Category: Articles

Due to our inner need for security, we naturally like to think that we are one of the “redeemed.” Those fairly familiar with their Bible know that it speaks of people who are fully confident that they are one of the saved but learn at the judgment they weren’t saved at all. Yet, even those of us who know this tend to think of ourselves as those who are not deceived about this. We say, surely there are people who are deceived into thinking they are saved, but I am not one of them.  After all, I go to church consistently and read my Bible. I hold to “sound doctrine” unlike so many other people who call themselves Christians. It is our tendency to think that eternally speaking, “We are all set.” Yet, we of all people, should realize that according to the Bible, “the deluded” never think that they are one of “the deluded.”

I have friends who are weary of me speaking and writing about this subject. I suspect they think I am obsessed with thinking about it. Some of them have rebuked me for it telling me that such thoughts can do no good. I would like to go on record now saying that if I was observing a Christianity like that which is described in the New Testament, I would not continue to harp on this. But frankly, I am convinced that based upon what I read in the Bible, the typical Christian living in twenty-first century American should not have strong assurance that they are saved at all. By this, I do not mean that they are not saved, only that they really have no biblical reason to be sure of their salvation based on the way they are living. And I am talking about evangelicals who consistently attend church and call themselves born again, Bible-believing Christians. At this point, something inside might be telling you to stop reading this nonsense. Surely the author of this paper is off the deep end. Will you let me at least try to prove my point from the Bible?

Before I go on, I want to make certain to point out that I am not trying to condemn anyone or suggest that I am not one of the deluded. Though it may be difficult for you to take this in, I am suggesting that there may be reason to at least wonder, “Are we all deceived into thinking we are Christians when in reality we are not?” Most people cannot even take this thought into their minds. It is too far out there. Let me say that I don’t really think we are ALL deceived this way. In fact, I think that we will be surprised in the end to discover many people in heaven that we never expected would be there. So why am I even raising this point? I do so because if a person honestly evaluates the type of Christianity on display these days in light of the New Testament, it is at least logical to entertain the possibility that a great falling away has taken place and we are simply ignorant and deceived. So please at least consider the following passage to see if my concern has any justification.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:⁵and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (Matthew 7:21-27).

The opening statement alone should be all that is necessary to prove that evaluation of this subject is something Jesus expects us to do otherwise He would not have said it in the first place. “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom.” If you are a Christian, then you think of yourself as someone who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord.” Therefore, since not everyone who says this to Him will enter the kingdom, then evaluation on your part is expected by Jesus. Anyone who lacks concern about Jesus’ warning is displaying a characteristic of an unregenerate life. At the very least, it suggests a simpleminded approach of one who closes his ears to uncomfortable words even when they are coming from the very lips of Jesus.

Now consider the observable life of many evangelicals. Let us assume that they rightly enjoy hanging around with Christians rather than the people of the world. Let us assume that they go to church at least once a week or more. Let us assume that they have read the Bible cover to cover at least once and perhaps yearly. Let us assume that they are believing sound doctrine. According to the Bible, based upon this description, is such a person saved or is there a possibility that they are not?  According to the passage above, only those who DO the will of the Father will enter the kingdom. Now you might rightly say that it is the will of the Father that people attend church, read their Bible and hold to sound doctrine. How true! But the Bible contains stories of people who fit this description who turned out to be unregenerate. There is more to doing the will of the Father than having a habit of doing these things. Remember Jesus’ rebuke, “These people draw near me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me!” The condition of the heart must be considered in our evaluation.

Since it is sometimes difficult to assess the condition of the heart, let me suggest a more black and white method for evaluation. In the passage above, Jesus warned that it is not those who merely hear His Words that enter the kingdom. It is those who hear them and then DO THEM.

I now wish to examine one thing that Jesus has told us to do to see if you think you are doing what He asks. Before I do, I again have to state that even if a person is doing this outwardly, he still might be failing to fulfill Jesus’ desires and doing so in a manner that falls short of the glory of God. In other words, even if I am doing this personally, it does not guarantee that I am not one of “the deluded.” Some might think that my decision to consider the topic I now plan to bring up is judgmental since I happen to be involved in this activity. As best I can tell, I am not trying to be judgmental. The subject is the Great Commission. The reason I bring it up is because this is THE GREAT MISSION Jesus gave to us. Since it tops the divine things to do list, it is fair to bring it up in the context of the Matthew passage above. The Great Mission is not just something He wants us to do. It is THE main thing we are to do. It is the reason why the Church is still here. Until this mission is complete, Jesus will not come back. The Mission has its fulfillment at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Only as a result of the Mission will the Bride be made ready for Her Groom. Jesus died for this. So, it is no small matter. To neglect this call is to ignore Jesus’ command.

“Jesus spoke these words: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

We have heard His words and we have heard them over and over and over. The big question is, “Are we doing them?”  If we are not doing them, then why should we expect to enter the kingdom? Jesus said that only the one who hears His Words and DOES THEM shall enter. Do you see that it does not matter that a person consistently attends church, reads his Bible, knows sound doctrine if that same person is not involved in fulfilling Jesus’ desire and command for us to fulfill the Greatest Mission He has assigned to us? Such a person is one who hears Jesus’ words but is NOT DOING THEM.

