If you want to be Christ-like, you must be unselfish and loving, if you want to be Christ-like, you must judge with righteous judgement and rebuke and reprove people. The first statement sounds great to most believers, the second, not so much. The age we are living in, the spiritual path that many are following, did not start last week, it had its beginnings nearly seventy years ago, the age of the end of world war two and the inception of the great rebuilding period. In times of plenty after a great decimation, the Lord is given praise, but as those times continue, a growing apathy towards Him almost always ensues, without needs, trials and tribulations, our supposed need for God diminishes, we tend to begin to rely on ourselves.
I believe we are at the tail end of this dispensation of time, the age of the gentiles which began when Zedekiah was taken into captivity, (Jer. 39:7) is almost over. We are about as far from God as we have ever been as a people, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves” has been the mantra for those who profess a form of faith in Christ, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) has been left to those whom others see as having a “special” calling. Church attendance has taken the place of service to Christ, and is seen by far too many as their fulfilment to the obligation to the commandments of a good life, a life believed to be in favor with the Lord. We seek to better only ourselves, when it is given any thought, in the eyes of our Lord, leaving our Bibles to collect dust during the week, prayers that focus on self and most generally our selfish desires. We ask that trials and tribulations remain far from us, we look at temptations as uncommon and cannot see the blessings that arrive after we have withstood them. (1 Cor. 10:13)
Many church services today are a sham, and I speak not here of the religious organizations, but of those places where the works done outside of the Spirit of God hold value, where tradition is a concern, where the word of God is preached, but only in part. Sound Biblical doctrine is replaced with history lessons by men who spend more time in books written by men than in the one written by God, by pastors who search the internet daily for inspirational and entertaining videos instead of preaching on repentance and obedience. The eligibility for entrance into the kingdom of God has been reduced to simply repeat these words and now go and live the best life you can, be as loving and unselfish as you can be, but never judge with righteous judgement and never rebuke any, “They may not like you, and that is not the image of Christ we want to portray at this church.”
I do not believe that it is a lovey-dovey Lord who is bringing the tribulation period to this earth, is it, I do not think that our Lord is going to sit on His throne during the millennium period with an olive branch in His hand, is He. It is all but impossible to find a believer in Christ that is willing to discuss these matters today, and I have tried diligently for several years now to do so. We have been commanded in many places throughout the entirety of the Scriptures to reprove, yet I can recall very few who have done so, we are called to employ righteous judgement, (John 7:24) but too many cannot differentiate between doing so and judging in the incorrect terminology, we are commanded to go into all the world, but as far as many go these days is down the road a ways to the regular spot in “their” pew.
Far too many, my brothers and sisters in Christ, are only Christians in the most basic terminology of the word, concern with their own walk with Christ has taken precedence over reaching the lost, of reproving and correcting their brothers in Christ, of speaking out to a world which has strayed about as far away as it can from God. Satan’s plan has worked perfectly, “Give them a life of ease and they will forget you, do not do as you allowed me to do to Job, (Job 2:6) give them peace, security, and pleasures, let them think neither you or I exist, and they will leave you.” And for the so-called Christian, the ones who profess our Lord only with their lips, let them believe that the most important verse in the Scriptures is “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25) They will stay inside the confines of the church, they will leave off speaking to the lost about the need for repentance, the penalty of sin against a Holy God, they will in time harden their hearts, their ears will become dull, and their words only platitudes.
The age of man is upon us once again, we are preparing the next Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:4) there is little need to run to the tower that is our Lord (Prov. 18:10) when we can see no enemy, there is little need to continue to go unheard, there is little need to continue warning those who have been warned and will not listen. Those who profess Christ only with their lips find sanctuary every Sunday morning within the confines of the church building only from themselves, the world poses no threat to them for it does not hate them, and why should it. They do not speak of the grace and mercy of our Lord outside of its doors, they do not inform others of what is waiting for them if they die in their sins, they fear even to reprove and correct in love those they call their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Those who will not serve here will not be in heaven to serve, they will never see the gates of our home, they are deceiving themselves as to their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Tim. 3:7) The age of the gentiles is almost complete, the age of man is fast approaching, many who believe themselves to be Christians will be left behind, only those who have the Holy Spirit of God will be taken. It is time for me to stop writing, and it is time for you to go look into the mirror of your heart and diligently search for those things that prove to you the assurance of your salvation. “I will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:18)
