When a professed sinner behaves as a
sinner, we should not be surprised; grieved for sure, but not surprised. But when those who profess to belong to
Christ live according to the world’s sinful pattern, we should be shocked and
grieved. Yet for many it has become the normal pattern of “Christian”
life. Many professing Christians are
living in the world instead of the kingdom of God. I would like to take a look
at two “churches” that are active today.
I realize we cannot point out individual congregations as being in one
category or another. We should never
try. Just as God’s true church is made
up of all born-again believers from every nation and every generation, so is
the church of man. Let’s look at them
both to bring it to a personal level and determine in which we as individuals
have our membership.
THE
CHURCH OF MAN
– I have read accounts of the “great awakenings” and revivals in the 1700’s,
1800’s and early to mid 1900’s. In recounting their experiences, several of the
revivalists noted a common problem. Many of the old established churches were
the root of the greatest opposition to what God was doing. I saw that
personally in the 1970’s. It seems some churches had left their first love and were
carrying on in the power of man. There was no evidence of the work of the Holy
Spirit among them. They, like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day had exchanged the power
of the Holy Spirit for the traditions of men.
Jesus said, “so you nullify the [authority of the] word of God [acting
as if it did not apply] because of your tradition which you have handed down
[through the elders]. And you do many things such as that.” (Mark 7:13, Amplified) They were so
accustomed to their false religion that when the real came, they thought it was
false and rejected Jesus. What about our day? Have we not done the same? We
need to examine our beliefs in light of Scripture, not traditions. Be careful
what you accept as truth. Know the Word
of God and follow it. The church of man
has attempted to lower the standards of God’s Word and limit the power of the
Holy Spirit. But God’s standards, commandments and teachings cannot be lowered
or His Spirit limited.
I heard a
message from a pastor who spoke passionately for the church to return to the
teachings of Jesus. His heart was broken
because the church has stood by and said nothing as the Word of God has been
compromised. Church leaders have lowered the standards to allow what Jesus does
not allow, and they have had no resistance in doing so in most cases. Jesus
never compromised truth. He did not run after the rich young ruler who wouldn’t
submit to the cost of discipleship. Yet no one loved him more than Jesus. Jesus
laid down His life for that young man, but He did not make an exception to
allow Him to enter the kingdom of God without full surrender because the
kingdom of God is a place of full obedience to the will of God. Jesus has not
changed, but the church has. It is not only a matter of allowing what Jesus
condemns, but of not doing what Jesus gave us power to do. It is alarming to
see that much of the church has evolved into a powerless, sin-ridden
organization devoid of the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Where is our
brokenness and repentance for what we have lost?
The church of
man convenes to rethink the commandments, judgments and teachings of Jesus so
they can keep the Word of God updated and in step with our culture. Instead of
changing the world, they attempt to change the Word. But God’s Word is
timeless, just as God Himself. It never changes. “All flesh is as grass, and all the
glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower
falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to
you.” (1 Peter 1:24-25) Who are we to take the Word of God to task, and try to
adjust His words to be politically correct for our times rather than standing
firm on the permanence of God’s commands? We are here but a moment. God has
always been and always will be. Yet the church has reestablished itself on the
foundation of human wisdom and a changing world rather than the truth of God’s
enduring Word and the power of His unchanging Spirit. The church of man is very
tolerant of those who practice what God says is sin and, in fact, takes pride
in its alliance with the world. It has a full house of compromised Christians with
no spiritual power. It is a religion strong in number that soothes the conscience
of those who profess Christ with their mouths but continue in ungodly lives.
There are no uncomfortable conditions of discipleship in this religion. Every
person is free to do as they please with the leaders’ guarantee of their place
in heaven. They have made their gospel so soft and cheap that when the real
gospel of truth is spoken, they draw back and say that surely God would not
expect that of anyone. They are like the crowds in Jesus’ day who said, “This
is a hard saying” and quit following Him. When we read the Bible as it is, we
find that Jesus never side-stepped issues of truth. They are too important to water down. Why do
they try to change God’s Word? To make
it easier to gain members, to allow for worldly pleasure, to avoid persecution
and to create a sense of assurance of heaven, among others.