This is just the main thing Jesus has told us to do. We could talk about many other things that Jesus told us to do. If we did so, we might conclude that we are doing many of those other things. Or, we might grow even more concerned to learn that we are failing to do them. But even if we are doing them, we are not excused from doing the thing that is at the very top of His agenda for us to do. I suggest that our assurance of entrance to the Kingdom is very much related to the degree we are fulfilling Jesus’ desire and command to fulfill the Great Mission.

From my perspective, we are ALL in need of revival so that Jesus’ desires might be realized more fully in us. I frankly do not understand any Christian who fails to recognize that we all are far too attached to worldly comfort and far too unconcerned about the things Jesus is concerned about. This is why I raise this point in the first place. There seems to be an unjustified complacency that permeates the Church. Are you concerned about this?

Annual Stones Cry Out Ministries Update

This report is directed to all those who in some way support Stones Cry Out Ministries. It is provided to honor and glorify the Lord in keeping with Psalm 111:2.

Great are the works of the LORD;

They are studied by all who delight in them.  (Psalm 111:2)

First, I wish to thank all of you, especially for your prayers because apart from Him, we can do nothing. All who are invested in this work surely know that the amount of eternal fruit that comes from it is directly proportional to the intensity of prayer that is offered up by God’s people.

This report contains five sections:

1. The people involved in this ministry
2. A review of the things God has accomplished in and through the ministry
3. Looking forward through eyes of faith
4. Words of encouragement for all who are involved
5. Prayer requests

1. The people involved in this ministry

As mentioned above, there are many people that God has burdened to pray for this ministry. We consider you all fellow laborers in the harvest. In addition, there are Christians that God has used to go with us door to door. Right now, Pat McMahon is my “right hand man” in the work. He goes with me every Saturday and he faithfully ministers in the home church meetings. Though my wife does not go door to door with us, she endures much with me in this ministry. We endure much hardship together in the form of satanic attack and various forms of discomfort. In addition, she faithfully prepares refreshments for the home church meetings on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. Besides these people, God brings other Christians to us who go door to door from time to time. Also, my son Brian has helped me often with web site support.

2. A review of the things God has accomplished in and through the ministry

Gospel proclamation to the people of E. Dearborn

During the first half of 2011 and with the help of many people, we concluded our first campaign through East Dearborn (and South Dearborn). During the past five years, we knocked on the door of virtually every house in hope of proclaiming the gospel. At least 1000 Muslims heard the gospel and comprehended it in various degrees. We have continued dialog with over 100 of them, some expressing more interest than others. We consider this entire community the “parish” assigned to us by God regardless of whether they are believing yet or not.

During the summer, we began our second run through starting where we began 5 years ago. We have seen some of the people we met during the first campaign but for the most part, they are all new faces to us.

The reception of the Muslim community

When we first began five years ago, the Muslims were generally more friendly toward us. But over the years, some of their attitudes have grown cold toward us. During this period, we learned from the Muslims that the leaders knew about the door to door ministry and were instructing the Muslims how to deal with the Christians who come to their door.  At first, they were told that if the Christians come to their house, to call the mosque and hand the telephone to the Christians so they could talk with the Imam. Later, we heard that the leaders were instructing the Muslims to protect their children by prohibiting them from talking with the Christians. During the fall of 2010 we noticed a marked change in attitudes of many of the Muslims. Some of them seemed downright hostile toward us and were acting like people from our culture (rude, slamming the door etc.) Though there are many Muslims that now appear angry when we introduce ourselves, there are still many that are hospitable and treat us with respect.

Disciples

Jesus told us to go and make disciples and teach them to observe all that He commanded. That is our mission we are working to fulfill it. Someone asked me recently if this ministry has produced any disciples. The answer is yes but to many, the numbers would appear very low. Since we are not God, we actually cannot know for sure how many disciples have been made through this ministry. But since its conception, it would appear that as many as 10 people have come to Christ through the ministry in this area.

We do not consider a person a Christian just because he prays a sinner’s prayer or walks down an aisle so we do not count converts in the manner that many people do these days. (We do not engage in having people pray sinner’s prayers or alter calls because we believe that these practices are not warranted by the Bible.) We believe that if a person is truly regenerate, his life will reflect it through holy living. So, when I say as many as 10 people have come to Christ, it is based upon what appears to be fruits of God’s Spirit at work in them resulting in changed lives. Of these 10 people, only three of them are X-Muslims and none of the X-Muslims are currently attending our home church. (But they do attend other churches.)

Besides the people described above, it is quite possible that others have come to Christ but we just don’t know about it. I believe that when I arrive on the golden shores, I will see many such people and it will be a joyous reunion.

In addition to this local ministry, God has seen fit to expand the influence of Stones Cry Out Ministries globally. I did not anticipate this but God has seen fit to bring thousands of people (mainly Christians) to the Stones Cry Out web site in order to obtain free evangelism tools like tracts and the gospel study guide. These materials are now being used all over the world. In fact, it appears that the Stones Cry Out influence is greater in places like Africa and Asia than it is here in North America. Christian pastors and evangelists from those countries learn how to evangelize biblically by watching the 48 minute evangelism training seminar and sometimes, I send them my books (at no charge). Most of them tell me that these materials have helped them greatly to minister to the people in their countries.

