Called Out of Babylon

Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!  She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast…Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share In her plagues (Rev. 18:2, 4).

It seems like every time I hear reference to that Scripture someone is very quick to say, “We need to quit preaching the ‘Come out of Babylon’ messages in the Church of God.”  To preach on this passage is often looked on as divisive and “behind the times.”  We are told that sermons on this text have caused too much dissension over the years, so therefore, it should simply be ignored.  And we have largely done that for the past few decades.  I am 29 years old and can count on one hand (and would only need two fingers) the number of sermons I have heard on that passage of Scripture that was at one time so prominent.  My purpose is not to discuss the messages that we preach specifically on this text, but to point out the dangerous position in which we have placed ourselves when we decide that there are verses in Scripture that we should simply quit preaching and teaching. 

Every time I hear someone claim that we should quit preaching messages on this topic I ask myself, “Should we really be in the business of eliminating verses from the Bible?”  Especially when we read in Revelation 1:3, Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.  The introduction to the book of Revelation would lead us to the conclusion that the truth contained in this final book of the Bible is important.  I realize that all Scripture is important, but that is my point.  If it is all important to our Christian lives and spiritual maturity why would we leave some of it out?  And who do we think we are to do so?

The word “Babylon” is used throughout Scripture to represent confusion, and it would seem that some of our methods and desire for scholarship have led us precisely to that end.   Education is not something that is inherently bad, but look at what we are doing:  We show those who will be leading local congregations every possible view of Scripture, and then, rather than endorsing the truth of which we have been convicted, we tell them to decide what they like best.  We have turned the objective truth of God into something that is very subjective, and the result is that we live like the people of Israel during the time of the judges - everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6). 

The church of our day mirrors our pluralistic society where whatever truth seems to “fit” us best is that which we will follow, and the only conviction we ever voice is that nobody should ever voice a firm conviction.  The last things anyone (even pastors in many cases) wants to discuss are theology and doctrine because they are really not a priority to us anymore.  We are more interested in “vision” and “mission” than we are in simply knowing the God of Heaven, and understanding more of the fullness of a relationship with Him.  The importance of our mission to win the lost cannot be disputed and SHOULD NOT be given a place of diminished importance.  But the greatest command still remains, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart (Matt. 22:37)…  In the third chapter of Mark we read about the reason Jesus called the apostles: And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE WITH HIM and he might send them out to preach (Mark 3:14).  Before they were ever sent out to preach, the priority of Jesus was that they would be with Him.  He wanted to know them, and for them to know Him personally.  God’s desire for us to know Him has not diminished in our modern day.  He still wants to reveal Himself to us through His Word.  THAT IS DOCTRINE AND THEOLOGY!  It is God revealing Himself to mankind through the Word that He inspired for us.  We are sanctified, not simply through a few good ideas, or some sound advice, but through the very Word and Truth of God.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17).  There is a reason that John taught in his second epistle, If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [the teaching of Christ], do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works (v. 10, 11). 

By becoming more “accepting” of every idea and doctrine that people want to believe and promote we have become exactly that from which we were called out: Babylon!  It is possible to go from congregation to congregation without EVER hearing consistent teaching on the doctrines of the Word of God.  As if it is not enough to have eliminated Scriptures from Revelation we live in a day when we can go years on end without ever hearing a sermon on the command to live a sinless life (John 5:14, 8:11), or the call of God to be sanctified (1 Thess. 5:23; John 17:17).   We may go lifetimes without being reminded of the authority of God’s Word, or that  sometimes Satan does indeed attempt to counterfeit God’s work (2 Cor. 11:14).  When faced with so much divergence on issues that were once considered sound doctrine and held as conviction given by the Holy Spirit, what are people supposed to believe?  Where should they be expected to stand? 