Religion runs
deep, but the true character and authority of Christ are missing from the
church of man. Many moral doctrines are
taught but there is no regeneration to transport its members into the kingdom
of God. The church of man is void of the
presence of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and the conviction of sin that
accompanies the Spirit’s moving in both saint and sinner. It offers a neatly
packaged religion that assures you of a home in heaven, no problems or
difficulties on earth, and no need to abandon your worldly pleasures and sinful
lifestyle. It allows one foot in the
kingdom and one in the world. It is a
dangerous place to be because it is false.
It is an organization of man with no power and no life. God does not accept such doctrines.
Many believe we
are okay as long as we are sincere in what we believe. That is not true. We are not right with God until we are born
again and surrender to Him. We cannot enter the kingdom of God by joining a
church, observing the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, turning over
a new leaf, paying tithes, giving to religious causes or any other works. Those
are all good things to do, but they will not save us. If they could, there
would have been no need for Jesus to die for us.
The church of
man is an apostate church. They have abandoned the faith of Jesus Christ and
created a church instituted by man for man. It is not the true church. They
have left behind the genuine foundation, leading many to spiritual ruin and
destruction. The Apostle Paul wrote to
Timothy about such a ‘church’ in the last days.
“Holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have
denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from
them.” (2 Timothy 3:5, Amplified) When
we deny the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from sin, the power of God’s Spirit
and His grace to make us a new creation and to empower us to walk in the
footsteps of Jesus, we are turning our backs on our only hope of entering into
the kingdom of God. There must be a
regeneration, and only Jesus can accomplish that. Then, on our part there must
be a full surrender to Jesus, leaving this world behind us.
1 Corinthians
6:9-10 tells us clearly that practicing sin will keep us from the kingdom of
God. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God.”
Are you free to practice
these things? Yes! But the consequence is not worth it. God will not change His
commandments for any of us. He has not
only made a provision to cleanse us from sin, but to deliver us from it, too. It
was with great love and sacrifice that God made that provision. Those who
refuse His sacrifice and continue to practice sin (make it their lifestyle) are
allied with this world. They are the enemies of God. If we are to live in the
kingdom of God, we have to let go of our former love and live true to Jesus. “You
adulteresses [disloyal sinners – flirting with the world and breaking your vow
to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is loving the
things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of
the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4, Amplified) When we read such passages of Scripture, we
tend to skim over them and think we are better than that, so it doesn’t apply
to us. We consider our good qualities and say, “God wouldn’t keep me out of His
kingdom.” But we keep ourselves out if
we are not living in obedience to His Spirit and Word. God is a God of love and
comfort, but He is also a God of wrath against all ungodliness and sin. We
decide which side we will be on. If we align ourselves with sin and live
according to this world’s dictates, we set ourselves against God as His
enemy. We don’t have to do that!
The power of God
is available to change us from sinner to saint, from an enemy of God to His
child; but we must abandon ourselves to Jesus.
He will accept no less. He does
not accept membership from a manmade religion. Search your heart and the Word
of God. Don’t compare yourself with
other people, it may give you false security and make you seem to be a pretty
good person. Compare yourself with Jesus
and His teachings. Are you sure you are
in His church? The church of man gives false hope. Wake up before it is too late, and listen to
the voice of Jesus calling you away from the world, into His kingdom.
THE
CHURCH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST – This church is made up of people who
have acknowledged their utterly sinful state in contrast to the holiness of
God. They recognize they are hopeless on their own merits, but have accepted
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to make them righteous. The conviction of their sinfulness
has thrown them on the mercy of God and has brought about true repentance and
remission of their sins. They are like Isaiah. When he stood in the presence of
God his hopelessness was overwhelmingly evident, and he cried out, “Woe is me!
For I am ruined.” He had no way to purify himself. He confessed his sinful
state in the presence of God and an angel was sent with a coal off the altar to
cleanse Him.