The Church plant (www.DearbornBible.org)

When we first began, we knew that as disciples are made, they need to be baptized and be taught all that Jesus commanded and that this is to be done in the context of local assemblies of believers. To facilitate this, we began a home Bible study that we thought would eventually form the basis for a local Church. As any missionary will tell you, such an endeavor is always a learning experience met with difficulties on many levels. God used the trials and difficulties to raise many questions about ourselves and how church is defined in the Bible. God used many people also in shaping our understanding of what we call “Church.” As a result, I have recorded my understanding of these things in a book I just released called Church (according to the Bible).

Direction continually being shaped

As mentioned above, God has been using the ministry and the trials associated with it to continually shape our understanding of what He wants us to do and teach. Our understanding of what Church should be like is reflected in my latest book. My understanding of what the Bible teaches about evangelism has been shaped mainly during the first few years of proactive evangelism ministry and is reflected in my book, Bringing Back the Gospel. (I offer the book to any Christian as a free PDF file if they ask me for it and promise to read it.) In the midst of trials relating to this ministry, my understanding of things is put to the test. For example, when very little visible fruit is evident, I can’t help but wonder, “Am I doing something wrong?” I am sure there are many people who think that I am doing things incorrectly based upon the reports I send out. But until God opens my eyes to them, I must hold to the traditions that I believe were modeled in the life of Jesus and Paul. I ask God to help me identify any of my current thinking that is not biblical. You can pray likewise for me.

Besides direction concerning the work of the ministry, God has been using the trials of life to shape my understanding of what it means to walk by faith. This is the most difficult learning experience for me since it affects the level of our comfort. It seems that I am extremely slow to learn and a man of little faith. I suspect that I will be this way until the day I die. But God is faithful and does not stop His training so that we increasingly believe that man does not live by bread alone but by everything that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Equipping Christians for the work of the ministry

In addition to the ministry to people in other countries via the Stones Cry Out web site, we have the privilege of having some influence on people that God brings to us here. Most of them come here during the summer. I conduct evangelism seminars and teaching sessions while they are here and then we take them door to door with us. In addition, God causes us to come in contact with a few men that are local and want to learn more about evangelism. Most significantly to me though, is training new disciples to do the work of the ministry. Right now, we are greatly encouraged by a man named Keith that we met last summer going door to door. He attends all of the home church meetings and now follows Jesus. He is drinking in the Word of God. Spontaneously, like the woman at the well (John 4), he has begun to tell others about Jesus. We supply him with gospels and tracts. He wants to start going door to door with us to learn how to evangelize effectively starting this coming Saturday. In addition, an Ex-Muslim that has been influenced by this ministry goes door to door with us from time to time.

3. Looking forward in faith

One dear friend wrote recently, “Expecting a harvest!” I sincerely believe that he is expecting a harvest. He has every reason to expect a harvest.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

From this, we have assurance that His word is accomplishing exactly what He sent it to do. But we should not expect a harvest of souls without asking God for it. (James 4:3) I know people are praying and I see the gospel going forth and I see people being graced by God with the understanding of it for the first time in their lives. So, we should expect a harvest. If there is little harvest right now, let us take the blame for it as those whose prayers are not red hot. And, let us be encouraged to ask God to make our prayers more fervent and our hearts more expecting as we look to Him for the harvest.

4. Words of encouragement and exhortation

It is easy to become discouraged when it “appears” as if God is not present in our lives or ministry. But we are commanded to “take courage.”

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (II Corinthians 5:6-10).

The context of this passage is all about our mission as ambassadors of Christ (doing the work of evangelism). The key to taking courage is remembering that this is all temporary and we will soon be home with the Lord. So, let us endure suffering in this present time because we are convinced that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. Even as I write, I am encouraged. May God help us to experience the reality of this passage so that we can truly be of good courage waiting for the harvest as we long for His appearing. (Come quickly Lord Jesus!)

Let us consider the faith of one of God’s witnesses preserved in His Holy Word.

Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory (II Samuel 23:11-12).

God has called each of us to advance His Kingdom. Right now, it might appear to some that I am trying to defend an insignificant plot of ground full of lentils. It might sometimes appear to me as if many of God’s people have fled the battle (though I know this is not really the case). Should I look for a different battle that seems more significant than this plot of ground full of lentils? No, at least for now, this is the plot of ground that God has assigned to me even if it does not “appear” that important. It took great courage for Shammah to take his stand and defend that little plot of ground full of lentils, especially since it appeared so insignificant. I take my stand on this plot of ground not because of any deep love I might have for these people. And not because our nation is in peril and being threatened by Islam! NO! I take my stand on this ground simply because this is the plot of ground that God has assigned to me. Unless and until He directs otherwise, I intend to hold this position as feeble as I might be standing. As a soldier, I pray that God keeps me from deserting the post assigned to me unless and until He dismisses me from my post. Let me and all who labor with me take courage in this, that we will soon be at home with the Lord and our labors and hardships are only temporary. Even if we do not see it in this life, in glory, we will be able look back and see that the LORD brought about a great victory.

