July 31, 2010 Suddenly

One of the reasons we're told not to judge others on "doubtful matters"-- things that aren't stated outright in Scripture-- is that we don't know what God is working on with someone else.  We don't even know that about ourselves so often.  Because Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith, it is His job to decide what needs to be changed when.  Our job is receive one another, accept one another, and live according to the law of love in order not to trouble others with our mode of life.  That is hard enough without trying to fix others.
If any correction needs to happen, let it be done by those with the authority to do so, and let it be on the clear doctrines of Christ, such as fornication.

When King Hezekiah-- grieved by the spiritual adulteries perpetrated by his predecessor-- desired to bring the nation back to a right relationship with God and reinstate the temple worship, he didn't seem to dictate exactly how that was to be done.  He exhorted the priests and Levites to consecrate themselves and to cleanse out the temple.  He told them to take out the rubbish, but he left it to them to do the work.  Since we each are a temple of the Holy Spirit, and each of us kings and priests unto the Lord, it is the Holy Spirit's task to lead each one of us as to how to cleanse ourselves from dead works.  Some of the rubbish in our souls might be obvious to others, but some of it might look OK to someone else, but the Lord reveals to us that it's not OK for us.  "Whatever is not of faith is sin."  This is a basic key to walking in holiness (wholeness), but it really comes down to the individual working out their salvation with Christ's leading.  We are all in different stages of our growth and development.

The mysterious thing is how the Spirit works in each of us, deep inside our hearts, to prepare us for the next stage.  Sometimes we observe a brother or sister who seems to be wandering around in darkness, and then, voila!  All of a sudden they seem to have snapped out of it, moving forward in a level of glory that might even pass us by temporarily.  We should rejoice when that happens.  It gives me hope to know that if I'm struggling in life, God's got it under control, and He's leading me step by step out of the maze of confusion and darkness that I might be in.

I think we can anticipate a sudden "coming round the bend" for the Church in general.  God is doing a work in His people, much of it unseen.  Christ is still the head of His body.  He is still in charge of each individual's salvation process, and of the building of His Kingdom, living stone by living stone.  Maybe at this moment some of the trash is being taken out of the temple in one person's life, and another is getting their instrument of praise polished up and ready to go.  At the proper time, all will be in order and the glory of God will be seen in a unity, joy and love that is greater than has ever been seen before.  This verse will again be very relevant:  "All the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly." 
2 Chronicles 29:36