Visions of Christ

Visions of Christ

Revelation 1:9-20

 

            Every once in a while you read something that leaves a lasting impression; something that forces you to consider it even years after you’ve read it. I read such a book in high school. In 1953 Ray Bradbury’s book, Fahrenheit 451, was published. Bradbury’s story described a society where truth was hidden at all costs and self-centeredness was the rule of the day. The people did everything possible to shelter themselves from the realities of the world. They lived in a self-induced stupor having been intoxicated by their self-indulgence. Bradbury wrote about people whose lives were consumed by their entertainment and were lived vicariously through the televisions that ruled their living rooms.  The people were happy to live in self-delusion with their allusions of joy until they were brought face to face with the harsh reality of war. When the time came that they had to face truth they had no idea how to handle it. They were ill-prepared to face the trials and tribulations of life. As terribly equipped as such a society seem, are we really much different?

            John faced a similar situation. The Romans filled coliseums with countless thousands of people who went to find some kind of fulfillment and happiness. The empire provided all the entertainment people needed through sports and wealth, but they did what was necessary to hide the truth. That’s why John found himself on Patmos.

            Sometimes it seems like the world will stop at nothing to hide definite truth. We see it all around us. We read stories of scientists who are pressured by politics to make sure their studies find what is considered acceptable by the powers that be. There have been college professors who have lost jobs because they refuse to blindly promote unproven theories of evolution in favor of intelligent design. Many dictators have controlled the media of their country, and some have gone so far as to censor what people are allowed to read.

            Suppression of truth is a means of inhibiting the freedom of people as they try to understand life. By directing them to specific, well-chosen information they are led to a conclusion that is desirable for their leaders. This has even happened in the church. There was a day when Bibles were chained to pulpits and the common man was not allowed access to God’s Word. This allowed the rulers to maintain control over the conclusions that people would draw by denying them access to all that is available to them. We see it in the church once again today. The Bible is not kept from God’s people, but they have willfully allowed themselves to live in ignorance of what it teaches, and the result has been leaders who have led the church astray.

            We look around us and see a church that is largely failing in America. Our leaders continue to promote leadership techniques and programs while the church continues to decline. Outreach is the theme of the day, and if we aren’t growing in great numbers we are not successful. Scripture teaches us that the church grew in the New Testament as the Bible became more important to the Christians. “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). When we do not know Scripture we do not know how to deal with life’s circumstances, so we turn to leaders who will give us instruction. Is this not how the Christian life is lived today? We don’t go to the Word, but to some self-help guru for our direction. The absolute truth of God’s Word has been confined to the shadows of the world, and hidden in the dark corners of the church. Over a couple thousand years it seems that some things haven’t changed all that much.

            John, the great apostle who proclaimed God’s truth to the early church, was exiled to Patmos as a way of keeping the truth from people. F.G. Smith explains, “Having confined him to a barren spot [Patmos], the emperor no doubt thought he had effectually cleared the world of this preacher of righteousness…But when men think the truth is dead and buried out of sight, God suddenly gives it a resurrection with thirty-fold greater glory. It was so in this case.”[1] Just when it seemed like the truth of God might be stamped out of existence, the apostle received a vision on the far reaches of the prison of Patmos. He was not given a structure or program that would obscure the glory and power of God. He was not given instruction on where to find the nearest church growth seminar, or tips on the amendment of bylaws.

            When God’s Word was hidden away the church received what she needed most: visions of an all-powerful, resurrected, living Christ! As John contemplated the church on the Lord’s Day a vision of a triumphant church came forth through the words of Jesus. It is in times such as these that we experience visions of the work of Christ. It is when the truth seems to be losing ground to the lies of man that God speaks to His people and directs them back to His Word, and to His revelation. It is in such times that God brings revival to the submissive heart.

            It is important that we understand the victory that God is showing in this vision. There are many who insist on a literal interpretation of what John saw on Patmos, but to look at this in such a way is to take away from the victory won by Jesus. We do not interpret Jesus – or His work – in light of the visions of apocalyptic literature, but we always interpret such literature in light of Jesus Christ and His victory over the powers of hell.[2] It is truth that sets us free, and for that purpose God revealed the truth about a victorious church through the book of Revelation. That purpose must be kept in the forefront of our thought as we read the visions of John. Jesus told us in John’s gospel that He came for the purpose of freedom. “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:31, 32). Paul also told the Galatian church, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). God has provided visions in Scripture that will free us from the bondage of worldly ideas. We find ourselves in bondage to the world, but the church need not live in that prison. The truth, if sought and applied to our lives – individually and corporately – will truly set us free.