5. Prayer requests

Protection and Endurance for those in the field

We are not so naïve that we do not know the danger we face. Unlike stronger men of faith, we are weak and often foolish. For this reason, we of all people, need God’s protection from the deceitful attacks of Satan. Unless God keeps us under the shadow of His wings, we will wonder off and fall headlong on our face. Unless He keeps us encouraged, we will soon be despairing of life. Unless He continues to send trials, we will become more filled with wretched, prideful independence than we already posses. Only God can keep us and cause us to endure so please pray to that end.

Salvation for those who have heard

It is our privilege as priests to intercede for the lost. Ask, and it will be given to you. Pray for those unbelievers that God impresses upon your heart.

The building up of the church

We thank God for our little assembly of believers that meet Sunday and Wednesday evenings. Pray that God adds to our assembly, new disciples who can become equipped for the work of the ministry. Pray that God gives us grace and wisdom to humbly serve each other so that red hot believers result.

That God will make our prayers more fervent

As God turns up the heat in our prayers, His power will be unleashed and the harvest will be made manifest to His glory. Pray therefore, that God sends revival to all of us who pray.

That God will supply all our needs

As you may know, we are not with a mission agency and due to our convictions, we do not feel right asking people for financial support. But we can and do ask God to supply our needs. If you are so inclined, please pray with us that God will supply all our needs.

end of report

Many Christians say that as individuals, our chief purpose is to glorify God. If this is true for individuals, then certainly we can say that the chief purpose for the Church is to glorify God. In order for a Church to purposely glorify God, it must be obedient to Him. Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus issued the Church its marching orders. We call it the Great Commission. THE Great Mission of the Church is to make disciples, baptize them and teach them to observe all things that Jesus commanded. Since a church cannot purposely glorify God if it is disobedient to Him, then a church MUST obey THE Great Mission that He assigned to it. Since the fulfillment of THE Great Mission is paramount in the Church’s purpose, it is essential to keep it at the center of our thinking as we try to answer the question, “What is the local church and how is it supposed to function?” Only as we see THE Great Mission as paramount to the fulfillment of God’s purposes can we properly comprehend the Bible passages that describe the church and how it is supposed to function. If we fail to hold THE Great Mission as paramount, our understanding of the Bible passages that speak about the Church will be flawed. It would be no different than attempting to interpret a verse without taking into account its context.

If a person comprehends the absolute importance of THE Great Mission assigned by Christ, he knows that the making of disciples cannot be considered less important than the ministry of believers to one another. He realizes that the task of making disciples has been assigned to all believers, not merely to professional evangelists or missionaries. He understands that as ambassadors of Christ, all believers will have an impact on the unbelievers living around them IF they live godly in Christ.  He understands that godly  living always includes proclaiming the excellencies of Him who called us. (See I Peter 2:9, note 1 below.)  If a person has a solid conviction about these things, he will see that the purpose of the ministry of saints to one another is so the saints will become equipped to do the work of the ministry IN ORDER THAT THE GREAT MISSION GETS CARRIED OUT. This is the lens he looks through to understand passages like the following one.

^“He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Paul also said, “We are to, grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). As a result of our ministry to one another, we will each have greater capacity to be used by God in the fulfillment of THE Great Mission and its fulfillment begins with the making of disciples.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you”(Matthew 29:19-20).

While on earth, Jesus made disciples and taught His disciples the things they needed to know. When he was about to ascend into heaven, He told His disciples to do as He did- to make disciples, baptize (see note 2 below) and teach them everything He commanded them. This is THE Great Mission He assigned to the Church. Therefore, if no disciples are being made, baptized and subsequently taught by a local church, the chief assignment Christ gave to it is not being carried out. It should not be considered a “healthy church.”

At this point it should be noted that Jesus wants us to make “true” disciples who prove that they indeed possess life from above through works wrought of God (see note 3 below). People who respond to invitations or pray a sinner’s prayer are not disciples unless they possess life from above that shows up in the form of radically changed lives that produce the fruit of the Kingdom (see note 4 beelow). Also, the fulfillment of the mission must be evidenced locally, not merely by extension through missionaries far away. The Church at Thessalonica was commended by the Apostle Paul for its role in fulfilling THE Great Mission.

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything” (I Thessalonians 1:2-8).

Now this was a healthy church! According to Paul, the fact that the gospel sounded forth from the Thessalonians was evidence that they believed the gospel with “full conviction.” In other words, they really believed it “from the heart.” The Apostle Paul said, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (II Corinthians 13:5). Jesus said that when the gospel is sown in “good soil,” it produces fruit. “The one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (Matthew 13:23). This fruit shows up in every area of our life. I maintain that one fruit of this new life from above is a spontaneous desire for the gospel to be proclaimed to all people. I maintain that if a person does not have this desire, he should not be confident that he has been born from above. Secondly, I maintain that if this desire is genuine, it will manifest itself through works that are aimed at seeing this desire fulfilled. For example, if a person has this desire, he will pray that the gospel will be proclaimed more. He will pray that God causes Jesus to be exalted highly in the preaching of the gospel to all people. He will give of his resources so that the gospel is  proclaimed more and more. And if this desire is genuine, he will actively participate in the proclamation of the gospel in whatever capacity God enables him. If he is deaf and dumb, he will still seek to communicate the gospel by giving out tracts that communicate it. If a person relegates this privilege to others and excuses himself from it, he shows that he does not really believe the gospel very much if at all.