Our “coal from
the altar” is the blood of Jesus Christ. He is the only hope we have to be
cleansed and to appear righteous before God. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot change ourselves. We cannot please God in our flesh. We must be
born again. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He said, “Most assuredly,
I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.” (John 3:3, NKJV) What? Did Jesus
realize who He was talking to? Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a teacher of the Law
of God. He was about as holy as you could get. Was he not allowed into the kingdom
of God? No! Not in his present condition. Our natural, fleshly self cannot
enter the kingdom of God. It is a friend of the world. We must be transformed
from the sin nature of mankind to the righteous nature of God. It is a
spiritual transaction that takes place. John G. Lake said, “the secret of
Christianity is not in doing. The secret
is in being. Real Christianity is in
being a possessor of the nature of Jesus Christ.” Through the blood of Jesus,
our penalty has been paid, but we must accept it and be born again. Then we
leave the world behind and surrender ourselves to follow this new nature, the
nature of God. We begin to grow from our
infancy of the new birth into men and women of the kingdom. Born again believers live and move and have
their being (existence) in Christ. They live
in His presence and grow more like Jesus every day, exhibiting His character,
power and authority. The world is of little interest to them, not because they
have a duty to leave it behind, but because they have found a greater, lasting
joy. This world pales in comparison to the revelation of Jesus Christ in their
lives. They have been raised in newness of life in Christ.
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of
God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
(Colossians 3:1-2, NKJV) Those in the true Church seek the heavenly things and
find them. They have their eyes
enlightened by the Holy Spirit. “But as it is written: “Eye
has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things
which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God
has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit
searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” (1Corinthians 2:9-10) Their understanding comes from the Spirit
of God, not man’s intellect. They understand God’s Word and His ways because
they are taught by His Spirit and led by His Spirit.
The true Church
seeks to have the vision of Christ, His compassion for the lost, and His power
and authority. They do not follow the path of the world. They have no desire
for it. They overcome the world because they are born of God. “For whatever is born of God overcomes
the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our
faith.” (1 John 5:4) They
overcome the pull of the world because of the Spirit of God within them, not by
the strength of man. The grace of God is
at work in them; the Divine influence in their hearts, changing them more and
more like their Master. They have a zeal for the presence of God. This
transformation flows out of their lives as a witness to the world. “And they
overcame and conquered him” [Satan, the accuser of the brethren]
“because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony,
for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when
faced with death.”
You might say,
“What powerful people!” Yes they are, but they are not powerful in themselves.
It is only by the power of God within them. They are not proud or arrogant. They
are keenly aware that without Jesus they are nothing! They want to do nothing
outside of Him. And with Him, they can do anything. They are ordinary earthen vessels, but filled
with the glory, power and character of God. If the world can see an example in
the lives of those in the true Church, their eyes will be opened to believe in
His love and glory. The world has seen so much from the church of man, that
they do not believe Christ. But if we are living, shining examples of truth and
power, we can make a difference in the world, showing them there is hope and
transforming power in the new birth.
The true Church
follows the teachings of Jesus, and is living from the new nature, the nature
of God. The closer they come to Jesus,
the less the world appeals to them. But they also know that those who live
godly will suffer persecution. They know
the world will not love them and the church of man will oppose them. Jesus
didn’t hide anything. He said, “If you
belonged to the world, the world would love [you as] its own and would treat
you with affection. But you are not of
the world [you no longer belong to it], but I have chosen you out of the world.
And because of this the world hates you.” (John 15:19, Amplified) Yet we are
left in this world to be light in the darkness and examples of the work of God
in these earthen vessels. We are living witnesses of the miracle of the new
birth! Jesus has given us everything we need to be overcomers. Are we living up to our full potential in His
Spirit? Are we members of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Once again, please
note that I speak of the church at large, both false and true. I would never attempt to label local churches
or denominations as one or the other of these two categories because there may
be a mixture of members in each local congregation as was the case in the
church at Sardis. Jesus said to them, “I know your works, that you have a name
that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the
things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works
perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard;
hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come
upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon
you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have
not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for
they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments,
and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I
will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” (Revelation 3:2-5)
The point is to narrow down our focus to the
individual. You and me. Which church holds our membership? Are we a member of God’s kingdom or the
church of man? We need to examine ourselves according to the Word of God and
allow God to change us into His image more and more every day. If we do not
have a consistent personal encounter with Christ, we are not alive in the
Spirit. It may appear on the outside that we belong to Christ, but Jesus knows
His own, and those who are imposters. Consider this parable of Jesus’.
“Another parable He put forth to them,
saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his
field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat
and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop,
then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said
to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have
tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to
him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No,
lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with
them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest
I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in
bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matthew
13:24-30)
The enemy,
Satan, has successfully sown evil seeds among the good. So the wheat and tares
grow together. But the day will come
when the tares will go into everlasting torment and the wheat into eternal life
in the kingdom of God. Make certain you
know which church you belong to while the grace and mercy of God is still being
extended. One day it will be too late. Don’t wait.
