through their words and their life is that the saints might become one in the faith that it is fully possible to be set free from sin—to overcome just as He overcame. Rev. 3:21. Such a faith is unknown in the religious world. This all-conquering faith is the reason the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church. The church’s power in the fight against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places depends on such believing and faithful people. By the help of the Holy Spirit and God’s co-workers, the saints can grow up to be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive. Eph. 4:14. When it concerns those whom God has placed in the church, we can count on them to have lived an especially godfearing life since their youth. They have been fervent and wholehearted; and they have remained in the first love and have become stars in Jesus’ hand. Jesus uses them in a special way. Nevertheless, they also need exhortations, and they need to be worked with. In the letters to the churches in Asia Minor we see that several of the stars in Jesus’ hand were told to repent. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” Rev. 2:5, 16. “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” Rev. 3:3, 19. Those who have been given as gifts to men are those who have descended the most. In life’s circumstances they have humbled themselves most deeply in their hearts when the Holy Spirit has spoken and shown them their own sin. God has entrusted them with great revelations, precisely because of their faithfulness, and thus they can be gifts to men. By the wisdom God gives in their hearts, they can be entrusted with revelations that can set people free, people who otherwise would have been firmly bound in Satan’s net. All those whom God has placed in the church keep the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 1 Tim. 3:9. That means that they live a victorious life; however, they must still be tested. Thereafter they can serve in the church, if they are found blameless. V. 10. God especially watches how we conduct ourselves when it concerns choosing to please men or whether to live before God’s face. Just listen to how clearly and seriously Paul writes about these matters. “For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” 2 Cor. 2:17. “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Gal. 1:10. We understand that God watches carefully over the innermost thoughts of our heart. God is jealous for His honor. According to Jesus’ own words, if we seek our own honor we cannot be faithful. John 5:44. Without faith it is also impossible to overcome, and without victory it is impossible to lead other people to such a life. Therefore it is important to take these matters very seriously from our youth on, and thus be preserved—together with the mystery of faith—with a pure conscience throughout our entire life. “But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.” 1 Thess. 2:4. Everything depends on such people. Only such faithful and pure people are entrusted with the gospel. We understand that there have never been “too many” of them. They are preserved because of their faith and hope, and the fact that they believe proves that they do not seek their own honor. We have to do with God, and He is the One who tests our hearts. “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry . . . .” 1 Tim. 1:12. He who tests the hearts is the One who counted Paul faithful and put him into the ministry. There is a great difference between someone making a good speech about a brother or a sister on a special occasion and God Himself counting that person faithful. In the epistle to the Galatians we get a glimpse into what it means to serve in such a way that God can consider us faithful. We cannot be bound by people and speak what they like to hear. The faithfulness that is required from God’s stewards far surpasses the faithfulness one knows when comparatively new on the way. Paul was aware of the love that the Galatians had for him, but when he wanted to lead them further on the way, he met great resistance. “What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” Gal. 4:15-16. Among the servants who have been placed in the church are also those who have manifested such great faithfulness in their humiliation that they know God’s will to such a degree that they can stand in God’s place in their ministry to the believers. What they bind is bound, and what they loose is loosed, as Jesus said to Peter: “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matt. 16:19. All such servants are anointed for their work. Once God has anointed you for such a work, you are anointed for it for the rest of your life, if you are found faithful in your circumstances. Another thing is that it is wise to leave the outward ministry for someone younger when the body becomes weaker, and you cannot manage the outward ministry any longer. However, once you have entered this anointed work, you continue to serve in such a way that the fruit that proceeds from your life is the saints, who also become equipped for the work of ministry. Eph. 4:11-12. When such workers get older, they don’t stand in the way of younger people; on the contrary, they pray for those who come after them, and they encourage them, and gladly yield to them in practical matters. Such people never consider younger brothers and sisters as competitors, but they consider them co-workers, for they have grown forth on the basis of their ministry. Such people are co­workers even in their old age!Kåre J. Smith