For His Name's Sake..

"For His name's sake they went forth..." (3 John 7).

Here we have a Scriptural key to devotion, and more particularly, evangelistic devotion. It was so for the early church, and should be so for us today. Why do we do the things we do? Why do we seek heavenly glory? Why do we chase God's purpose in the earth? And why should we forsake the world's puny offers while attempting to spread the good news of Jesus? Dear friends, it's for His great name's sake! "For His name sake they went forth".. often to mocking, imprisonments, and even their very deaths! What manner of God is He that even the threat of death is laughed at and embraced by its victims (Acts 7:59-60)? What a glorious Lord He must be! How precious He must be that His followers count themselves as but sheep for the slaughter, dying daily for His very sake - the spread of His Gospel (Rom 8:36)! Such is the willing testimony of those in love with the Lamb of God!

The Psalmist too had this conviction: "For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me" (Ps 31:3). What is your motivation? What is your charge toward Godly devotion, and earthly ministry? Is it His perfect name? Is it the name which is above all names; the name that alone is found worthy? Or is it the name of some other?

Friends, it's for His great name's sake that He's purged us and cleansed us with His own holy blood (Ps 25:11; 79:9), and thus "for His name's sake" shouldn't we likewise serve Him back, and "go forth", taking heed if He's called us? Such love for His name is to be our charge: "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs" (Jn 21:15). It's for His great name's sake too that He has delivered us into His kingdom (Ps 109:21; 143:11), and thus shouldn't we, "for His name sake" go forth and partner with Him in drawing the rest of the world unto Himself (Song 1:4)? I believe so. "For His name's sake they went forth...".

The key to such devotion means being attached to nothing and no one except our Lord Himself. May we never go forth of our own accord, for our own sakes, or the sake of any other. May mere reputation never be our cause, nor the influences of our fallen natures. Nothing is to be our conviction, except His great and worthy name! That alone is sufficient. May our earthly detachment and heavenly charge always be towards Jesus alone! May His name be the only name that sends us forth!