The New Bereans

“Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”  -Revelation 2:16

In high school and even long after, I was a ridiculously sold out fan of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time saga.  I would not say this is something I recommend to Christian readers as it is not glorifying to God, but I must mention it because I am going to use part of it for an illustration.  He had a part in one of his books that I have been thinking about a lot for the last few weeks and I have to thank my Pastor Dave for reminding me of it.   He (my pastor) was teaching about the church at Pergamum and about how Jesus warned them that he would fight against the Nicolaitans with the sword of his mouth (Revelation 2:16).  The topic of discussion was centered on how the church needs to be people of the word.  I could not agree more…

I must admit though that my thoughts during his sermon kept drifting back to this idea of Jesus fighting against the Nicolaitans with the sword of his mouth, and the memory of Robert Jordan’s book came to mind with a powerful illustration as it concerns the working of the word of God in the life of His saints.   The main Character Rand was being educated in the use of a sword and his trainer, Lan, was instructing him for months about all the sword forms he knew and understood.  Rand had become a far quicker study than Lan had expected so he was having to show him more and more battle configurations.   During the course of Rand’s education Lan had told him of a form called “Sheathing the Sword.”  The author never explains to the readers what exactly this was even though he had explained the form of the rest of the moves.  This was somewhat disconcerting but as the reader you quickly forget it.  At the end of one of the books however Rand is in a sword fight with an adversary who is in every way, his equal.  Parry after parry and blow for blow, the hero Rand was not able to gain any ground.  After a period of heated and protracted battle Rand does the only thing that could possibly help him to win…he sheathes the sword.  The reader finally gets to see what this means.  Rand turns his back to his opponent and plunges his sword into his own stomach, which then protrudes out his back and punctures the chest of his enemy.

What a morbid picture, what in the world does this have to do with anything?   It has everything to do with all of sharing Christ with a dead world and even to those who are alive in Christ.  Isaiah 66:2 is becoming one of the most powerful instructors to me of this concept, “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” There is a vast difference between grabbing a sword in hand and attacking anything that moves, verses looking to see what that sword can do to us.  There is a type of swordsman that handles his blade only to prove that he can handle it, but there is another type of swordsman who uses his blade altogether differently…he pierces himself through and through with it.  He uses it with a terrifying sense of what it is capable of, and what can happen if it is not handled with the respect it deserves.   You see, Rand had a much bigger picture in mind, he knew that the weight of the entire world was on his shoulders, and in a similar fashion, as Christians, we must take seriously what we believe.  I hope that I can honestly say I am more responsible for truth and how that sword pierces others because I have let it spill my filthy guts all over the place so Christ can replace them with bowels of mercy, and a heart that weeps rather than rages.

You see, if Jesus has brought his sword to bear against me, as a member of his body, and I deflect it with the shield of pride, the sword of truth that I hold in my hand will become flimsy and pointless.  My speaking with the sword will not pierce anyone with the truth and I will only make God’s word into an aimless bludgeon.   See this is why Jesus tells those at Pergamum to repent lest he come to them quickly to fight against his foes.   There is no Christian to whom this concept does not apply, as our every word, and every action is a representation of Christ in this world…

“When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 1:8

As believers we are called to give our best to God, but do we? Or like the priests in Malachi’s day, do we give God only what we don’t want. They were sacrificing blind and lame animals to God and taking the best for themselves. We no longer offer animal sacrifices but we are told to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God.1 Do we give God our best, or do we give him the rest? How do we spend our time? Everyone knows about tithing our money, do we tithe our time?  Do we spend 10% of our day (2.4 hours) Seeking God, studying the scriptures, or evangelizing? If not we should consider our ways.

We are told to love God with all our mind2, how much of our mind is occupied in studying theology, wrestling through scriptural truth, and memorizing scriptures?  Men, if you can remember all the stats of your favorite athletes, but can’t clearly explain the gospel, you should be ashamed.  Women, if you know all about Oprah, but don’t have a clue about Orpha, you are investing your time foolishly.  I will set no wicked thing before my eyes 3 declares the psalmist, do we watch wicked things?  If so Christ warns that our whole body will be full of darkness.4 Paul the apostle declares you are not your own, for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.5

If we are his disciples we must put him first, give him our best, and seek first his kingdom.

1. Romans 12:1

2. Matthew 22:37

3. Psalm 101:3

4. Matthew 6:23

5. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.  Proverbs 28:1

Why is there such timidity in our lives today?  Rather that demonstrating the power of the gospel, by the power of the Spirit, we tend to lob Christianity with all the conviction of a softball pitch.  We commonly tip-toe around bold truth in order to avoid offending unbelievers and we talk to them in an apologetic tone, what is wrong with us?  Do we see anything like this in the life of Elijah, Paul, or Jesus Christ?  No!  Why not?

