"The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.
Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years." 2 Chron. 36:15-21
The Lord is compassionately longsuffering towards sinners. But He will judge. His wrath is righteous and perfect. And we need to fear Him. The people of Israel did not fear, nor trust in the Lord. He poured out His wrath. And He sent Nebuchanezzar to destroy Jerusalem.
Will the Lord judge His Church in the same manner, as He judged Israel, as the Church in America becomes less and less godly and Christ-glorifying, and more and more "lovers of their own selves, and lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (2 Tim. 3:2-5)?
The true love of Christ rejoices in the truth of God's Word, and never in sinful behavior (1 Cor. 13:5). There are many who say they are Christians, and even pastors, and yet have settled for a social gospel, and a moral gospel. The true Gospel is of grace and holiness. It is all about the Cross of Christ, and His death and resurrection. The Church needs to glorify Jesus Christ far above all other endeavors. Then the deeds of the Church will be pleasing to Christ our Lord. That's what I see today in the Body of Christ for the greater part. There are those who are serving and worshipping Christ, and are sold out for Him, and are loving their neighbors. But more than not the church today is a human-centered religion of good works, and niceness, and trying to get along with everybody. And the Father in heaven will not have His Son equal to any other god, or religion.
"Unto the Son: Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. Let all the angels of God worship Him!" (Hebrews 1:8,5)
2 comments:
That's a hard pill for our postmodern culture to swallow. I wish we were quicker to learn, so we would not need corrections so harsh.
Amen to that Craver.
When I think how gracious, loving, merciful, kind, forgiving, and longsuffering the heart of the Lord is toward mankind, and then when I see His righteous indignation, it only magnifies our sinfulness more than we could ever understand.
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