I maintain that the degree to which this desire exists and is manifested in a Christian is directly proportional to the degree he actually believes the gospel.

We can conclude that some people believe the gospel more that others because we see some being more active than others in praying and doing things that will cause the gospel to be proclaimed.

To take our spiritual temperature, all we have to do is compare ourselves with the Thessalonians. Is the Word of the Lord sounding forth from us? Is it sounding forth beyond the walls of our homes and churches? Is it sounding forth “in every place?”  Or, do we keep this good news to ourselves? The extent it is sounding forth is a direct indication of how much we actually believe it. The gospel comes to us through the shed blood of Jesus, God’s dear Son. It is the most valuable treasure that He has placed into the care of His Church. At the judgment, each individual that has heard it will be held accountable for what he has done with it. The unbeliever who heard and refused to embrace it will be subject to more severe punishment. (See Hebrews 10:29.) The one who professes to believe but has been negligent in his stewardship of it will be cast into outer darkness. Based upon the degree to which the gospel is spread by the typical professing Christian living in the USA, we each need to consider whether we are in danger of hearing these words on judgment day, “You wicked, lazy slave!”

“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came^* and settled^* accounts with them. “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.  ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 23:14-30).

It is not my intention to motivate people by making them feel guilty. We cannot live in the newness of the Spirit if we are motivated by guilt! I wrote all this because it seems that the Church needs a wakeup call. It is my hope that God will use my words to awaken His people from their slumber so that they begin to cry out to Him for revival. Deep down inside, all true believers want to be used by God as His witnesses.

Knowing that THE Great Mission is job ONE, we understand that the goal of the ministry of those in leadership is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. It is the leader’s job to train them for ministry in order that THE Great Mission GETS DONE. Leading must be by example. (See I Peter 5:3). In the Bible narrative, leaders showed by example and first hand experience the things that must be done to fulfill THE Great Mission. They spent their time teaching their pupils all things that Jesus commanded. They also set examples as men who proclaimed the gospel outside the confines of church meetings.

Like the Apostles, today’s leader must be out in front proclaiming the gospel to the unbelievers outside the Church. Like the Apostles, today’s leader must be willing to suffer persecution and rejection for the sake of Christ as he faithfully proclaims the gospel. He must be able to say, “Follow my lead. I will show you what we must do in order to fulfill THE Great Mission that Jesus assigned to us.”

This is true for anyone in leadership because to lead, a person must lead by example or it is mere lip service. As the members watch and learn what to do, they are admonished to do what they observe the leaders doing. If they observe the leaders leading as the Apostles led, the members will not only minister to each other but also to those outside the Church. As a result, disciples will be made. All of this is necessary for the Church to fulfill THE Great Mission.

1“You are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9).

2 Though he may not have actually baptized with His own hands, John credits Jesus as having baptized many people through His disciples. (See John 3:26, 4:1&2.)

3 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (John 3:21).

4 “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (Matthew 13:23).

Hebrews tells us, “Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:16 KJV)”

We are told to come boldly to the throne of grace. But what if we are struggling with sin and have been experiencing much defeat? During such periods, Satan whispers accusations against us into our mind in order to flame feelings of guilt and shame. If we listen to him, we will think that God would have nothing to do with us because we are such failures. How are we to come boldly to the throne of grace under these conditions?

To understand how, it is critical to realize the implication of any approach to the throne of grace that is not a bold approach. If we do not come into His presence boldly, we are not truly coming to Him by faith through Jesus. If we fail to come boldly, then we are coming to Him to some degree on the basis of our own merit and this dishonors Him. If when approaching God, Satan reminds us that we are wretched losers, he is correct! We deserve to be cast into hell because we are vile (apart from Christ). But if Satan begins to tell us that God will have nothing to do with us, he is lying and we must not buy into his deceit! If you are feeling like you do not deserve acceptance from God, good. No man does!! Rather than deny this fact, embrace it wholeheartedly and confess all of your wretched thoughts and behavior to God as proof that you do not merit His acceptance. To confess is to agree with what God already knows. But though you deserve to be cast away from His presence, you must also believe that your acceptance before God was purchased by the blood of Jesus. So, while confessing your sin, you must do as He instructs and boldly take your stand before God on the basis of Christ’s merits alone. If you persist on wallowing in guilt, you are insisting on standing before Him in your own righteousness.

It is critical to understand that our standing before God was purchased with a price of infinite value, the blood of Jesus, God’s own Son. It is this blood alone that speaks in your behalf no matter what your past, present or future sin might be. Jesus is the most precious possession of the Father. The spilling of His blood cost Him deeply. To come to God by faith, you must believe what He has said and recognize the weightiness of this matter with literal fear and trembling. If you do not come into His presence through Christ boldly, you are actually saying to God and your self that Jesus blood sacrifice did not satisfy God the Father. In this way, you diminish the value that God places on Jesus’ blood. Such unbelief suggests that God is a liar and makes light of the death of Jesus. It is a slap in God’s face to wallow in guilt as if your righteousness can secure standing before the righteous, holy God. So, if guilt is keeping you from coming into God’s presence with boldness, you (with fear and trembling) must immediately agree with God about your wretchedness and recognize that Jesus suffered and paid for it, and then run to God boldly on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness.

