My wife Jeannie and I, have for the past several weeks and months, have been noticing the lack of Christian discipline – calling out sin when it needs to be called out – by those who call themselves “Christians”.
To be honest, it’s been really ticking us off!
So here goes — some Christian discipline to those of you who may need it. Don’t think this applies to you? Read on, and if the Holy Spirit convicts you, you need it.
Let’s start with what God says about the “lukewarm church:
“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:15-19)
These, my friends, are the words of God Himself. Let’s look at some Greek here:
The word “spit” in verse 16, is actually the word emeó, which does not mean spit, it means vomit. The King James uses the term “spew”.
Why such horrible descriptive language? Well, God was describing the Church at Laodicea. Six miles from Laodicea, hot springs at Hierapolis brought water that became lukewarm by the time it reached Laodicea. It was contaminated with many minerals, impossible to drink and nauseating. The Laodiceans were lukewarm in spiritual fervor and good works; their lack of commitment is revolting to the Lord, who would have them go one way or the other.
The Laodiceans were supposedly Christians, but they weren’t on fire for their faith – they could care less how they – or anyone else behaved.
How sad.
Let’s look at the ninth chapter of the Book of Ezra.
Some background first. After the seventy years of captivity, God in all of His goodness, releases the people back to Israel as promised to Daniel. Ezra is sent to teach this new generation how to live, and the law of the land.
When Ezra gets to Israel he finds that the people did what they were banished for in the first place – intermarrying, and thus, worshiping idols and the gods of their new spouse, instead of the God of Israel.
Ezra, to say the least, was extremely angry. Ezra 9:3 states:
As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.
The Hebrew word for “appalled” in this verse is שָׁמֵם (shamem, pronounced shah-MEM), which means desolated, devastated, laid waste,
Think of the worst thing that can come from the human body – then fill a room with it. Vile, disgusting, horrible – sounds a little like the Church at Laodicea in Revelation 3. That’s how Ezra felt when he saw this.
And if Ezra felt this way, can you imagine how God felt?
He was embarrassed to even pray for the people: Verse 6:
“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.”
This is exactly how Jeannie and I are feeling about the sin in this nation and the world today – we’re sickened by it.
- The corruption in our government
- The killing of the unborn through abortion
- The desecration of biblical marriage through homosexuality
- Transgenderism
- Worshiping idols
- False teaching in our churches
I could go on and on – and so could many of you.
But so many so-called “christians” don’t see anything wrong with this behavior. They think that if two men want to commit sodomy, then so be it. If two women want to marry and commit unnatural acts with each other – that’s okay. If a man wants to mutilate his body and “become a woman” – then that’s his right.
In the words of the late Jack Van Impe – BUNK!
Men are men; women are women; God doesn’t make mistakes – and sex was made to be enjoyed between men and women, properly joined in biblical marriage.
Remember the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? There were men who were sleeping with other men! God destroyed those cities with fire and brimstone. Do you think the AIDS virus was some mutation? No! It was a warning shot from God to get things right down here!
We have people in government who are so corrupt; that to even hear their names so sickens us that we want to scream. Their deeds are well documented – and yet they still walk free. The deeds of the Clintons and their “foundation” are well documented – these people belong in prison. The deeds of the Biden family are now coming home to roost – will any of them see the inside of a prison cell? Probably not.
Government offiicials of BOTH PARTIES, are equally culplable! Congresses of both parties have raided Social Security and Medicare – monies that we paid into as insurance for retirement and old age – to feed their pet projects or to service government debt. This is theft – pure and simple. Trillions of dollars have been stolen from us who paid into this system, just to have it taken away by thieves in Washington – yes, I said THIEVES. Most of these people should be thrown in prison, and a whole new crop installed.
Why aren’t Christians standing up and saying ENOUGH! to sin? Are you afraid of offending your fellow man? Are you afraid of being called names, like “homophobe” or “racist” or some such other word?
If Jesus acted in this way – there would be no salvation.
In John chapter 4, we find the Samaritan woman at the well. Do you honestly think that Jesus landed there by accident? No! He asked her for a drink – to which she obliged. They started having a discussion – something not done – a man and a woman alone. It was a theological discussion. Jesus knew she was sinning – and he called her out on it. Verses 16-18:
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
What he said to her was that she’s been married five times, and she was “test driving” potential number 6! How did He know that? She was astounded, and from that encounter, became the town evangelist telling all who would listen: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” And in verse 30, They went out of the town and were coming to him.
In John chapter 8, we find the woman caught in the act of adultery. Although we can see that this was a “set up” to trap Jesus, it was still a sin on the woman’s – and the man’s – part.
After the pharisees dropped their rocks and left, in verses 10 and 11:
Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Jesus called out the sin, and told her not to do it again.
In both cases, Jesus wasn’t afraid to tell others of their sin – and neither should we!
“But,” people say, “who are you to judge me?”
I’m not judging YOU – I’m calling out your BEHAVIOR!
The first rule of management – and parenting – is to deal with someone’s actions – their behavior – not the person. This is what Jesus did – he dealt with the behavior.
Yes, God loves us. But God is also HOLY – and He cannot dwell where there is unholiness. The circular actions of “Sin … ask forgiveness, then do the same sin again – then ask forgiveness” – because you think that because you’re saved, you can get away with that? You’re sorely mistaken!
1 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” When you become saved, you become a new creation! This means that if you’re unmarried and cohabitating with someone of the opposite gender (there are only TWO genders, after all) – you need to get married, or split up, it’s that simple. If you’re in any sin, you need to repent and ask God to get you right.
There are many people today who were in the homosexual lifestyle, who are living godly lives today, many with spouses and kids – who have shed that sinful lifestyle (it’s not a choice).
I wish I had my voice – I’d give my right arm to stand up in front a joint session of Congress, and deliver a hellfire and brimstone sermon about their evils – exhorting them to repent – and turn from their wicked ways. For until they – and the people of this nation do, God will be hard pressed to heal this land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
So Christian, don’t be afraid to call out sin – yes love them. To call out sin is to hopefully love them into Heaven.
To not to do so, is to love them straight to Hell – and you will answer to the Lord God for that one day – and you don’t want that.
The #Heb10 Church 