“This is my command: Love each other.”
Jesus Christ
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The following experiences are taken from the Scriptures
in describing the lives of Jesus and the lives of the Apostles.
in describing the lives of Jesus and the lives of the Apostles.
“To suffer the loss of all things, to be homeless, hungry, to give up all that you have, to suffer with Christ, though rich to become poor, to suffer rejection, persecution, beatings, lowly, as though you were not, without eloquence or superior wisdom, in weakness and fear, with much trembling, as servants, as slaves, condemned to die, as lambs led to the slaughter, on display, spectacles, dishonored, thirsty, in rags, brutally treated, working hard with your own hands, cursed, slandered, the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world, denying yourself, taking up your life, distressed for the comfort and salvation of others, sharing in others sufferings and burdens, under great pressure far beyond your ability to endure, despairing of your life, feeling the sentence of death, in deadly peril, with great anguish of heart, with many tears, hard pressed on every side, perplexed, struck down, carrying about in your body the death of Jesus, always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, outwardly wasting away, in great endurance, enduring trouble and hardship, in imprisonment’s, riots, through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report, genuine yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, yet living on; beaten, yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing everything; bodies that have no rest, harassed at every turn, conflicts on the outside, fears within, in severe trial, in extreme poverty, not being a burden to anyone, severely flogged, exposed to death again and again, stoned, shipwrecked, adrift in the open sea, constantly on the move, in danger in the country, in danger in the city, in danger from rivers, in danger from criminals, in danger from false brethren, laboring and toiling, often without sleep, being cold and without clothes, often without food, pressure of concern for all the churches, feeling weak with those who are weak, inwardly burning because of those led into sin. In danger of arrest, in weakness, bearing insults and difficulties, making a fool of ourselves (for Christ’s sake), spending everything we have for others, expending ourselves as well, having our property confiscated, living as aliens and strangers on the earth, not receiving in this life the things promised, longing for a better country, mistreated with the people of God, experiencing disgrace for the sake of Christ, tortured, jeered, chained, stoned, sawed in two, put to death by the sword, clothed with sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, mistreated, wandering in deserts and mountains and in caves and in holes in the ground, bearing on your body the marks of the Lord Jesus, resisting sins to the point of shedding of your own blood…” Taken from the Gospels, and the Epistles of the New Testament.
These are the experiences of God’s people who obtained a “good report” in the Word of God.
Is this in any way a picture of the American church or, as Paul said to the Corinthian church, are we “reigning as kings” at a time when we are called to sacrifice and to bear our cross? Are we “seeking the city which is to come,” or are we trying to receive our reward now? Are we with Jesus “outside the camp, bearing His reproach,” or are we inside the camp, too settled down in the comforts of this world? We have drifted far from our call.
Is the American church holding forth a vision of excellence and self denial? Are we producing a generation of fervent men and women of God as Jesus desires, or just “lukewarm”, “worldly”, “good” people? What does our Lord desire of us for our good and happiness?
The wonderful “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” is only attainable by our individually taking up our cross, following Jesus, and, if necessary, suffering with Him. (To walk with Jesus is to often be at risk.) This is a sacrificial life of self denial and discipline which is not being proclaimed as our goal in the American church. This is a primary reason why many of our young people are bored with our form of Christianity. There is no sacrifice. This is not something we have to do, it is what we are called to do. Our salvation is a free gift. Our crown is something we earn. This is the great deficiency of the American church: We have been overcome with our prosperity and ease and have lost sight of our great call to be like Jesus and the apostles. We only want to believe and not to follow. Thereby we have become impoverished, though appearing rich. What has caused this?
Legalism
A subtle form of legalism has robbed us of Christ’s true riches. Legalism is practicing form and external effort rather than clothing ourselves with Christ. Legalism as defined in Paul’s letter to the Galatians is using the law either for the purpose of justification, or after beginning with the Spirit, trying to attain our goal by human effort. (the law) Gal. 3:1-
Legalism is any form or practice that displaces the “law of Christ”, the “high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” the “way of the Spirit”, and ultimately, the call of Jesus for each one of us to “deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him”. Legalism focuses on this world and our rewards here, the cross focuses on heaven and our rewards there. Legalism promotes self-
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philip. 3:7-
Pray that God will raise up evangelists and preachers across our land who will exhort the American church to take up her cross and follow our Lord. This is the very opposite of the “prosperity gospel,” and the popular approach to giving today which threatens the curse of the law and teaches us to give in order to receive material possessions. You are no longer under the curse of the law, and are exhorted in Christ to give freely, not under compulsion.
Pray that God will use us as vessels of the character and person of Jesus, rejecting the cheap imitations we are seeing more and more of today.
We must suffer with Him if we want to reign with Him. We can no longer be content with the easy path of a self satisfying form of Christianity. How will we feel when we stand in eternity alongside great men and women of God who in every century gave their all, suffered the lose of all things and counted it joy. This step will not be easy for the American church; nor for you or me; nevertheless, we must, as members of Christ, cry out to God for renewal and reformation in ourselves and in the church. We cannot and must not be deceived.
Happiness will never be found in the possessions of this life. American Christians need to begin to pour their resources into the Kingdom of God and I do not think millions of dollars invested in huge buildings are the wisest investment. The church existed and grew very well in homes until the establishment of Catholicism. Because of persecution, I think we will return to house churches before the Lord’s return. We need to invest more in the lives of people, in building relationships, supporting public evangelism, helping the poor among the Body of Christ in Third World countries where $100 a month supports the family of a poor pastor or evangelist, and $200 will help an entire congregation. Their cry for help will not go unnoticed by God; nor will our indifference. Give where God tells you, how much He tells you, when He tells you, not under compulsion. Give freely, as the Lord has prospered you. If there is one obvious thing that American Christians can and should do for the Kingdom of God worldwide, it is to give. We are the richest nation in the world. May God help us not to keep it for ourselves. As James, the Lord’s brother wrote, “we are not to horde wealth in the last days,”… “we are not to fatten ourselves in a day of slaughter.”
The Holy Spirit and the Word of God will lead us. He will draw each of us closer to Him. But we must know Him by the living way of the Spirit, tested by the Word of God, and with a willingness to even experience the fellowship of His suffering.
I believe God will graciously and lovingly place the cross upon those in America who want to follow Him. May each of us have the courage and wisdom to recognize God’s high call for our life.
The true riches of Christ await us. But these are only for those who are willing to run the race. Let’s not just go to heaven with a half empty hand and heart. Let’s arrive full of joy.
Published by In Jesus’ Name Ministries Phone: 276-644-1098
The Marks Of Success
According to God
According to God
By Court Wood
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