Summary statements:

Just a few verses that support the article above:

Paul did not say, “I used to be the worst sinner.” He said, “I AM the worst sinner.”
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst .I Tim 1:15)

Paul had the very same problem as every single Christian, he was sinful. These words of his demonstrate that he also struggled with sin constantly. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom 7:14-25)

Like Paul, you must come to God always confessing that you are a vile creature but perfectly washed because God has washed you with the blood of Jesus:
When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Heb 9:11-14)

Because God has provided this way, we can come boldly:
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:19-22)

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father–to him be glory and power for ever and ever! (Rev 1:5-6)

God only desires that you be honest (always confessing/agreeing) with him and believe that He is the one who has made the way for you to come:
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (I John 1:8-10)

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal 5:16-26)

It is becoming increasingly clear that I am in desperate need of eye salve. Revelation 3:18 says, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” Many years ago, God granted to me a peek at my miserable guilty condition before His perfect righteousness and eyes to recognize that Jesus died as my substitute. He also gave His word to me so that I could learn about Him and teachers to guide and encourage me in that process. He has even given me glimpses into His glory though seen through cloudy glass and I have rejoiced to see it. But why do I sometimes lack joy? Why do I sometimes not recognize the absolute glory in the cross? Why do I sometimes have a cold heart? Why do I share the gospel in such small measure? Why do I not delight more in God’s righteousness? Why isn’t God saving more people that I am praying for or better put, why does my intercession lack the zeal that penetrates heaven? Now I know from reading the Bible that God is altogether glorious and that there is a much greater reality all around me that is unseen by the human eye. In II Kings 6:8-23, there is a story that illustrates this. The king of Aram sent his army to search out and destroy Elisha, the prophet of God. Picking up the story in verse 15, “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” We see from this passage that there is a real world with great forces that cannot be seen with the human eye. This theme is found throughout the Bible. For example, Ephesians 6:12 says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Why do I spend most of my hours living as if this unseen world does not exist? But it is not just this unseen world that is obscured. Even more important is my inability to see the beauty of God in much greater measure. The Bible says, “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” and “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (II Corinthians 3:18 & 4:6). What enabled Elisha, Paul, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and the Apostle John to see the unseen world and God‘s glory? Why are we so spiritually hindered from seeing these days? Should we just accept our blindness or see it as something that God is able to and wants to change? I am convinced that if Jesus would apply His salve to my eyes, the following would happen:

-I would see God’s righteousness more vividly and my eyes would find it altogether wonderful.
-I would see just how deeply God loves me and my heart would be at complete rest and comfort.
-I would recognize more clearly just how my sin was an offense to God and the great sacrifice required to remove it.
-I would recognize more accurately my current need of God’s grace to live each moment.
I would proclaim the gospel more and with more passion because its view is altogether glorious and cannot be held in.
-I would pray with intense fervor for God to shake the heavens and come down (and thus more souls would be saved)

If Jesus would only put some eye salve on my eyes, I would see His beauty more clearly and be delighted in all of His wonder. I would recognize the oncoming attacks of the enemy and be better prepared to do battle. I would hate this temporal world for all of its deceit and see the folly of taking comfort from it. I would have a heart that shares the intense passion of God for His glory. I would desire the things He desires more than I do now. My passion would drive me to plead with God for the souls of men, for the advancement of His kingdom. I would seek His Kingdom and His righteousness on my knees in prayer until it becomes visible to the human eye.

“You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:17-20).

Jesus, please give me eye salve at any cost to my physical comfort in this life!!

God created man so that he possesses a sense of justice. Even Hollywood attests to this by producing fictional movies that are created to satisfy the natural craving for justice to be carried out. After the downtrodden are mistreated, there is satisfaction when the villain is brought to justice and put in their right place. Unlike make-believe Hollywood, God has set His stage in reality where an infinite injustice has been done to His own Son at the hands of wicked villains, us, His creatures. To their own condemnation, even the religious leaders of Jesus’ day had that God-given sense of justice as seen by their reaction to the parable of the landowner. “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. `They will respect my son,’ he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, `This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,’ they replied” (Matthew 21:33-41). The religious leaders knew in their hearts that the farmers were deserving of punishment fit for their wicked crime. They only realized after they answered, that in the parable, Jesus was the Son of the landowner and they were the wicked farmers deserving of punishment (just as we are deserving of it). The Bible makes clear that the score must be settled and the punishment will fit the crime. The characters in the parable were mere people, a landowner, his son and the wicked farmers. Yet, the parable was based upon an historical event involving God, His Son and His creatures.