 

It Is During Tribulation That We See Christ

 

            We cannot deny that the church of John’s day was facing tribulation. This has often been a result of the world’s response to the faith of God’s people. Faith in the Word of God offends the sinful hearts of the world and brings conviction to their souls. When we place our trust in the moral standards set forth by God it gives us a hope that the world does not possess. By putting our trust in God’s Word we are making a clear statement that the testimony of His Son will be the example by which we live. We will not settle for the relativity of the world, or the universalism that has become a part of the beliefs of so many. John was sent to Patmos for this faith. Many Christians have lost their lives for the same type of faith. God’s people have been martyred, exiled, beaten, imprisoned and publicly shamed for their commitment to something greater than the government rulers of this world.

            It is during these times of great trial that the church has historically risen to new heights as men and women of God come together to support one another as they endure hardship. In verse 9 John claimed to be partnered with the church in tribulation, the kingdom, and patient endurance. We experience the presence of Jesus today during these times as His body lives in harmony with one another. As we encourage and carry one another we see God at work. This is what John meant when he said he was their partner in the kingdom. We live together in mutual submission to God’s reign even under the most sever tribulation. “Just as Jesus suffered in order to establish his rule so must believers. Those who put themselves under the lordship of Christ open themselves to tribulation in this in-between-time before Christ’s return and the final consummation and destruction of all evil.”[3] History proves that Satan will do anything to keep God’s people from submitting to His reign. We will face trial, tribulation, difficulty and obstacles, but God will overcome all these things through His people living together as His kingdom. Visions of our King remind us of the One whom we serve as we face this opposition of the Devil.

            God has not left us alone to face difficulty. It is during this time that we experience the work of Christ. We see Him move through His church, and in the lives of His people. We experience His peace and comfort, His love and mercy. If our faith remains steadfast in Jesus, we will never face a trial without a “partner” in tribulation. When we meet obstacles we see Christ work.

 

It Is When We Are In the Spirit That We See Christ

 

            It is no coincidence that John was “in the Spirit” when he saw a vision of Christ. The Spirit is the one who reveals Christ to us. He testifies to the work of Jesus. “He will glorify me, he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14). Since the Spirit reveals Christ to us we see Him most clearly during the times when we are led by the Spirit. John Stott pointed out, “It is only logical. If Christian maturity is maturity in our relationship to Christ, in which we worship, trust and obey him, then the clearer our vision of Christ, the more convinced we become that he is worthy of our commitment.”[4] Stott went on to say, “For the discipleship principle is clear: the poorer our vision of Christ the poorer our discipleship will be, whereas the richer our vision of Christ, the richer our discipleship will be.”[5]

            It is the Holy Spirit who allowed John to look to the heavens and see the vision of Christ rather than to his immediate circumstances of difficulty. The testimony of Christ that we see in Scripture helps to teach us that it is never our circumstances that should dictate the way we live, but the Spirit of God. When we become bitter over troubles we face visions of Christ are more difficult to see. The church has been called to live in a world that is hostile to her culture, but we must live in light of the visions of Christ that Scripture reveals to us. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). If our witness is to stand, we cannot afford to respond to adversity in the same way the world responds. We can’t allow ourselves to live in panic and worry over what is going to happen. Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).

            The Spirit of God will always direct us to Christ. When it is the Spirit who is guiding our decisions and responses we will always respond in light of our vision of the work of the Son of God. It is from this position that John sees the vision of Christ and His triumphant church.

 

It Is Among the Churches That We See Christ

 

            John did not simply see a vision of Jesus. He saw our Risen Lord walking among seven golden lampstands. In fact, the text would lead us to believe that John the first thing John saw after hearing the voice of Christ were these lampstands. We are not left to guess what these lampstands must be; Jesus told John exactly what they are: “As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (Rev. 1:20).

            It should come as no surprise that we find Jesus among the congregations of His church. Jesus told His disciples, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20). He also reminded them before He ascended to heaven, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

            Jesus walks among His people today – just as He walked with the church in John’s day – to fill the role of high priest. “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come…” (Heb. 9:11). In Old Testament times it was the responsibility of the high priest to trim the lamps in the tabernacle. “And Aaron shall burn on it incense of sweet spices; every morning when he trims and fills the lamps he shall burn it” (Exod. 30:7 AB). The lamp was put in place to light the holy place in the tabernacle. Without the light of these lamps the tabernacle of God would be dark, so twice a day the high priest filled the lamps with oil and trimmed the wicks. This kept deposits from building up that would eliminate the light that was given. Jesus fulfills the same role in God’s New Testament tabernacle.

