Salvation Saver Truth #2

Many of us are here with hearts and minds which have received truth about ourselves as Christians, disciples of Jesus and we do not want to remain as feeble lamps for Jesus. We have seen ourselves and have admitted and confessed our dim, dour lives. Is there hope for you and me, all of us who have feeble lights? O yes there is!

Here is our second Salvation Saver Truth. Trim.

Yes, we have been told what we need to do. We need to trim our lamps. The condition of the lamp matters not, regardless of how low the light is, how almost dead the light is, it can be trimmed. Jesus had to tell some proud, self-righteous worshippers of God who thought they were doing good deeds in the Name of God and being pleasing to Him, that His work was not for the well, but the sick; not for the righteous, but the sinner. I can hear Him telling all pride, arrogance and ignorance that the trimming of lamps is not for the bright shining lights but for the feeble ones. Does this not lift you out of your dour, feeble, down spirits and catapult you in faith and dour determination as your spirits find new hope and zeal to be made right and pleasing top lights for Jesus? I mean you will no longer be as a lamp under a bowl, but as a well-lit city on a high hill. Do you believe this? I do. It is with this faith that we are ready for our trimming.

In this Salvation Truth, there is a disciplinary growth fact, which so many of us seem to forget or misunderstand. Note strongly! The mere fact that you and I are being called to trim our lamps means that we have been shining, but in the nature of shining, trimming is necessary and vital to remain productive, effective and alive. Trim your feeble lamp my brother, my sister.

How Scriptural is this action of trimming? We shall liken this trimming to the gardener and pruning and listen to what Jesus has told us, His disciples.

I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15: 1 – 2.

As we, the lamps of the Lord, need to be trimmed, so too branches in Jesus need to be trimmed. Be never deceived about this foundational fact which says that we all are in Christ. If we are in Him as branches, we must be bearing and not just bearing mildly or a little at a time, but we are to be bearing in abundance. Is that not the reason for pruning? Regardless of what reasons have been told to us and we believe or disbelieve, notwithstanding also, what reasons we have been postulating, Jesus has categorically told us the main reason for His Father, the Gardener, pruning the branches in Him that bear fruit. Listen to the reason again. So that it will be even more fruitful. Does not to be more fruitful speak of abundance, more, increase?

It is with this positive and faith-building word that we receive the reason for us as lamps being trimmed. We can safely and triumphantly say that our feeble lamps are trimmed so that they will shine forth even more brightly. Does not to shine more brightly speak of abundant brilliance, of more, increase?

But how does one trim feeble lamps? I don’t know how our Holy Spirit will do this disciplinary work in you, but it is a discipline which while being done, means no shining at the moment. Let’s go to the example in actual life. Those of us who know about trimming wicks in lamps are all too familiar with this serious fact of having better and brighter shining lights from our lamps. For those who do not know, ask someone who knows, or take this truth to heart.

We simply trimmed our wicks by literally getting a pair of scissors and trimming the burnt off parts of the used wicks. In doing so, fresh wick which is already present and waiting to be used, has the opportunity to bring new, fresh, bright light. But when this is being done, this trimming the lamp, no light is emanating from the lamp. This is a fast, quick exercise, which does not keep the needed lamp without light for any length of time. The trimming of your lamps is sharp, quick and efficient. Is not this discipline being carried out in you even now? It is taking in the receiving of these sharp, trimming away facts.

These are some of the facts which had me hushed and totally trimmed.

• Regardless of how full my lamp is with oil, if my wick is not trimmed, I remain a feeble fading light.

• Regardless of how new and clean my lamp is, despite the skillfully crafted design it wears and no matter how proud I am of it, especially when others speak of its true beauty, it means absolutely nothing, if my wick remains untrimmed.

• Regardless of who I am, whether, leader or follower, as long as I am a disciple of Jesus, one of His lights here below, I have no excuse for being a feeble lamp, a lamp that is not trimmed.

Holy Spirit, as a trimmed lamp, take me where I must go please. Amen!