Seeing that the life of His Son is of infinite worth to the Father, the punishment will be eternal. Only eternal punishment fits a crime of infinite magnitude. John writes about that day of reckoning. “Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen” (Revelation 1:7). The word “Amen” can be translated “So be it!” or “Yes!” As John sees this revelation of the coming judgment, his heart agrees with it, “Yes!” In that day, no creature will be able to say, “This is not fair.” The redeemed of the Lord will look upon the judgment in that day and it will seem perfectly just. Our hearts will rejoice in the judgment rather than feel pity for those being cast into hell. In that day, our eyes will be able to see things as God sees them. The crime being judged will be seen for what it is, one of infinite magnitude, the slaying of God’s innocent Son. Like John, we will cry out, “Yes!” Paul says that on that day, Jesus will be “revealed from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed” (II Thessalonians 1:7-10). Concerning the day of His appearing, we wait with longing mainly because we will see Him and be with Him forever. We normally don’t spend much time consciously waiting for justice to be executed. Yet, something deep inside, perhaps in the sub-conscience, knows that an infinite injustice has been carried out and things must be set right.

While we wait for the glorious day of His appearing, we carry out the mission He assigned to us. As we do, we find ourselves rejoicing whenever Jesus is exalted in our eyes. In this age, Jesus is exalted whenever the gospel is preached and even more so when a sinner repents and is translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Just as there is great rejoicing by God in heaven when one sinner repents, there is great rejoicing in the hearts of His people here on earth whenever they witness it. Whenever we see a sinner repent, we get a glimpse of justice being served. The precious blood of Jesus was spilt as payment to redeem sinners so whenever we observe it happen, we are seeing just what the payment purchased. In this, the purpose of the spilling is fulfilled and we get a glimpse of its worth. Here is a soul purchased by Christ for His glory. In this, Jesus is greatly exalted.

There was a time in our lives when we did not experience deep joy over souls coming to Christ. Our lives were driven by our own individual pursuit of happiness apart from God. When God takes up His dwelling in a soul, that soul suddenly has new desires and new joys. The fact that our souls are especially delighted when we witness a sinner first trust in Christ is one of the evidences that His Spirit dwells in us. The saving of souls is the outcome of the cross that naturally delights our new heart.

While we wait for the day of His appearing, we can become weary if it seems like the work He did is being ignored and mocked by the world. Satan taunts God’s people saying, “See, he died for nothing. Nobody is paying attention. No one is benefiting from His death.” We know by faith that, “God exalted Him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). But while in this flesh, we often grow weary whenever the reality of Christ’s exaltation gets obscured. When we watch God deliver a sinner from the kingdom of darkness, our hearts are refreshed and we rejoice because in the saving of each soul, the purpose for Jesus’ death is once again made clear to us. Indeed His blood was not spilt in vain! Inwardly, we are satisfied as we watch God put Satan in his place before our very eyes. Besides those occasions when we witness a sinner repent, this justice is also carried out whenever the gospel is preached and understood by those in darkness. When we watch God speak His gospel to a sinner so that they begin to comprehend it for the first time, Christ is again exalted in our eyes and no longer are we being lulled into thinking that His death was for nothing. Whenever the gospel is preached and understood by a sinner, we are inwardly delighted at the exaltation of Christ and we are motivated once again to speak forth His praises and point them out to the world around us. It is the desire of every regenerate heart to see Jesus lifted up and this can be done whenever we speak of His Excellencies.

Jesus, while we await your return, our hearts grow weary because your glory is obscured. Open our mouths to speak of Your Excellencies so that sinners see the great light and give you honor!

“Everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature” (Hebrews 5:13&14). According to this passage, the immature believer is not able to partake of “solid food.” What characterizes a mature believer? Is it vast Bible knowledge? Is it an ability to have answers to life’s tough questions? If we rely on the analogy contained in the passage, it would seem that the “mature” believer should in some way be “well fed.” What then is it like for a believer to be “well fed” spiritually speaking? From the analogy, it would seem that a well-nourished believer should in some way be satisfied in the inner man, “like a tree planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1:3).

A new believer can be satisfied with what Hebrews 5:13 calls milk. They are amazed with the truth they suddenly find so abundant in the Bible. New believers usually appear excited because they are drinking from the newly discovered living well. If asked why they seem so full of life, they might respond, “I was once blind, but now I see!” Is it normal for this excitement to wear off as the new believer becomes better acquainted with the Word? It seems to be common among North American Christians but does it have to be this way? Actually, the Bible clearly states that the intensity of our experience with God should only increase with maturity. The writer of Hebrews implies though, that as time goes on, the consistency of the nourishment must change in the normal maturation process. Perhaps the lukewarm nature of our spirituality is due to improper nourishment.

Where do we find the solid food necessary to satisfy our souls? Can we simply open the Bible and expect to find it by reading? NO! The solid food referred to here is not intellectually obtainable. I am convinced that the solid food is nothing less than treasure that must be uncovered by the power of His Spirit as a part of His work called “sanctification.” This is a supernatural process that involves the excavating of all that we formerly held dear in order to implant the Living Word in its place. In First Corinthians 2:9-16, we read that “the Holy Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God, and that He must reveal them to us.” James 1:21 pleads with us to “receive the engrafted Word, which is able to save our souls.” From these passages we see that this supernatural teaching process of the Holy Spirit reaches into the very fabric of our entire being, not just our intellect.