            The churches give off the witness of God’s power and glory. Jesus walks among the congregations to tend their lamps. It is through visions of Christ that the witness of the church is carried into the world. As we see His revelation in Scripture it trims and removes deposits from the wick that lights God’s lamps today. He continually works through His Spirit to empower the church to do His work in the world today. As we are built up into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5) we see visions of Jesus walking among His people to fulfill His role as our high priest maintaining the work of God within our lives. It is the presence of Jesus that makes this tabernacle the church. It is this presence that allows us to rightly consider ourselves the temple of God. John was given a vision of one who trims the lamps.[6]

 

It Is In Humility That We See Christ

 

            It is important that we see Christ through His Word and His church. We must understand the work He does through His church. We must also respond to these visions. John responded to the presence of God’s Son as many have reacted throughout history. His response mirrors that of Ezekiel, “Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking” (Ezek. 1:28). Moses removed his shoes and bowed before God (Exod. 3:5).  Even the Apostle Paul fell on His face before the Risen Christ, “And falling to the ground he heard a voice” (Acts 9:4)…

            A real vision of Jesus Christ should give us a sense of inadequacy, and should leave us standing in wonder and awe of our God. As we begin to understand what God reveals to us through such a vision it reminds us that even the brightest and best of our day cannot compare to the wisdom of Jesus Christ, and His power working through His people is unmatched by anything that is spawned within the finite mind of man. This revelation of the mind and will of God is what has drawn His people back to Him in times of revival over the course of history. Dennis Kinlaw commented, “I am convinced that every great revival in the history of the church has started when God’s people began to seek ‘the mind of Christ.’ When they set aside the normal human way of thinking about the world and allowed Christ to direct their lives, the world has been turned ‘upside down.’”[7]

            For decades the church of our day has stood as a darkened tabernacle, not knowing whether or not our high priest stands among us. We have turned to programs, gimmicks and fads to light the lamps of the church once again, but nothing has reignited the fire among God’s people. Visions of Jesus Christ serve to reignite the passion of God’s people. These visions bring revival to the church. As long as we continue to look within ourselves for guidance we will never be the lamps that burn brightly in the dwelling place of God. It is through visions of Jesus, and the revelation of the mind of Christ that the church moves in power in this sinful world. We experience God’s power when we respond to visions of our Lord as Isaiah, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isa. 6:5). Our trials are not overcome by our own ingenuity, but by visions of Jesus Christ and His plan for a triumphant church.

 

            It is during eras of difficulty that apocalyptic literature was written by the Jews before the time of Christ. It is in the same kinds of circumstance that John was given this vision. “Here is the meaning of the vision: A living, holy, majestic, omniscient, authoritative, powerful Christ stands in the midst of the churches, holds their destiny in his hand and says: ‘Stop fearing. I was dead. I am alive forever. More than that, I hold in my hand the keys to death and the grave. You should not fear to go to any place to which I hold the key. You may be persecuted to death but I am still your king.”[8] It doesn’t matter what we are facing today – individually or corporately – we are kept by our risen Lord. The Apostle Paul’s words still hold true today:

           

            "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall     separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:31-37).

 

            Do we live in light of a Scriptural vision of a risen, victorious Christ? One who stands amid a Spirit-led, triumphant church?

 

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[1] F.G. Smith, The Revelation Explained, 36

[2] Richard K. Eckley, Revelation: A Commentary for Bible Students (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006), 57

[3] Carol Rotz, Revelation: A Commentary In the Wesleyan Tradition (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2012), 59

[4] John Stott, The Radical Disciple (Downer’s Grove: IVP Books, 2010), 42

[5] Ibid, 47

[6] David Ravenhill, The Jesus Letters (Shippensburg: Destiny Image, 2003), 33

[7] Dennis Kinlaw, The Mind of Christ (Anderson: Francis Asbury Press, 1998), 19

[8] Ray Summers, Worthy Is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman &Holman Publishers, 1951), 105

The Business of the Kingdom

Luke 19:11-27

 

            Max Gualke once wrote, “The Kingdom of God exists first and always to articulate the true nature of God and his righteous rule among men…The entire object of God’s Kingdom and rule is to save men from sin.”  This is the type of kingdom that took the world by storm when Jesus Christ entered the scene.  He came with the full power of heaven and the spiritual resources to fundamentally change the fallen race of mankind, and his intent was nothing less than transformation of hearts, lives and the culture of the people who would bear his name.  This purpose is what Jesus taught when he told this parable in the 19^th chapter of Luke. 

            Jesus Christ came to replace the hard hearts of man with a new heart; a heart that is sensitive to the work of the Spirit whom Jesus sent to write the law of God’s Kingdom on our hearts.  Consider the prophecy of Ezekiel, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh (Ezek. 36:26).”  In his book, The Message of Holiness, Derek Tidball writes, “When a country is taken over by a new power, wholesale changes often follow: cities are renamed, signs are redone, customs are reconsidered, and sometimes even the language is replaced.  So it is with the Holy Spirit.  He works both to secure a new position for believers and a new practice in their lives as well.” 