Before firing squads are formed for my execution or the accusations of divisiveness begin to fly let me clarify this.  I am in no way advocating that we form our own sect where people who do not believe exactly like me have no access.  I do not claim knowledge of all truth, or an exclusive access to the mind of God.  I do, however, find in Scripture that the Holy Spirit does indeed guide us into truth. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak (John 16:13)…  While it is impossible for us to learn the full extent of the mind of the Living God – even in a lifetime – the Holy Spirit does know His will and His ways, and this same Spirit will speak to us the truth of God.  If Jesus told us that the Spirit would deliver the truth to us, then why is it so easy for us to compromise on doctrine that is inspired by our all-powerful, immutable, omniscient God?  There are things taught in Scripture that we know for certain because they are taught so clearly in the Holy Word of God.  To compromise on those truths is to lead people from the New Jerusalem – God’s holy church – to Babylon, a land filled with confusion and strife. 

In Revelation 17 this confusion called Babylon is not only seen as a city, but as a living, breathing being.  Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters…And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names…And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations (Rev. 17:1, 3, 5).’”  This provides for us an alarming commentary on the results of our compromise on almost every revealed truth.  Those compromises and shifts made to conform to popular opinion REPRODUCE.  As if it were not enough that the message to John show imagery of the confusion of God’s people by a false religious source, we must deal with the fact that SHE HAD CHILDREN.  The heresies created to gain favor with those who do not consider biblical doctrine important never stops at compromise in one area, or on one teaching.  As the convictions that we hold begin to work together to lead us to an understanding of God, these (seemingly small) compromises begin to permeate and infiltrate the whole of our theology.  At the end of the day all of these things turn our attention away from a God who is continually trying to reveal Himself to us. 

A.W. Tozer tells us in his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, “I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.”  Do we realize what this means?  If our compromise in convictions turns our attention from God, then our attention turned away from God leads us to further misconceptions of the character and work of God.  Each step leads us farther away from the one whom we claim to love and serve.  The confusion that we not only allow, but create, serves to realign our spiritual direction – not toward our heavenly home, but toward the worldly confusion of Babylon.

Every time we consciously decide not to stand firm on a conviction given to us by the Holy Spirit of God we, like the “great prostitute” are climbing onto the back of a beast.  Like the counterfeit church in the book of Revelation we place ourselves in a position where we no longer have a choice in the path that we take, but are led by a power that we no longer control.  In our drunkenness (see Rev. 17:6) we sit on our beast and allow it to take us wherever it will go.  It may lead us to the furthest depths of hell (yes, some of us still believe in that too) but at least we get along with everyone during this life. 

I am not promoting that we remove ourselves from fellowship with everyone.  But the time has come where theology must once again be something of great importance, something held sacred by the people of the church.  For far too long we have used our study of the Holy God to promote our own ideas, our own agendas, and even worldly forms of scholarship.  We have used Him to advance our own self-interests and have forgotten that above all His revelation is to guide us into a closer relationship with Him, not into a position of prominence in this world.  If we are to “come out of Babylon” theology can no longer be our means of promoting the most modern speculation or philosophy, it must be an earnest search for a deeper understanding of God.  It must be the vehicle that helps lead us into a life in the “Holiest Place” at the foot of the mercy seat of our Lord. 

Pastors and teachers continue to bemoan the messages of the past, but as we eliminate the Scriptures that teach us the importance of strong convictions led by the Holy Spirit we continue on a journey right back into the confusion from which God has called us.  With each compromise and each attempt to appease man rather than please God we have taken part in a modern movement that is leading the church away from her groom and back into Babylon – a place of confusion, disorientation, and spiritual starvation.  A place that is “fallen” (not falling, but fallen from its beginning) and has become a haunt for every unclean spirit, unclean bird, and detestable beast.  God is calling us to something more than that place.  He is calling us to something far better, and something far more pure.  We can eliminate the message from our local congregations and the words from our vocabulary, but Scripture still proclaims to us that God calls His people out of that demonic place.  Ceasing to preach and teach this truth makes it no less true in our day than it was in days gone by.  In a day of diverse and divergent doctrine, spiritual plurality and weak conviction, God continues to call His children OUT OF BABYLON.