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.

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[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)

The Church Grows In the Word

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

 

Church growth is a hot topic within the world of Christianity today.  As many congregations decline in size pastors and laity alike continue to search for answers.  Why do we struggle in this postmodern world?  What is keeping people away from the church?  Why have we lost our influence and authority in this nation?  We commission market studies and research to help us find the methods that will attract people and convince them to join our ranks.  Local congregations of our day will seemingly try any method or program that might bring the masses to them. 

 

Sometimes, as I read books about methods and programs, I wonder where we find all this in Scripture.  If the church described in the book of Acts is our model then why do we not follow their example?  Have we considered the fact that with all of our modern innovations, and our life on the “cutting edge” of ministry we are failing miserably while that small band of fishermen so many years ago set the world on fire?  Those men and women of the early church turned a pagan world upside down.  Their influence was so great that the pagan government of the time could not help but stand up and take notice of the work that God was doing among them.  Where is that power today?  Why do we not see such a work?  Even churches that are growing tremendously do not see the power of God at work within them like the apostolic church. 

 

There are many differences we could point out between that church and the church of our day, but we would be better served to look at what drove their ministry, and where their attention was focused.  They were not looking at the most recent sociological studies, but at the Word of God.  Acts 6:7 tells us that the number of disciples grew as the Word of God INCREASED.  With each passing day the doctrines and teaching of Christ became more prominent in their lives and within the church.  “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching [doctrine] and the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).”  These were people who desperately wanted to know Christ through His teaching.  They wanted to make Him, and His work, the object of their being.  The talked about doctrine with one another, and lived it in everything they did.  For the early church, things like sanctification and holiness were more than simply a theory, or an exercise in intellectual gymnastics.  These teachings were a way of life and a part of their very being.  For them, to know Christ was to learn of Him through His work in their lives.  To understand what He taught and did among them.

 

For many among the church in this day, doctrine is not longer a matter of importance.  People are continually telling us that doctrine does not matter as long as people are getting saved.  We allow any number of heresies (and we need to call them what they are) to be spread throughout the church as long as a few more people show up this Sunday than last.  Those who desire to stay true to the Word of God are accused of loving doctrine more than Jesus.  To briefly consider things like this shows the fallacy on which they are founded. 

 

Doctrine simply means teaching.  A doctrine is something that Scripture teaches us.  If Jesus Christ embodied the truth of God (John 14:6) then what He did and taught are doctrine.  Jesus’ work and teaching cannot – and should not – be separated.  To love Jesus is to love His teaching, and therefore, to love doctrine because it is an explanation of His Holy character, and teaches us the truth behind the works that He did.  The apostles looked at the teaching and work of Christ in this way.  In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began TO DO AND TEACH… (Acts 1:1)”  In their minds, to do the work of Christ was to live the doctrine of Christ.  That Is why John wrote, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the TEACHING OF CHRIST, does not have God.  Whoever abides IN THE TEACHING has both the Father and the Son (2 John 1:9).”  One cannot and does not truly know and love Jesus Christ without continually gaining an understanding of doctrine.

 

While considering the importance of doctrine in our personal lives, we cannot forget its importance in the church.  The church was multiplied only as the Word of God increased.  As it was taught and took a position of prominence.  As Jesus’ teachings were passed on to the disciples who followed the lives around them were touched and even changed.  They were changed because this doctrine, and this Word are not without power.  “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).”  The apostolic church did not simply teach a theory or a method.  They lived in submission to God and allowed His Word and His Truth to live in them.  They did not work to explain it away, or to excuse themselves from its commands, but they taught and understood it so that Jesus Christ (the Truth) would become a part of their innermost being.  So that it was Christ who lived through them. 

 

The power contained in the doctrine of the Word is why they worked so hard to maintain purity in their teaching.  If the doctrine taught by Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit multiplied the number of disciples, false doctrine – and those who promoted it - would be the greatest threat to the young church.  John wrote to the church, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [doctrine], do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works (2 John 10, 11).”  Have you ever thought about how much we have changed since those days?  We have gone from not even greeting one who bears false teaching to promoting them to the highest positions of leadership because their “gifts” are more important than their beliefs.  Jesus Christ Himself even rebuked this false teaching in His letter to the Church of Thyatira:  “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants… (Rev. 2:20)”  The truth is that there is no place in all of Scripture that condones false doctrine.  But beyond that fact is the truth that there is no verse anywhere that teaches us that doctrine is not important.  In fact, most of the epistles give some type of instruction to seek the Truth. 

 

By continuing to look away from God and to things of the world for direction, the church is missing the power that is available to her.  We continue to suffer from our power outage as we seek the ways of the world, and try everything in our power to win souls.  We try in vain because soul winning and discipleship are not in our power.  Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches us that Christianity is “not something that we take up or put down, but something that God does in our lives.”  When His Word moves in our lives discipleship takes place.  When the Word becomes a part of us outreach takes place.  “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself (John 14:32).”  It seems that we are making the commission given to us by Jesus Christ much more difficult than it should be.  We are not called to come up with slick marketing strategies and ingenious ploys.  We are simply called to submit to God and allow His Spirit to work through us. 