            Jesus taught his disciples of a master who went into a far country to receive a kingdom.  While he was gone he left his servants with a sizable amount of money and the command, “Engage in business until I come.”  But what kind of business was Jesus talking about, and what does this instruction mean for those of us who serve him today?  In our lives, what does it mean to engage in Kingdom business?

 

            The business to which Jesus called his people was a commerce that would change the world they were invading – not by revolutionary force – but by the spiritual investment made by their master.  He did not simply send empty-handed servants into this foreign land, but invested in the work he sent them to do.  Despite the defeatist attitude taken by many in the church today, God prepares His people to succeed in their endeavors for the Kingdom.

            The investment made in our lives by God is eternal in nature.  It will have effects that last far beyond our own lifetimes.  Events that took place long before I was alive have affected my own spiritual life.  In 1914 a young man named Blair Radaker was saved during a revival service in Middle Run, Pennsylvania.  Blair was my great-grandfather.  He felt God’s call to begin preaching as a teenager and the influence of that ministry was felt for generations to come.  I preach the word of God for the fourth generation because of the investment God made in the life of that teenage boy a hundred years ago.  Blair accepted the invitation God gave him to do the business of the Kingdom and lives continue to be affected because of that investment so many years ago.  Henry Blackaby explained this call, “God’s call is His invitation to invest in eternity by making our lives available to God when He calls and letting God work His eternal purposes through our lives, for God’s glory!”  The lives of many who have come before will affect countless generations through all eternity.  The investments made in Moses and the prophets, the Apostle Paul and the disciples have paid great dividends in the Kingdom of God.

            The investment God has made in these lives – and continues to make in our lives – is not something that limits the success of His work in our lives.  Like the master in the parable of Jesus, God has given us more than we need to do His work.  “A mina is the equivalent of about one hundred days’ wages…Because of exorbitant interest rates in the Greco-Roman world and because only a few had significant capital, those doing business could quickly multiply their investments (Keener).”  The amount of money given to the servants was more than enough to have an immediate impact on the local economy of a poor kingdom.  This is the type of investment God has made in each of us.

            The only thing that limits the work of God in our lives is you and me.  When we doubt His goodness and His power we will never see the fullness of God’s investment of power in us.  The Spirit sent by Christ inhabits our hearts and instills within us the full authority of our King and creates the image of that King in our character.  His blessings bring with them the strength to influence the world that is being invaded by Heaven’s Kingdom.  None of the servants were given minas for their own pleasure, but for the work of God.  Likewise, we are given the blessings of God so that His influence can be felt through each of us by a world that has largely forgotten Him.  Investment was not optional for the servants in the parable, and it is not optional for the servants of God today. 

 

            When you give your money to an accountant for investment what do you expect?  Most of us would not give it to them for safe keeping.  We don’t even put money in the bank for that reason, but we always shop around for the place that will give us the highest interest rate.  We make every effort to expand our investment portfolio and broaden the influence of our money.  We buy shares of businesses so that the money will be taken and used to expand the scope of the business.  Then we will gain from the profit of that expansion.  The investment of God is not that much different.

            The investments of God are given for a specific purpose.  During the time of the Roman Empire it was a common practice for someone of influence to go to the emperor to ask for permission to rule a province or kingdom.   The servants in this parable were sent ahead to influence the people of that place and testify to the people on behalf of their master.  They would influence the lives and economy of that place with what they had been given and provide a preview of the rule of that specific person.  His influence began to expand before he ever arrived.

            The work of God is called to continually grow and expand.  We have never been given instruction to settle and stay where we are, but to continue onward and upward as the influence of heaven works across the earth.  Jesus instructed us, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations…”  The purpose of God’s investment is the same today as it was all those years ago, to see His Kingdom brought from heaven to the hearts of those who are desperate for His holy reign over their lives.  Simple maintenance of what He has given us is never an option, the call is always for expansion as a return on His investment.

 

            God has also called His people to the business of stewardship.  Wrapping money in something perishable like a handkerchief was considered one of the most irresponsible things one could do with it.  This servant believed that as long as he still had the investment when his master returned he would be accepted, and maybe even commended.  This was not the case, the master wanted more.

            One of the greatest hindrances to the work of God is the idea that we can take what He gives us and just hope to maintain.  We have forgotten the purpose of God’s investment, and we have allowed this to happen in the name of stewardship.  If we are honest with ourselves we will admit that much damage has been done in the church over the years under the guise of stewardship.  We take the resources God has provided and save them for presentation the day our master comes back, but when Jesus returns he will not be looking for large bank accounts.  Jesus will want to know what we have done with what he invested in us, and how we have used it to minister to the lost around us.  “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand more (Luke 12:48).”  Dennis Kinlaw said, “The greatest enemies to God in our lives are the gifts and the goods He has given us.  There is where the competition is.”  We must be stewards of these gifts without allowing them to keep us from forging ahead in the work of the Kingdom. 

