Here is a wonderful truth that we see throughout all of the Lord’s teachings and the rest of the entire word. It is a consistent truth that is exhibited so well in one incident recorded in Acts. As I was reading this morning I was compelled to share it.
We know that Bible prophecy declares that as time goes on awaiting the return of the Lord, the world declines becoming more ungodly and the “church” follows suit (as in the days of Noah). God is always gathering His own but in the midst of that, tares settle in with the wheat, or, birds lodge in the branches of the mustard tree, and there is a woman working leaven (always means sin and deception) into the lump of bread (the lump of bread being the church).
One of the most prevalent ways this is done especially today is through a gradual dismantling of the true gospel. The only gospel that saves. Paul’s dealings with Felix in Acts exemplifies this truth.
Today, in general, it is unsavory to speak of the sin nature of man and his need for repentance leading to salvation. Instead, teachers are overwhelmingly assuming that a softer truth will serve us better and more gently reach the lost. But it is a theme found nowhere in the word of God, but everywhere in our churches today.
Most think we can love people into the Kingdom of God. That we can reach the lost by telling them how much God loves them. Here is why this doesn’t work:
Jesus told the disciples to “go and preach repentance for the remission of sins”. He never said that we should go and love others into the Kingdom. The love of God is only known to the repentant. The true love of God first preaches repentance and the remission of sins, but always in the most loving and lovely way. The loveliness of Paul’s dealings with Felix is a perfect example. It is not soft…but lovely. Where this truth is absent, so is the love of God absent. God loves the world , yes, so much so that He gave His only begotten Son to die. But in order to truly enter in to that love, sin has to be gotten out of the way. In other words, sin must be dealt with in order to know God’s love. So the first order of business when reaching the lost is to deal with and express our sin nature and the remedy for it. Only then can the love of God be poured forth by His Spirit into the heart of the redeemed! Look at the parable of the man trying to get into the wedding without a wedding garment. He has come in another way! He has not addressed sin and been covered by His blood!
I’m fascinated by Paul’s parallel life to Jesus’ (which the word says should also be ours). It’s fun to study it. Well, when he was taken to stand before Felix to plead his innocence, look what he said. Can we see that a primary reason that the Holy Spirit sent Paul to Felix was in order to save that which is lost, and then to spend the rest of his life writing the epistles, expounding , unpacking the gospel? but Felix declined the invitation. Paul didn’t butter Felix up at all. He immediately gave him the gospel, Felix trembled and sent Paul away.
The scriptures say that Paul spoke of the resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. Then later he reasoned with Felix in these areas and in this order, 1-of righteousness, 2-of temperance (self-control) and 3- of the judgement to come. Felix trembled and refused. In other words, the Holy Spirit brought conviction of sin which made him tremble, but there was no repentance. God goes to everyone, even when He knows they are not His…they are not sheep because they do not hear His voice. But He gives all the choice.
The word tells us that every conscience knows it is a sinner (Romans 1-2). The word says that if a man says he has not sinned he makes Him a liar (1 John); so every heart created has the knowledge that he is a sinner and in need of salvation…which causes him to want a remedy.
If we as a church come to the lost and say that there is another way into the Kingdom, over the wall, or in any other way, then the lost heart knows it is not true. He knows first and foremost that he is a sinner and needs a remedy. Lavishing love upon him won’t do it. We must lead them in through the Gate, that is Jesus. He is the only way in.
Jesus warned us of this. He showed us that deceivers will bring softer, more palatable “truths” to the world. He said, “Don’t think I came to bring peace, but a sword and fire, and how I wish it were already kindled!” We are to love peace and to be peaceable ourselves, but if we expect peace here, we are expecting something Jesus said will not come, until He returns. The false church is teaching that by being peaceful and loving, we will usher in the Kingdom and save all men. Jesus taught the opposite and was ruthless to those religious leaders who muddled God’s truth. He said there will be no peace until He comes and brings it. We cannot usher in world peace and salvation (the zealots thought this and were wrong). This is a Kingdom now doctrine and is priming many to follow antichrist. The appetites are being primed for exactly what antichrist will offer. It is a great deception, and all because of a misunderstanding and muddling of last day prophecy. Remember that Israel (as a nation) did not know prophecy either. That is why they missed Christ’s appearance.
Interestingly, in Revelation, those who will fall for anti-christ will be the very ones who are just looking for peace. They like soft things, only pleasant things. The church’s sins parallel Israel’s in astounding ways. The Israelites who refused to listen to Jeremiah and the other prophets, who were exhorting them to repent and go into Babylon, just wanted peace! Don’t give us this conviction stuff. They followed false gods, one’s that did not mention sin or anything harsh. But they were false. And they hated Jeremiah because he had hard truth to save them. The false prophets were teaching “peace, peace, when there was no peace”. Why? the scriptures say they were deceptive and light, preaching peace when there was no peace, because they wanted to be liked…approved of by man. Isaiah calls them dumb dogs that cannot bark to warn. Now the Word says that it is the Holy Spirit who spoke through Isaiah and the rest, so the Holy Spirit is calling the false peace prophets dumb dogs!
His kindness leads to repentance, but I can’t think of anything kinder than being willing to be placed in prison in the mire, like Jeremiah, like Paul, and hated by the brethren, in order to just lead them in the way of truth.
1 Thessalonians 5 explains how in the last days those who will be found asleep, those who will be deceived, those who will be overtaken as a thief overtakes unaware, are the very ones who are looking for and expecting peace and safety and all good things. Jesus said, I did not come to bring it. Here is our warning.
Jesus is gathering His flock, yes. He is transforming the redeemed into His image, yes. But is He bringing world peace and safety, no, absolutely no. Look at the warning of the giant, abnormal tree that was supposed to be a bush (mustard tree parable). It refers to the last day church that is huge but unnaturally huge. And it has birds, meaning wickedness and deception, lodging in it, being sheltered in it. Jesus said the way is narrow and FEW find it. Revelation shows us that the historic church and last day church, true church, is very small.
The amazing thing is that those who are trying to live the Christian life and have come into the Kingdom, so to speak, by another way, maybe through the false love doctrine, don’t know peace. They don’t know love. Peace and the love of God, agape, only belong to the redeemed and to no one else. The redeemed have been born again and possess the Holy Spirit within, Who is very peace and love Himself! God is love.
Bring the lost through the Gate (Jesus) and they will be flooded with the knowledge of this peace and overwhelmed with His love. Bring them in through softer ways and they will be forever groping for this elusive thing called the love of God. This is why church after church after church is abandoning the Word and its hard yet loved filled truth of deliverance and redemption. They just want peace, at all costs. But it never comes apart from repentance for the remission of sins. Where the word is absent, license sets in. Where license sets in, so do all manner of unclean things. Where there is a church that has lodged all unclean things, calling them holy because it “keeps the peace”, there is no deliverance. True freedom and deliverance come from a love relationship with the Bridegroom. But we must be the Bride of Christ to know this love.
If these things are evident to you and press you, I hope you’ll pass it on if you are so led. The Lord bless you,
In His love,
Cheryl