I would suggest to you that the answer is staring us in the face.  It is my fear that the church today is filled with primarily tares and lost sheep, sin is the norm.  Jesus warned that whoever relaxed one of his commandments would be the least in the kingdom of heaven, yet pastor and parishioner do it with impunity today.  We love our sin and in refusing to turn from it, the church has become quite fearful.

When we give ourselves free license to sin, we are simultaneously quenching the spirit, and spiritually emasculating ourselves.  If we want any boldness, vigor, or life we must stop compromising.  Jesus proclaims, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”1  What does this mean to us?  Simply this; if we pray to God to help us to overcome the big sins in our life, while excusing the small ones with clever phrases like “that isn’t my conviction, bro”, we are deceived and should not be surprised when we experience constant spiritual defeat.

To live the victorious Christian life we must repent, turn from our sins and follow God.  We cannot give ourselves permission to indulge in the “little” sins, or the “big” sins will not have dominion over us.  If we were totally unable to resist sin Paul would not have told us “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts“.2  So we must follow James guidance and Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.3

1. Luke 16:10

2. Romans 6:12

3. James 4:7

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?  Luke 24:5

Looking over much of what we label Christianity.  I see multitudes of walking dead.  An army like the one spoken of in Ezekiel, which was built of bones covered in sinew but utterly destitute of life.  Long ago Jesus told the Pharisees “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me“1. And many are erring in the same ways today.  Going to Bible studies yet lacking any real relationship with Christ.  In our preaching the fire and the passion are gone; in our congregations purity is the exception and rarely the rule.

Don’t get me wrong there are scattered saints and, passionate preachers throughout the land; but when you look at your average person identifying themselves as Christians, you rarely see anyone resembling an early church believer; and when you listen to your average Pastor, you often find someone sounding a lot more like Dr. Phil than John the Baptist.

Where is the fire?  Where is the purity? Where are the transformed lives? We have substituted entertaining for exposition, comedy for conviction, and principle for pragmatism.  We have built the church we desired, and we have the church we deserve.

What is the answer?  Repent!  Turn from your wicked ways.  Stop supporting pastors who make you fell comfortable living in sin.  Read your Bible, burn “The Prayer of Jabez,” and “The Shack,”.  Stop drinking from the fountains of Babylon, drink your tears instead.  Let the words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Joel be our guide. . . “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; “and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.” Joel 2:13

“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14

1. John 5:39 NKJV

Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Matthew 6:1

There are fundamentally only two types of active Christians; Bible Notchers and Walkers.  By “Active Christians” I mean those who do more than just warm pews; those who read the Bible (not Your Best Life Now ), pray, and are involved in some type of ministry.

I’m not entirely  sure Bible Notchers is the best term, but for now it will suffice, it is something of an allusion to hunters who put a notch in their belt each time they kill something.  I’m talking about someone who does things for God, of which they are quite proud.  They will often keep careful track of how long they pray, how many times they’ve read the Bible, how many church services they attend, etc:  Then they find subtle ways to let others know what their up to.  When they receive the desired applause for their efforts they humbly say, “It’s not me, it’s Jesus”.  I have spent the majority of my Christian life in and out of this group.

The group I call “Walkers” are a breed altogether, fewer in number but greater in power.  These don’t spend their time boasting, or counting up their good works.  Do they do good things?  Yes!  But their motive for doing them is not to gather attention and praise, their motive is to glorify Christ, and demonstrate their motive through action.  Have they stopped counting their good deeds in order to look even more spiritual still?  No!  They have stopped counting because it does not matter to them.  Their relationship to Christ is not one of Boyscout to Troop Leader, doing good deeds in order to receive merit badges:  Their relationship to Christ is one of Saved to Savior, they have grasped something of the enormity of his suffering, sacrifice, and death, and this knowledge motivates them to lay down their lives in love.  For them taking up the cross and following Christ is not an obligation, it is their greatest pleasure and highest honor.  To them the pleasures of this world have become empty and unsatisfying.  They do not walk in holiness to avoid punishment, they take pleasure in it.  For them counting the number of times they’ve read their Bible is as ridiculous as counting the number of times they’ve kissed their spouse, or taken out the trash.  I would never go to a friend and tell them, “Yeah I’m a pretty good husband.  I kissed my wife twelve times yesterday, and said I love you fourteen times.”  If we don’t boast to others about our marriages this way, why would we tell others about these elements in our walk with God?  Maybe it’s because we’re not really doing it for him at all?

Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  Galatians 5:16

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said this unto thee, ye must be born again.   – John 3:5-7

He only gets one chapter of scripture dedicated to him.  His exploits were scandalous, but only to those with an eye to discern.  He certainly lived in the shadow of others, yet he earns a judgment from on high rarely witnessed.  As a matter of fact, the judgment he receives is almost entirely unique.