            As we live in stewardship of this investment we must always remember the gravity of this work to which we are called.  God wants to multiply His work through our stewardship so much that He even commanded us to test Him.  “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need (Mal. 3:10).”  God’s work is carried out on the blessings of the people whom He has called.  It is done through their financial blessings, their time, their efforts and energy.  These things are powered and moved by the greatest blessing of God, the Holy Spirit.  If we will turn our God-given resources over to God’s Spirit and allow Him to work.  This is real stewardship: that we submit to God all that we have.  “We can live our days out in fearful hesitation and second-guessing, or we can ‘let go and let God.’  God’s plan for us is not about who we are and what talents we bring to the table.  It’s about the resources and grace God has promised us (Cymbala).”  This stewardship is not something to be taken lightly.  The way we handle what God gives us will have an effect on eternity.

 

            The business to which we have been called is one that requires accountability.  We will be held accountable on the day that our master returns to collect the interest on his investment.  We understand the expectations that are placed on us by understanding the One who has called us.  This is where the servant erred in the parable of Jesus.  He believed his master to be the kind of man who would condemn him for losing what was entrusted to him, but this misconception caused judgment he had not expected.  Charles Childers explained the situation in The Beacon Bible Commentary:

 

            "The servant represents the man who has allowed a spirit of resentment and bitterness to displace love and loyalty.  He has become a self-appointed judge of his lord’s methods…He also represents the man who thinks that stewardship consists solely in not stealing his lord’s money.  His ‘goodness’ is negative, not positive.  He does no harm (so he thinks), but neither does he do any good.  In reality he is a thief in spite of his illusion of self-righteousness, for in being useless he has robbed his lord of the gain he might have had."

 

            The business we conduct for the Kingdom will be directly affected by our ideas of God.  We must know who He is and what he is like if we are going to stand before Him and answer for the business we have conducted.  Dennis Kinlaw said, “If your concept of God is wrong, the more religion you get, the more dangerous you become to yourself and everyone else.”  Our business is done for one with whom we live in relationship.  We do not follow vague commands, but the instruction of One who we know and love.  It is within this relationship that the work of the Master is done through our lives. 

            Whether or not we acknowledge the fact, we will one day stand before our Master and answer for what we have done with what He has given us.  The master in the parable went to gain permission to rule the kingdom, but he did indeed return.  When he came back he had expectations of what had been done with the funds and investment he left.  This return teaches us of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.  His coming is a fact and cannot be ignored.  “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7)…”  Jesus said, “Then the Son of Man will appear in heaven…and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30).”  The Apostle Paul taught, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God (1 Thess. 4:16)…”  

            The purpose of Christ’s return is for judgment.  When he comes back it will be to see the results of what his servants have done with his investments.  Jesus said in Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me to give to each according to their works.”  Will he find our works worthy of His Kingdom? 

            Leonard Ravenhill reminds us, “God has nothing more to give to this world.  He gave His only begotten Son for sinners; He gave the Bible for all men; He gave the Holy Ghost to convict the world, and equip the Church.  But what good is a checkbook if the checks be unsigned?”  God has provided us with the power to make a difference in the world around us.  But that will require an investment in His Kingdom.  A Kingdom can be costly, requiring financial support as well as time and energy.  It can require great sacrifice at times.  God has called you to conduct the business of such a Kingdom.  How are you conducting that business?  When Jesus comes to gather His people what return will he find on his investment in you?

The Importance of Purity

Revelation 2:18-29

 

            The church of Thyatira was unique among the seven to which Jesus spoke. There is no mention of external opposition to this congregation, but the major threat to their well-being came from within. Though this may seem like something that should have been easily handled by God’s people, we must remember that the most dangerous foe always comes from within. Lillie McCutcheon wrote, “Truth is ever the same. Inward foes of evil cause decay and death more rapidly than outward foes of persecution. The longest letter of the seven is written to this church with the least outward danger.”[1] It is not physical danger that threatens the church most – in that day or this day – but compromise of the integrity of the truth. It is when the attention of God’s people is turned away from Him that we see judgment begin within the ranks of the church. “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God…” (1 Peter 4:17).

            I have been asked to compromise God’s word many times over the course of my short ministry. There are pastors who have been asked to compromise countless times throughout the years. If you were to ask them who most often asks them to do this you would most likely find that these requests come from those who profess to be Christians. I have never been criticized by an atheist for anything except for my belief in God. No atheist has ever criticized the doctrine of holiness of lifestyle. They have never given me much trouble about eschatology or Bible typology. I have received complaints, and even requests to compromise on all of these, but each time those conversations have taken place it has been with people who are a part of the church.

