The world's smiles are more dangerous that its frowns!


If I had a brother who had been murdered, what would you think of me if I ...daily consorted with the assassin who drove the dagger into my brother's heart; surely I too must be an accomplice in the crime. Sin murdered Christ; will you be a friend to it? Sin pierced the heart of the Incarnate God; can you love it?" C.H. Spurgeon.

The world's smiles are more dangerous that its frowns! Yet it seems that increasingly the church is being influenced by the world. We are hesitant to be distinct…. afraid of what people might think.

Why are we not more concerned with what the Lord thinks? Consider this passage from Revelation 2 written to the church at Thyatira

The Son of God, the One whose eyes are like a fiery flame, and whose feet are like fine bronze says: 19 I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. Your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Look! I will throw her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her practices. 23 I will kill her children with the plague.

Then all the churches will know that I am the One who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven't known the deep things of Satan—as they say—I do not put any other burden on you. 25 But hold on to what you have until I come. 26 The victor and the one who keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations.
(Revelation 2:18-25).


That is not a very comforting picture. When Jesus Christ wrote this letter to the Thyatira church, He wasn't giving them any comfort; He was giving them a portrait of penetrating judgment. When a church reaches a high level of sinfulness, Christ stops being their companion and starts being their judge.

With His eyes like a flame of fire, He sees through their flaws to the reality of their sin. His feet like burnished brass are ready to trample on their sin. Bronze, or brass, is the symbol of judgment!

*The description of Christ in verse 18 is the same as the description of the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:14-15: "... His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet like fine bronze, as if they burned in a furnace ...."when He writes to the Thyatira church, He is no longer the Son of man. He is no longer seen in His humanness; He is seen as God coming in divine and penetrating judgment.

The Holy Spirit never makes a mistake in the names of Christ that He chooses. Christ's deity is emphasized because He is not coming to help them; He is coming as God to judge them because of sin. He is no longer the sympathetic Savior; He becomes the judge. * Ray Stedman

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

In Honor of Peter Marshall.

Home!

Back to the Future!