Yet…here we are…many of us nodding our heads in agreement because we can identify with this all-too-common condition. So let’s take a look at just what the condition is, why does it happen, and what might be a better solution to avoid such a place given it is something we are admonished to ‘repent’ of ‘lest our lampstand is removed’ (vs.6) (I’m not even sure what that means but it doesn’t sound good.)
I think it’s noteworthy to point out that chapters 2 and 3 in Revelation focus on how God was addressing 7 ‘angels of the churches’ in the various regions of that time. It appears there were some issues that needed to be addressed and resolved from what we read. While some of the churches were commended for some things they were doing, most had other areas that God was not pleased with. In His address to the church at Sardis, he indicates that while they had a reputation of being ‘alive’ or having a ‘name’ for itself, He just flat out tells them they are ‘dead’. (3:2). Do you think it’s possible that if a church back then thought they were ‘alive’ and vibrant and doing great things for God, yet in God’s eyes, are told they are ‘dead’…could that happen to us today?
Look at His stern warning there in vs. 3…He admonishes them to ‘repent’ and if they do not ‘watch…He will come upon them as a thief’. Need I remind you what a thief comes to do? (John 10:10). So many directions I could go here this morning with this one. Just a couple of quick notes…we know God is coming to judge the world and actually it is already here. We are told that judgement begins First…with the church (house of God-1 Pet. 4:17). May I again refer you back to Isaiah 5 and see how this plays out…where God ‘lowers His hedge’ because all he found in His vineyard was bad fruit when He was expecting good fruit. He also points out who/what the ‘vineyard’ represents in that chapter. You really don’t have to be a trained theologian to connect some dots here…just ask the Holy Spirit to make it clear to you.
When God both disciplines and judges His people, guess who He uses for this? The ‘enemy’. (Ps. 78:49-50; Hab. 1:12; 1 Cor. 5:5) Discovering this in your bible can be a jolt to your system if you have been taught ‘another gospel’ or been following ‘another Jesus’, but there is no mistaking what God is trying to awaken us to and warn us of…there’s a flood coming and He is bringing it just like He did in the days of Noah (Matt. 24:36-39). But this time, the ‘ark’ is not made out of some exotic wood; He IS the ark and unless you are abiding in Him, you too will be swept away by this spiritual flood of darkness and destruction (Acts 3:22-23). Remember the two houses that Jesus taught on where one was built on the rock but the other on sand? The same flood hit both houses. But only one house withstood the flood. You might go review what that house represented- Matt. 7:24-27- he was the guy who actually did what Jesus said and not just a hearer only.
Paul warns that in the last days before the great and dreadful ‘day of the Lord’ unfolds that there would be a great ‘falling away’ (2 Thess. 2:3). He was not talking about church attendance dropping off. He was referring to the multitudes who would ‘fall away from the faith’. (remember- you can still be attending church on a regular basis yet not abiding in Christ and producing the fruit that glorifies the Father (John 15:8). And it was that kind of fruit God was looking for there in Isa. 5.
So when we read that passage in Rev. 2 where the church was asked to consider how far they had ‘fallen’, it only makes sense to realize that when we lose our ‘first love’, it can set in motion a hardening of the heart condition that causes us to ‘drift’ away from a faithful obedience to Christ. And my goodness…it can be so subtle. Let’s go read in Hebrews starting in chapter 2:1 – “We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” He is writing here to believers so that would suggest if we are not careful, we could do what…drift away maybe? Vs. 10-11 are interesting as he refers to Jesus being the ‘captain of our salvation’ and bringing ‘many sons to glory and how they are made ‘perfect through sufferings’ (when we die to flesh (1 Pet. 4:1-2) and it is through the process of being sanctified that this takes place. Hence, the need to ‘obey’ the one who saves us. (Heb. 5:9)
Jesus did say that “IF we loved Him, we would do what He said.” (John 14:15). And what happened to that church at Ephesus…they ‘lost their first love’?