            The world wants God’s people to compromise, we can make no pretense about that fact. But when God’s people turn their attention to worldly things we find that they want compromise and “tolerance” as much as the sinner who is convicted by the Word of God. We live in a day where our secular society does not need to overwhelm the church to defeat her, but simply stands back and watches as God’s people willingly give up the clear teaching of Scripture. Many accept homosexuality today, and some even support the theory of evolution rather than the Biblical account of creation. The tolerance of our day has given free rein to every “Jezebel” that Satan has placed in the midst of God’s people. We accept almost every conceivable form of idolatry because of our need to please the purveyors of political correctness.

            The dangers of this tolerance are embodied in the name of one who had misled the people of God many years before the church of Thyatira was established: Jezebel. “It is improbable that Jezebel was her real name; but she was a Jezebel in character, named in this letter after King Ahab’s wicked wife, who killed the Lord’s prophets, seduced her husband into idolatry, and fed the priests of Baal at her own table.”[2] This woman turned the attention of the people of Old Testament Israel from God to the desires of the world. God’s inspired law ceased to be the standard by which people lived. This is much the same as the church we see today. Rather than looking for direction in God’s word we look to the business models of society. Some look within to their own ideas, while others look to the mega-churches and their methods. The work of Satan was taking place in Thyatira, a church where God’s word had been abandoned in the name of tolerance. People were living by the standard of “understanding” which is little different from what Jesus called the “deep things of Satan.”

            The remedy to such a sickness in the church was established by God through Jesus Christ. It is holiness. When the church returns to God’s word we find a purity in belief and doctrine, a oneness of motive that drives our actions and thoughts. There is no reason the church cannot live with such purity today, except that we do not want it. The church of the modern world, much like the one in Thyatira, would much rather live with the favor of the world than that of God. However, the triumphant church is never a church that bows to political correctness. It is never a church that gives up the word of God for acceptance by any worldly or ecumenical organization. The victorious church is, and always has been, a holy church. The triumphant church does not seek the methods or materials of the world, but the purity that emanates from the heart of God. This is the mark of victory in the church no matter what age or society in which she finds herself.

 

Purity Provides Us a Consistent Vision of God

 

            When so many people are seeking something spiritual, why is it so difficult for them to find God? Though He continually pursues their lost souls it seems like they cannot find their way to Him in the dark. Why is this? It is because the church has compromised the Word that reveals God to man. When we water down the Word we find that God is harder to distinguish from all the idols of the world. God is no longer consistent, unchanging, and infallible when we refuse to live in light of His Word. This is a dangerous God to portray. It affects more than our own lives. It has an impact on the lives of each person who hears our profession of faith and looks to us for some revelation of God. Dennis Kinlaw was right in saying, “If your concept of God is wrong, the more religion you get, the more dangerous you become to yourself and everyone else.”[3]

            Despite popular opinion, it is not tolerance of acceptance we must show the world around us. It is God! It is His holiness and purity shining through the Christian life that fulfills the Scripture that says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). We have never been given the charge to define God for ourselves, or in light of our culture. We have only the call to lift up Jesus Christ as He is revealed to us in Scripture. Some Christians like to say, “my god would never judge anyone, condemn anyone, or even become angry with sin.” But to worship “my god” is nothing more than idolatry. We commanded to worship “the God”, creator of heaven and earth, not some distant figure of our fallen imagination. Without purity and holiness we cannot even find consistency in our vision of God.

            The consequences of wrong ideas about God go even further. Without purity in our pursuit of Him we can never really know what we are following. Some Christians follow those who preach and teach the prosperity gospel and find themselves chasing worldly things rather than their Heavenly God. Jesus told us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). It is when our heart is taken by love for God that we are willing to devote ourselves to His Word and truly seek His face. Our motives cannot be defiled by any other pursuit or interest but God’s will. This is how He is revealed to a fallen world. God’s people seek Him to such an extent that His character of holiness becomes a part of them. The world sees a very distinct God working through their lives as He transforms their lives, and conforms them to His holiness. This defines God for them. It is when the Word is not simply a living and active entity in theory, but living and active in our lives. It is only the uncompromised Word of God that gives us clarity on who He is.

 

Purity Averts God’s Judgment

 

            The doctrinal impurity in Thyatira would have wreaked havoc in the church. Jesus told them that if there were no repentance he would cast this woman onto her sickbed, and her children also. This is a reference to those who followed her teaching and had become her spiritual children. Teaching what is false about God is without a doubt a serious offense. It is one that needs to be understood by all who teach and preach. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1). The tolerance of false doctrine not only affected the lives of those who promoted it, but also those who heard the teaching.

