09/09/2024
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The church is Godβs appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been Godβs plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. (AA 9).
Christ has His Church in which he is the Head. Bible compares him with a Husband ." For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (Eph 5:23). In the past centuries, the Church went through rough and tough times of different Kinds. In these trying times, faithful Christians have been waiting to see the appearing of our Lord and Servior, Jesus Christ. In the first century, Christians were eagerly waiting for his Second coming. Paul in his second letter to the Saints in Thessalonians said, Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.(2Thess 2:3,4).
The falling away in the passage is the apostasy. This apostasy began with Lucifer in heaven and he had been attempting to plant it in the Church of God through individuals. In the first Century, the loving Church was united and established for the course of Christ. But though in this committed state, there was still falling away. (See 2 Timothy 3:7,8). This apostasy continues in the next successive Churches and it becomes opened and dominant when paganism shake hands with Christianity. The Church abandoned her loyalty to God. This has been termed as the dark ages of the Church. By the grace of God, he inspired his chosen to rekindled the light which lightened the world even to our age. We are leaving in the last stage of the Church, the Loadicean State. There is no further stage. A claim to exit here is to go to the World or to the organised forces of God's enemy in the last minute.
IS THERE APOSTASY IN THE CHURCH OR IS THE CHURCH IN APOSTASY?
Seventh-day Adventist Church has had more than fifty reform movements which has past and more are yet to surface. Each of these movements had the idea that the Church has apostasied defending on some doctrines of their concern. Unfortunately, they never stands to prove themselves as the God-led movements. Why? Because, there is no another stage of the Church beyond Loadicea. Secondly, the messages which the present harm them in the process and they stumbled. The word Loadicea means Judging. We are in the time of pre-advent judgment yet our condition is describe to be "Lukewarm". We are neither cold nor hot. Bible says, " So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.(Rev 3:16). This does not mean that God will abandoned his Church for another. It will fulfilled itself in the members not the Church. The pen of inspiration pinned it this way;
Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted outβthe chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths. We must be divested of our self-righteousness and arrayed in the righteousness of Christ.(2SM380)
The warnings of the word of God regarding the perils surrounding the Christian church belong to us today. As in the days of the apostles men tried by tradition and philosophy to destroy faith in the Scriptures, so today, by the pleasing sentiments of higher criticism, evolution, spiritualism, theosophy, and pantheism, the enemy of righteousness is seeking to lead souls into forbidden paths. To many the Bible is as a lamp without oil, because they have turned their minds into channels of speculative belief that bring misunderstanding and confusion. The work of higher criticism, in dissecting, conjecturing, reconstructing, is destroying faith in the Bible as a divine revelation. It is robbing Godβs word of power to control, uplift, and inspire human lives. (AA 474).
The Church has not apostasied but there is apostasy in the Church. Remember the Parable of the w**d and tares. βChrist has forth unto his disciples, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.β Satan converts himself and his inspired people into the Church. This makes the Church like Babylon as many perceived but it is not.
Christβs servants are grieved as they see true and false believers mingled in the church. They long to do something to cleanse the church. Like the servants of the householder, they are ready to uproot the tares. But Christ says to them, βNay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.β( COL 71).
There will be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff must in time be separated from the wheat. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. It is the very time when the genuine will be the strongest.βLetter 46, 1887.
The world has no right to doubt the truth of Christianity because there are unworthy members in the church, nor should Christians become disheartened because of these false brethren. How was it with the early church? Ananias and Sapphira joined themselves to the disciples. Simon Magus was baptized. Demas, who forsook Paul, had been counted a believer. Judas Iscariot was numbered with the apostles. The Redeemer does not want to lose one soul; His experience with Judas is recorded to show His long patience with perverse human nature; and He bids us bear with it as He has borne. He has said that false brethren will be found in the church till the close of time. (COL 72.)
CHRIST IS LEADING HIS CHURCH TO THE FINISH LINE.