Since I consider myself spiritually famished with stunted growth and cut out of the same mold as the typical North American Christian, should I hope to be nourished on solid food? I do here claim certain promises God makes to me and all that are His. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in me, will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ”(Philippians 1:6). He predestined me to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Though these promises stand on their own, my experience in life testifies that they are true. In spite of my waywardness, God’s work of sanctification and teaching continue thereby resulting in my transformation, or said another way, spiritual maturation. Based upon the promises of God and confirmed by my life’s experience, I can confidently say that all who are in Christ will be transformed into the image of Jesus as their life unfolds. The extent of this process varies from Christian to Christian but nothing shall stay His hand or thwart His purposes for us. Coupled with these promises is another one, “Seek and you shall find” (Matthew 7:7). If I hunger for more of Him and plead with Him to glorify Himself in my life, this transforming process will be more noticeable and observable. God will move mountains and shake the very foundations of anyone who desperately pleads with God to show Himself. The heavenly city will become more visible and the earthly existence more loathsome in comparison. Desires will change so much that we will wonder why we once placed such high value on things like “having a good time” or having a comfortable life, or success or accomplishments. To those who have tasted of the Bread of Heaven, the pleasures of this world are at best, misery compared to being filled with all the fullness of God. The blessed one truly believes that to die is gain because only then will he fully experience glorious, heart-pounding eternal life and observe the very glory of God forever in His bosom.

God’s transforming process by its very nature, is designed to cause us to experience the essence of death, even without loss of physical life. In I Peter 1:6-8, this supernatural process is portrayed as God’s loving work to wean our hearts from its love of this life while filling it with new desires and “joy inexpressible and full of glory” (v8). Indispensable to this process are “diverse trials” (v.6) which he uses in this weaning process. Though we have a tendency to run from these trials, the mature believer has learned (really) to count it all joy when God providentially brings trials upon him (James 1:2). He knows that the trials will unearth the glory of God in his heart thus producing “joy inexpressible and full of glory.” The deeper the treasure, the greater the joy. Blessed is he who bears the shovel marks of God in the very walls of his heart. It is in that place where God plants His deepest treasure, the Living Word.

“Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance” (Isaiah 55:2b).”

Why did He create the universe? Why did God create man? The more we understand God’s reasons for creating the universe and man, the better we will comprehend His purpose and desires for His people today. Conversely, if we do not know God’s motivations for creating us, our perception of what He desires to do in and through us will be distorted. The Bible says that God created us for His pleasure. “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” (Revelation 4:11 KJV). After God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the perfect Garden of Eden, was His pleasure fully satisfied? In their initial sinless state, could Adam and Eve fully appreciate and know God the way He had intended? Were their hearts overflowing with joy from being in His presence and were they full of gratitude like those pictured in the book of Revelation who continually fall down and worship Him? Though He said that His finished work was “good,” did it bring Him the ultimate glory He had in mind before He began? Only as we read past the three opening chapters of the Bible do we realize that even though His work was perfect, it could not fully reveal His glory or communicate many attributes of His being. The work completed during the first six days of creation demonstrated God’s creative power but it had no ability to reveal His mercy and redemptive love. Prior to beginning it all, God planned to reveal much more of Himself than what could be seen in the initial creation. According to the Bible, God decided before the foundation of the world to reveal many aspects of His glory through the redemption of sinful man. This is why Jesus was said to be the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Even angels long to look into these things (I Peter 1:12) because these attributes of God previously had never been on display.

It is critical to see that God did not create Adam and Eve in order to have fellowship with them in the Garden of Eden. He created them in their sinless state fully knowing that they would quickly choose to disobey Him. God set the stage in the Garden of Eden, a perfect environment, for sinless Adam and Eve to demonstrate their desire to rebel. They could not blame God or their environment for their sin. Adam had only himself to blame. When he sinned, God’s plan for man was not foiled. Rather, His plan for redemption was now ready to unfold. It was this plan of redemption that God had in mind before He created man. Redemption of sinful man dominates God’s purpose for creating him. Only as we recognize this can we understand the cross and God’s purposes for our lives today. It helps to consider the end of the story while trying to make sense of the main plot line. If we turn to the book of Revelation, we see all things culminating in the union of Jesus, the Lamb, to His bride. The emphasis is on Christ getting what the Father had planned from the beginning, a people for His own possession that would love Him and serve Him, not out of duty, but with joyful hearts forever. “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God”(Revelation 21:3). Here, God’s desires and purposes for creating us become apparent. He is calling out a people from the domain of darkness that are washed in the blood of the Lamb, raising them to new life and setting them apart as His holy possession.
This understanding of God’s ultimate purpose for creating us enables us to make more sense of the Great Commission that Jesusgave to the church. Once these things are clear, it is obvious that God’s main purpose for this present age is the preparation of the Bride for His Son’s wedding that is soon to take place. Until the Bride has been made ready, Jesus’ wedding will not take place. He has instructed us to long for (II Timothy 4:8), anticipate (Titus 2:13) and speed His return (II Peter 3:12) and this can only be accomplished as the Great Commission is fulfilled. So, God’s purpose for creating us is all wrapped up in the mission that He gave to His church to go and make disciples of all nations. Thus, until it is completed, His glory will not be fully revealed and all creation will continue to groan, waiting in anticipation of it (Romans 8:19-22).

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him. Speak of all His wonders. Let the Heart of those who seek the Lord be glad” (Psalm 105:2&3).

Father, give us eye salve so we will see This Radiance of Your glory so that we will love Him more than life!