            Ultimately, false teaching would affect the entirety of the church. When it is allowed to spread it works like a cancer metastasizing within the body. It grows to the point that it will eventually overtake the body. Eventually some of those who follow this false teaching would become leaders, and make decisions that would affect the church and her witness to the world. People would begin to be a part of the church because of the attractiveness of what is false. They would seek any number of things, but the Kingdom of God would no longer be one of them as this teaching overtook the church.

            This Jezebel-like spirit continues to affect the church today. “This is the real Jezebel – the spirit of tolerance and compromise, one we have allowed to infiltrate the Church rendering her impotent of all spiritual life, and diverting her energy into carnal pursuits, rather than advancing the Kingdom we are supposed to love.”[4]  Jesus told us that if we love Him we will “keep His commands” (John 14:15). We often claim a love for Christ, but tolerate things that are contrary to His commands.

            This tolerance, if allowed to continue, will surely bring about the judgment of God. The Apostle Paul wrote about this judgment:

 

            "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth…For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but became futile in their thinking, and their foolish   hearts were darkened…Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity…And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased   mind to do what ought not to be done (Rom. 1:18, 21, 26, 28)."

 

            When we turn our hearts from God, He will not simply strike us dead, but will give us up to our own desires. He will allow us to pursue our worldly passions, and turn us back over to the sin-cursed world. The same is true for the church. God will not allow the church to live under His power, or experience His presence when they have turned from Him. Holiness is not an optional addition to our faith, as some believe today. It is absolutely necessary for the church if she is to live in the favor of God. Without holiness “no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). And without holiness no one will escape the judgment of the Lord. “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Heb. 2:3).

 

Purity Helps Us Understand Repentance

 

            Purity also does more than keep us from judgment. It also helps us to understand what it means to repent from our former lives so that we may walk with God. We seem to have lost sight of the truth in the modern church, but the call of Jesus remains: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). It seems that one of the first things we compromise when we turn from the truth is the need to repent, and change our lifestyle from a worldly one to a godly one. To repent is literally to turn from what we were facing, and to face in another direction. Without a consistent doctrine that reveals God to us we may find ourselves following any number of worldly things. That is why doctrine remains so important. That is where we define the God to with whom we are called to walk.

            Repentance is more than turning away from sin. It is also turning to God. It means that we look through all the distractions of the world to see the heavenly prize before us. Our lifestyle becomes one that seeks God above all else. A life that emulates His character and is marked by a love for Him. This is why purity and holiness are so important. This Jezebel about whom Jesus speaks taught people to eat what was sacrificed to idols. She set an example that taught acceptance of the pagan worship of their time. Such an example can never lead us to a Holy God. It will only hide His face from us. Doctrine has always – and will always – dictate the direction we face. Based on the purity, or lack thereof, of what we teach, we will either face God, or the world. There is no third option.

 

Purity Defines Authority for Us

 

            Purity in doctrine does not simply tell us how to live as a part of the church. It outlines for us the way the church is supposed to work as it submits to God’s will. We live in a society that does not like authority. In fact, we have much less respect for authority than generations that have come before, but this popular opinion does not exempt us from submission to God’s authority, and that which He puts in place. Many churches around the world (and especially in America) take it upon themselves to establish authority in any way they would like. This, however, is not the way God establishes authority. He does not do it according to the methods of the world, He does not take a vote, and He does not poll public opinion. He establishes it through His Word. He speaks His Word through those whom He wishes to influence His people. He uses those who submit to His will. Watchman Nee commented, “Spiritual authority does not come through man’s attainment. Rather, it comes through God’s selection. Spiritual matters are entirely different from worldly principles.”[5]

            God does not put those in leadership who are the best business men, the most educated, or even the most respected. He uses people who will submit to His will no matter how unlikely it may be. God used Moses to part the Red Sea. He told Elijah to proclaim that the rain would cease. Even Jesus came to earth and modeled a life of submission to the authority of God the Father. Why should we expect any different in the church today? The Acts of the Apostles gives us an example of the act of sending someone into ministry to do God’s work. “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2, 3).

            False doctrine opens the door to many kinds of false authority. It allows man to turn from God in pursuit of his own work and ways. It outlines for us the authority that is established by God so that as we submit, we see the work of our King take place through our lives. It is imperative that we measure authority by Scripture alone if this is to happen. If we are to see God’s work and hear God’s message through leaders, it will be when Scripture defines their authority and position.

