Continuing, Michael writes that in Mark 9:38, John said to Jesus, we saw someone casting out devils in your name and we told them to stop because they didn’t follow us. Jesus said, “Why did you say that? Ether they are for us or they are against us. If they are casting out devils in my name then they are for us.” The distractions of the world around us will turn our hearts from the light of the truth of the Word. When we focus on the affairs of this world and the divisiveness and confusion all around us, the devil will ensnare us and pull us into the darkness of strife and contention. The darkness will separate our hearts from our fellowship with God. Where there is strife and division there is confusion and every evil work. However, the Word of God says, set your affection on things above, not on things of this world. For that which is seen is temporal but that which is unseen is eternal.
It’s important to remember that Jesus, the Christ, the son of the living God, is the foundation of the church and the church is the pillar and ground of the truth. Churches call men and women to attend regularly, to serve diligently, and to give generously. However, mankind looks on the deeds, behaviors, works, and outward appearances, whereas God looks upon the heart.
Many churches stopped growing about fifty years ago. Churches began competing for members and pulling people from other churches. They stole members from other churches by giving them more entertaining music, focus on inter-personal relationships, giving more eloquent and positive messages, and appealing “prosperity gospel” preaching. They began preaching a social gospel and appealing to peoples’ pride by focusing on self-improvement, social/emotional building and “what’s in it for me.” The church stopped growing by not converting unbelieving sinners to the church of the living God, by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.
In the Old Testament, God judged Israel when they turned their hearts away from God’s commandments. When they willfully intermarried with pagans and pursued other gods, the true God gave them up to their vanity and their own devices. They became prey for the devil and his purpose... to steal, kill and to destroy, by the unbridled passions of the sinful desires of their flesh.
The church in the time of Peter, like today’s church, was struggling through hard times. The church was persecuted and the believers were marked out as deviant from the norms of the politically correct culture. However, the darker the night the brighter the light shines. There can be no victory without a battle. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. Our battle is a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of God’s elect. From God’s perspective, the most important election is our election of God.
The Apostle Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:10, ““Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, you shall never fall: “What are “these things?” These are the things in 2 Peter 1:4-7: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”
As the Christian church, the called out, the elect of God, our heavenly Father has given us His gracious gift of Holy Spirit. In Christ our cornerstone, He has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness. His ultimate purpose is that we would be blessed by blessing Him; that as living stones, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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