To the Church
When the Church becomes a place for the strong, instead of the weak and the hurting. When the Church, God’s family, the body of Christ becomes rooted and established in skills and abilities and talents. Instead of the workings of the Holy Spirit.
Then, it’s true. There is no way around it.
Because when the Church, those people united in Christ, all one with Christ, become about the show and the performance and the lifting up of gifts and knowledge and fruits, instead of the surrendering of rights, the letting go of expectations, and the submitting to the Holy Spirit through the breaking of the flesh.
Then there is no way around it. It’ll happen every time.
Fear and condemnation will be preached and taught and lived and proclaimed. And fellowship with Christ, your walking with Him, is not possible.
Because, when a life stands tall and strong and proud in what it can do. When Christ’s Church, the body of Christ, those who are made one with Christ by the blood of the Lamb, turn from Him and His way to walk in their own way of ability and skill and talent. Then it’s true. Fellowship with Christ is gone and the Church becomes a place of fear and frustration. For expectations run high when success is counted and results are weighed, and Christ is forgotten.
And those brothers and sisters who all need encouragement and edification and grace upon grace. They are only put down and discouraged instead. Because fear and condemnation is what they hear. Again and again. Over and over.
But Christ’s Life, the very life that laid everything down, emptying Himself, humbling Himself, surrendering Himself. Giving Himself in the shedding of His blood to rescue those He loves. This Life, Christ’s very life, cannot be realized or shown or experienced when fear and condemnation rule. Not at all! Christ’s life cannot be lifted up in the Church when the lives He came for are guilted into obedience, condemned into compliance, and pursuaded into sacrifice and service. Not at all!
Oh, how can it be? How can the Church of Christ stray so far from Christ? You were made one with Christ. So how can you now forget Him?
“O foolish [Christians]! Who has bewitched you? …Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” - Galatians 3:1-3
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” - John 3:16-17 ESV
Christ Jesus came to save. He came out of love, to save the world He loved. Not to condemn and fear (Romans 8:1-2, 1 John 4:18).
Oh Church, the very body of Christ, when is Christ going to reign and rule and lead you? When will your skills no longer matter, and Christ be all that matters? When will you be a place for the weak to come to, in their pain and inability?
When will you allow the Holy Spirit to fill you and move you and teach you all things in Christ (John 14:26)?
Only when Christ is allowed to reign.
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“…you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” - 1 John 2:27 NLT
“Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day.” - 1 Chronicles 16:23 ESV
“Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.” - 1 Chronicles 16:23 NLT