The dangers of working for God but not walking with Him

There are so many people who have confessed that God has called them into specific ministries. Every ministry has workers, but are all workers in the vineyards of God genuine Christians? It is obvious that every man's work will be tested by God, “But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value” (1 Corinthians 3:13).

Working for God without walking with Him will not give our works the desired value. Enoch walked with God and entered Heaven alive. God instructed Abraham to walk before Him and be perfect. “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Genesis 17:1).

At the time of this instruction, Abraham was already working for God but most probably had not surrendered himself to God's deep relationship. The perfection of his work relied absolutely on his walk before God. Our lives cannot be made perfect without our walk with Christ. Jesus understood this better and gave a standing instruction that anyone who wants to be His disciple must walk with Him (Mathew 16:24).

There are great dangers in working for God without walking with Him. Christians who burn with passion for God's work but refuse to acknowledge the importance of their walk with Him are missing it. The works of many ministers of the Gospel have transformed so many lives but their own lives are not transformed. Judas worked for God, occupied a good position in Jesus' ministry, moved around with Jesus, yet he did not walk with Him. He had skeletons in his closet and fell into temptation.

Many who worked for God but did not walk with Him will be disappointed: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Mathew 7:21-23). It is obvious that working for God is not good enough.

Those who work for God but do not walk with Him do not have a deep relationship with Him. They do not have empirical knowledge of Jesus' way of working. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

Those who walk with God have a better understanding of the work of ministry. They depend absolutely on the leading of God. They do not entangle themselves in the things of this world, and they mind the things of God.

Many young ministers are deceived by those who claim that they walk with God. A bishop in Nigeria recently confessed how he got initiated into a cult called the “The White Prophets” and how he was employed by renowned scammers in the town of Delta State to fake miracles and prophecies in the church.  According to him, “I have this great desperation for wealth, fame and crowd in my church and every pastor that I met with for advice told me that I cannot make it in ministry.”  He confessed how he has killed seven people for a renowned “prophet” who preaches Christ in Delta State.

As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Romans 2:24). The activities of those who claim that they are working for God but are not walking with Him have brought shame and reproach to the body of Christ. Many who are genuinely called by God have deviated to pursue fame and wealth. Many unbelievers have vowed not to come to Christ because of this group of workers. The populations of churches are decreasing because many are disgruntled with what is happening in churches today.

This is a very dangerous trend in the body of Christ. When a man walks with God, his character will attract unbelievers to Christ without him knowing. Lifestyle evangelism has brought many to the saving knowledge of Christ even when the evangelist is not aware of the work he does through his lifestyle. I have heard someone saying, "I decided to become a Christian because of the lifestyle of my neighbor."  I have also heard an unbeliever saying, "If Christianity is all about the lifestyle of that pastor, I will never be a Christian."

Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquities. Let prophecies be given by divine revelation. Let signs and wonders come from God and let us allow the Holy Spirit to come back to the Church and minister in every department. Let’s make our walk with God our central goal.