His name was Belshazzar.  His great sin…a party.  However, this festive occasion was unlike anything ever witnessed on earth.  In a cosmic effort to not just keep up with the Joneses, but rather flatten any chance of their future competition.  Belshazzar breaks out the furniture stolen from the temple in Jerusalem prior to the Jewish captivity in Babylon.  Those in attendance drank wine from the temple vessels and carelessly caroused; slaking their lusts with the items that Hebrews calls, “Shadow(s) of heavenly things.₁”

What could be so wrong?  Does not God want his blessings on display for the world to see?  Would you not marvel, walking into the great dining hall and seeing the altar of sacrifice, with its blood tipped horns?  Would you not think that maybe the King would find a degree of purification by washing his hands in the laver?  What about the menorah?  Its light would add a great degree of needed direction to a dark kingdom!

Unfortunately, for poor Belshazzar, things are about to get serious.  With a great need for a new pair of pants and with his knees knocking, his party face turns a pale retched sickly color as he witnesses one of the single most unique events in the entire Bible.  A hand, disconnected from any other apparatus, begins to write on the wall.  After a series of events, our man Daniel tells Belshazzar what just happened.  God had decided that He was done with Belshazzar, as a matter of fact, He was done with Babylon.  He had been weighed, measured, and found WANTING…to top it all off the kingdom was going to be divided.  As to be expected, Belshazzar was slain that very night.  I guess he probably really didn’t want to know what that mean old hand had to say after all did he?

Before our eyes glaze over with the repetition of a popular passage of scripture, I think it is worth noting that, to the untrained eye, Belshazzar had all the accoutrements and trappings of religion in his possession.  They were on display for everyone to see.  To the modern “Christian,” I think this concept could fly past blind eyes.  How happy we can be if we externally display our religion like a peacock, just to find that it is all feather and fluff.  We can have all the right things to say, and can have all our pet doctrines, a license plate that says “Sav3d,” or a bumper sticker warning of the rapture.  You may even be the happiest person in the world and tell everyone you know that it was Jesus that made you so, and if they would just accept Jesus they could be happy too.  Happy just…like…you.

I would define the trappings of Christianity as the fruits of the Spirit, if I could do so with absolute reverence.  However, the strange thing about the fruits of the Spirit, “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith,” is that they can be imitated.  Not a single one of these fruits are exclusive to Christianity.  I know some people are shouting at me right now…wondering how I could possibly suggest such a thing.  You may even be reaching up to delete Newbereans.com from your bookmark list.  Please just bear with me a moment longer.

The problem with Belshazzar’s usage of the temple vessels was that they were used from a wrong motivation and most assuredly in the wrong context, and not according to the divine “pattern ₂” God had established, not to mention they were used in a sinful fashion.  The Bible calls believers the temple of the Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians 3:16.  In order for the fruits of the Spirit to work according to the dictates of the Spirit, that fruit has to be budding in a Temple.  Just like the furniture was only meant to be used in the ancient Temple.  This process has to be done according to Gods pre-ordained pattern.  In order to be the temple of the Spirit you first have to be born again.  You must become a new creation in Christ, all the old things must pass and you must be made new.  Without this authentic step through the narrow gate, all the “trappings” will quickly fade; your leaves will whither away if you were not really born again.  This process is spiritual and must be so according to Gods pattern. If this progression of new birth is circumvented, the most terrifying truth is that we can actually pretend to be Christians our entire lives and all that will await us is the same sentiment afforded to Belshazzar. Weighed…measured…wanting.  How is this possible?  Because in the king’s court there was no blood, there was no sacrifice there was no priest, worst of all there was no kabod, and without any of these, there is certainly no atonement.

The furniture has to be in the Temple, under the blood, and washed clean by spirit and water, then and only then will the fruits of the spirit be nourished in a proper fashion.  The only way you can be not weighed, measured and found wanting is to be in Christ.  Marvel not that this has been said unto thee.

1.Hebrews 8:5

2. Hebrews 9:21-23

All the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. -Luke 13:17

People do not really change all that much.  We love to see good or glorious things done; we are enamored with the miraculous, or even by good humanitarian deeds.  But many are only interested in what God can do for them.  In other words, he is a means to their end; not the end of their means. In 1961 President Kennedy famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”  Many preachers before me have alluded to the fact that few people apply JFK’s powerful quote to their Walk with God.  We tend to think that all of the acts of God in history, are solely for our benefit.  Concerning our flawed man centered theology, I like how Paris Reidhead says it, “This philosophical postulate that the end of all being is the happiness of man, has been sort of covered over with evangelical terms and Biblical doctrine until God reigns in heaven for the happiness of man, Jesus Christ was incarnate for the happiness of man, all the angels exist . . . for the happiness of man.1″  We have abandoned the historical gospel and replaced it with a humanistic one.  The Bible never teaches that man is so great he deserves God’s blessings; the whole concept of grace describes how an undeserving people were saved by a loving God.  A deserved grace would be no grace at all!