So now back to Hebrews. You might take some time with this one today if you can and read through both chapters 3 and 4. Three times in those two chapters we see a reference to God’s plea: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of wilderness”. (3:8, 15, 4:7). It’s that ‘hardening of the heart’ that we need to consider given it is mentioned three times in such a short expanse. Keep in mind this whole walk of faith and trusting God and loving God always points back to our hearts’. We are to love God with all our hearts…when people drift or fall away, it begins in our hearts (Heb. 3:10) and we are admonished to ‘guard our hearts’ as it is where all the ‘issues of life’ originate from. (Prov. 4:23)
Can we pinpoint the cause of a what makes our hearts ‘harden’? Pretty much…it’s right there in Heb. 3:12-13. Please note who this is addressed to- ‘brethren’….”Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; (falling away perhaps?) but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
Funny how it always goes back to this ‘sin’ thing. I would submit that we have grown far too casual to this subject of ‘sin’ as if it really is not that big a deal when we take the nonchalant approach that ‘we all sin…everyone sins…nobody is perfect so we are always going to sin’. I believe it is part of the big lie that has rendered the modern day ‘church’ powerless to do what we were commissioned to do by Jesus. That’s not to say we have not been busy ‘going great things in His name’ like the guy in Matt. 7:21-23 was, or that we don’t have a reputation of being ‘alive’ like the church at Sardis was (Rev. 3). But any true believer has to know within their heart that something has been ‘off’ for some time. We sure have this ‘walking in a form of godliness’ part down pat…just minus the ‘power’. (2 Tim. 3:5)
Just to underscore the seriousness of this all, Paul (assumed writer of Hebrews) draws a comparison to what happened to the Israelites in the wilderness to the church world of the NT there in 3:16-4:1 (also 1 Cor. 10:3-11). He draws a clear line of relationship to ‘belief’ and ‘obedience there in vs. 18-19 suggesting the absence of both led to them ‘falling short’ of entering this place of ‘rest’ God had for them. Then we are told in 4:1 that we should ‘fear lest any of us seem to have come short of it’. Again…this kind of talk does not fit with many of our man made doctrines and theology. But I would suggest we need to start re-examining many of these passages which we’ve been conditioned to just skim over and easily dismiss.
In two different letters, Paul likens sin to being ‘leaven’ (or yeast as we’d be more familiar with) and how a ‘little leaven’ spreads through the who loaf. (Gal 5:9; 1 Cor. 5:6). Jesus did not encourage converts to ‘go and sin less’…His words were to ‘Go, and sin no more’. (John 5:14; 8:11)
So looking at all this in light of my postings the past two days regarding the fact that Jesus truly set us free from the power of sin…if that is indeed true, then why do we continue to sin? Maybe that is why we are reminded there in Heb. 2:2-3 of how God dealt with past transgressions and acts of disobedience and if that was what transpired for people back then, ‘how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation”. In other words…if Jesus set us free like we clearly read He did, what excuse can we possibly offer up as to why we continued to practice sin? I don’t mean to get extra mileage out of the same verse…but that is exactly what Jesus told that man in Matt. 7:23…”depart from me you who continue to practice lawlessness (sin)…I never knew you”.
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Now by this we know that we know Him, IF we keep His commandments. He who says “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar.” (1 John 2:3-4)
Now let me introduce a passage I would never have shared in the past given I was unable to process its meaning…but here it is- Heb. 10:26-27: “IF we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”
‘Knowledge of the truth’…what does the truth do?...sets us free? (John 8:36) Free from what? – sin. (John 8:34). Oh…and who are God’s ‘adversaries’? I think we can see that in Rom. 8:7 and James 4:4….those who continue to live for the flesh and refuse to put it to death which is what the Spirit is wanting to lead us to do. (Rom. 8:13)
I know…I take one morning off and then bust out with this today…but it just keeps being brought to the forefront of what God keeps speaking and making so clear to me. Not that you probably want any more on your plate to process and digest today, but I want to share one more verse that ties in with this idea of ‘drifting’ or ‘falling away’ which is such a significant problem God is wanting to deal with today. Look at Hosea 4:12 where we are told that “a spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray’. We can examine that further tomorrow, perhaps. But is that not an interesting expression given what we read in Rev. 17:5 where the ‘false church system’ of the last days is called ‘Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots…’. I’ve said it before and will say it again…we live in very serious times and sadly, the church has fallen asleep and needs to be aroused and awakened. (Matt. 25:1-11; Rom. 13:11-14). Lots more to address tomorrow.
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