 

The need of the world today is not another program.  The need of the church is not more organization and structure.  The need is the power of the Spirit of God working through the Word of God.  As the world closes in all around us, what the church needs – and what the world needs – are preachers and teachers who take doctrine seriously.  We need those who, as the Old Testament prophets, can boldly proclaim, “The Word of the Lord came to me.”  The church needs those who will not compromise this Word for all the wealth of the world or the favor of its people.  A.W. Tozer once wrote, “I do not know what the future holds.  But I know one thing: Rather than betray the sheep of God, rather than lie to them and deceive them and keep them agitated and stirred up with all kinds of popular topics; rather than take my material from Time magazine, I’ll preach the Word to empty seats and sigh and cry for the abomination that is in the earth.” 

 

It is not an easy task to hold true to the doctrine of God’s Word.  It will bring criticism and skepticism, but in the end, it is the truth that will set people free.  The church has been entrusted to teach and proclaim the Word of God.  And we are told that it will not be popular.  “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matt. 10:22).”  James Earl Massey speaks of the difficulty of holding true to the Word in his book Stewards of the Story, “A trustworthy stewardship as preachers demands courage to preach in these times when religious pluralism influences the public mind and postmodernism has emboldened many to question our message and the necessity of our work.”

 

The call to hold to the doctrines of Scripture is not always easy, and is seldom popular.  But it is our charge nonetheless.  The book of Acts gives us an example of a viable, growing church.  It is a church where doctrine was not only important, but imperative.  If we are to “be the church,” we must hold to the doctrine that has been entrusted to the church.  If we are to experience a renewal of God’s works and power in this day when the world pulls us in a thousand different directions, it will be when doctrine once again becomes a priority in the church.

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No Apologies

I read an article a few weeks ago that was written by a Nazarene preacher.  He was lamenting the fact that we are so often apologetic about holiness.  People ask us what we believe and we tell them as if we're sorry for it.  We try to avoid the fact that Scripture does not condone sin in any form.  We do everything we can to keep from having to teach that we must live a sanctified life.  We don't want to have to tell people that God has called us to be holy.

My new year's resolution for this year is to teach the truth of the Bible (yes, we must be holy) without making apology for it (Not that I've ever been accused of apologizing).  I am well aware that those who are living in sin can't stand the idea that God has called us to live above sin and made provision for us to do so through Jesus Christ.  I know that they call those who teach that truth arrogant and prideful.  I make no pretense about the fact that the church culture of our day looks down on those who endeavor to live "in the Spirit." 

Since when did those people set the standard?  When did the truth of the Word of God become contingent on whether or not we like it, or agree with it?  The culture may be changing around us.  We know that the culture within the church has changed.  We like to water things down to the point that nobody really knows what we stand for.  Doctrinal teaching may or may not drive people away (I'll never be convinced that it does), but the truth is still the truth.  The words that have been inspired by our Holy God are still our sustenance.  They still keep us and for that fact we should make no apology.

Expectations

I have nothing original or new to post this week, but I'd be interested to hear some thoughts on a quote that I've been thinking about for a few days. It is from A.W. Tozer's book, "Reclaiming Christianity."

"As God's people, you have every scriptural right to demand that you hear the Word in power, and if you do not hear the Word in power, you have a right to rise up and ask why. If you are hearing nothing but teaching, nothing but instruction, with no evidence of God in it, and the preacher cannot say, "I appeal to God" to say whether this is true or not; if this cannot be, then you have a right to demand that somebody preach that can. On the other hand, every man who stands in a pulpit to preach has a right to expect that the congregation believe in power and are so close to God, so surrendered, so full of faith and so prayerful that the Word of God can work in power."

Buying the Truth

Proverbs 23:23 says, "Buy the truth and do not sell it. Also wisdom, instruction, and understanding (NKJV)." While the Bible teaches us that God has revealed truth, and it is there for us to see we continue to wait for a mandate from above. People within the church wait for their colleges, or their leaders to tell them what they should believe. We seem to have come to a point where we expect those who are "enlightened" to share with us what they think we need to do. That is not the case.

We talk a lot about the church "being the church." If we are going to be the church it will be because we have made the necessary sacrifice to "buy the truth." Not "a" truth, but "the" one truth of God, revealed to us in His Holy Word. Throughout history the church has been the church when people have been willing to do this. It is when government type bureaucracy runs the church that it has seen problems. The apostolic church was not mandated by any government. It was not ruled by man. It was composed of people who had bought, and seen, and experienced the Truth.

I would suggest that the church is in trouble. We will not climb out of the whole in which we find ourselves until we ignore the man-made creedal statements, the liberal emerging-church type propaganda, the idea that others will tell us what God's Word means, and all of the other things that take the focus off of Scripture. We must buy the truth no matter what the cost. The church will stand when it's foundation in in the Word of God.