            The message of Jezebel may have attracted untold masses to the church, but it was not a message of authority. There are many modern-day teachers and preachers who teach the same compromising doctrines. Their churches are large, but God does not dwell among them. It is only a message from God that has the power to transform lives and impact the soul. We find such messages unpopular at times, but we must heed the Word of God nonetheless. There are days we leave worship services thinking, “I can’t believe my pastor said that,” but if what was said is biblical there is no room for complaint. Many church could grow to great numbers if we were willing to teach the doctrine of Jezebel and compromise God’s Word, but that is not the triumphant church that overcomes opposition and rules over the nations. That is not the church that has come face to face with the Morning Star, Jesus Christ. The message may not make us comfortable, and sometimes may actually make us mad, but when God speaks it is important for His people to listen, realizing that this message comes with authority.

 

            "Theodore Epp, founder of Back to the Bible radio ministry, realized something was wrong when he stopped receiving critical mail. Convicted that he was not challenging the flock enough, he changed his preaching. “I’m afraid that when I’m pleasing everybody, I’m not pleasing the Lord,” he later said, “and pleasing the Lord is what counts.”[6]

 

            We must realize that God’s Word, even as it is spoken by teachers and preachers, carries with it the full authority of heaven. “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20, 21). The criteria for a message is Scripture. If it conforms to what the Bible teaches, it is a message from God – even if it is sometimes proclaimed in a way that offends or upsets us. Our happiness or comfort can never be the measuring rod against which we judge the Word. There are thousands of Jezebels among us teaching people what they want to hear, but there is only one God, and His message, if applied, will change our lives. This is the Word that sustains us, and brings us into an ever-growing relationship with God. What the church needs today is not another program or gimmick, but the unfettered Word of God. It will not be accepted by the word, or even all those who claim to be the church, but it will bring us into fellowship with God.

 

            The world tells us that everything is relative; that there is no definite truth. Society continually draws us toward compromise of the principles God has set forth for us. But it is the voice of the Spirit speaking to the churches that leads us into God’s presence. It is a voice that calls us to purity; a voice that calls us to holiness; a voice that calls us out of the sin and darkness of the world. The triumphant church listens to such a voice today. He who has ears, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

---

[1] McCutcheon, the symbols speak (25)

[2] F.G. Smith, revelation explained (53)

[3] Kinlaw, the mind of Christ (27)

[4] David Ravenhill, the Jesus letters (112)

[5] Watchman Nee, Submission and Authority (29)

[6] Colson, The body (121)

What Do We Value?

One of the most prominent topics in the church today is leadership.  We have all kinds of ideas about what we expect from leaders.  What kind of character they should possess, and what kind of training they should have.  We go to seminars and read books and articles about it.  There are hundreds of lists of the traits that we must develop in leaders if the church is to be successful.  As I read these lists its seems that I continually find one trait that is left out: Holiness.

Titus 1:8 tells us that and "elder" must be HOLY.  Paul also gave this instruction to Timothy in regards to leaders (1 Tim. 3:10).  The trend that continues within the church is that we look to the world to see how leaders should be developed, and how they should act.  I have taken college courses on church leadership where the textbooks are secular.  Every chance we get we seem to want to act like the world.

What happened to the standards that God set in place for leaders?  Where is the requirement of holiness?  It seems like the church is more worried about the talents that people possess than we are about the holy life that they live.  Here is my contention:  If we live the lifestyle taught in the Bible God will empower us to be the leaders we need to be.  Is it possible that trying to develop leaders in worldly ways is a misplaced priority in the church?  Is it possible that by not focusing on holiness (without which no man will see the Lord) we are wasting our time on peripheral things?

The Necessity of Fellowship

"Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."  -Genesis 2:18

Adam was the pinnacle of God's creation.  Created in the very image of a holy God.  He lived in the place that God had created for him and lived in harmony and fellowship with God.  In spite of all this, God still saw a need for man to have someone else.  Someone with whom he could share his joys and all the things of life.  God created man with a need for fellowship.

So often I hear people say, "I don't need to go to church to be a Christian." Where does this idea come from?  What makes us think that we do not need relationships with the people of God?  God had looked at all that He had created and proclaimed it to be good.  But for man there was something even better.  It was a relationship with others.  It was fellowship.

We sometimes look at fellowship as simply having a meal together or spending a little bit of time together.  It is so much more.  God created us to share with one another our joys and our burdens.  Our sorrows, trials and triumphs.  God has put us all here together to pursue Him alongside of each other.  We are not alone as we seek to know Him.  We are always accompanied by other people who are in pursuit of the holiness of God just as we are.  Too much of the Christianity of our day is focused on "what God can do for me" and not living in a fellowship of holiness together.  As I search Scripture for the meaning of the fellowship that God has given us, I become increasingly convinced that it is so much more than what we often experience.  God has placed us here so that we might experience holiness together.

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another..." -1 John 1:7