Now back to my primary subject…is God our end, or our means?  When we pray, are we only asking him for what we want; or are we asking for him to have what he wants?  In our devotional time are we reading “Your Best Life Now;” or are we ravenously devouring the scriptures, seeking after this God who purchased us at so great a price? Are we also discovering how we can use our lives to honor and glorify him?  Is our attitude thy will be done, or my will be done, thy kingdom come or my kingdom come?  And please don’t be flippant; our answers to these questions could not be more important.  The legacy we leave behind will be one of glorifying God, or one of pleasing ourselves.

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen.  Romans 11:36

For by him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.  Colossians 1:16

1. Paris Reidhead, Ten Shekels and a Shirt

. . . Ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  II Corinthians 6:18-7:1

Often times when I share with other believers how blessed I have been through not only reading the Bible, but also trying to do what it says, I get a response something like this:  “You need to be careful.  That sounds legalistic, we’re not under the law, we’re under grace!”  I have had this same conversation over and over again with many different people.  It seems to me that the greatest critics of literally following Christ when it comes to holiness…are other Christians.  They call it legalism when you try to obey the commandments of Christ.  I’ve even heard that following his commandments somehow dishonors him, by implying that we are trying to add to his finished work on the cross.  Legalism is not a term occurring in the scriptures but it has become commonplace in Christian vernacular.  Originally it spoke of someone trying to earn their salvation, rather than accepting it as a free gift.  I’ve never met anyone trying to do this, I’m not saying it doesn’t happen but I’ve never encountered it personally.  The term is now, however, commonly misappropriated.

I know that we are not under the law but under grace; I know that we are saved by grace, through faith; it is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast.  These things are self evident.  I have been trying to figure out why their objections are so troubling; it has taken me a while but I finally put my finger on it.  Why would Christians imagine the only motive to clean up their lives should be to avoid hell?  As if avoiding hell, is the only valid motive for spiritual action.  In our own lives, we do all kinds of things, for all sorts of motives other than avoiding hell.  Do I love my wife to avoid hell?  Do I eat Ice cream to avoid hell?  Do I go camping to avoid hell?   I do all these things because I want to do them.  I do all these things because I enjoy them.  I also genuinely enjoy following after Christ literally.  The Westminster Catechism states that, Man’s primary purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.₁ Without doubt I enjoy glorifying him by living a holy life.

I understand why the world doesn’t want holiness, but I cannot understand why some Christians do not want it.  The elders in Revelation tell us that, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.₂ Paul tells us that all things were created by him, and for him.₃ Is pleasing and glorifying God an insufficient motive for us?  How can anyone who has been given so much by Christ find no pleasure in living a life that pleases him?  To look at it another way, why shouldn’t Christians live a sanctified life?  When Paul raises the question, Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound,₄ how does he answer himself? God forbid! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?₅ The apostle doesn’t seem to think a sinful life glorifies God, and neither do I.  Moreover I can truly say that attempting to live a sanctified life has brought me far more satisfaction than avoiding it ever did.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Romans 6:22

1. Westminster Shorter Catechism

2. Revelation 4:11

3. Colossians 1:16

4. Romans 6:1

5. Romans 6:2

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.   – II Corinthians 7:1

Revival starts with me.  It starts with holiness, with genuine repentance, and prayer.  It starts with an individual or small group seeking only to bring God glory, through obedience to, and humility before Him.  There is a price to pay; forsaking comfort, safety, respectability, and luxury.  One must be ravenously hungry for God to be glorified.  They must seek Christ as an end, not a means.  They cannot care whether the revival spreads any further than their own heart.  God will share his glory with no man!  Just like Christ’s parable in Luke, after tirelessly serving, we must realize . . . we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.  Luke 17:10

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14

Here in Second Chronicles God manifests himself to Solomon and declares that for sins to be forgiven and the land to be healed; certain things must be done.  Humility, prayer, seeking God, and Repentance must first occur.  But we want happiness without holiness, answers without prayer, manifestation without seeking, and revival without repentance.  Like the prodigal son we demand; Give me the inheritance!  We spend hour’s watching television and minutes in prayer.  We can speak for hours about the latest group of rejects from American Idol, yet cannot even recall the prophet Micaiah!  Do we wonder why the world calls us hypocrites?  Humble yourself, pray, seek the Lord, and repent.  Prayer proceeds passion!  Seeking proceeds finding!  Humility proceeds holiness.  And repentance precedes revival.

If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  John 14:23