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About Jesus Steve Sweetman 19
- In Need Of Eye
Salve This
will end my series on "Living In An Anti-Christ Culture" based
on the apostle Peter's first letter.
Much more could be said, but I've got to stop somewhere. If
you're interested in learning more about 1 Peter, you can read my verse
by verse commentary on 1 Peter at; http://stevesweetman.com/commentarylist.htm You
can also listen to my audio version at:
http://stevesweetman.com/1peteraudio/1peteraudio.htm Peter,
and those to whom he wrote, were suffering immensely from the Roman
anti-Christ culture in which they lived.
Peter's words were meant to encourage believers and instruct them
in how to live in an anti-Christ culture.
I believe our western world is heading head long into a similar
cultural environment. That
means Peter's instructions are relevant for us as we contemplate how to
maneuver our way through the coming conflict. In
or around 67 A D Peter wrote that "the end of all things is
near". (1 Peter 4:7) Here
we are in the 21st century and all things still exist.
How do we reconcile this apparent discrepancy?
I believe the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write these words,
not only for his readers, but for all generations of readers, including
our generation. So, what the
Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write, He tells us to believe. That is,
"The end of all things is near".
When
thinking of the end of all things being near, I refer you to the
Laodicean Jesus
viewed this church much differently than how it viewed itself.
He thought the Laodicean church was wretched, pitiful, poor,
blind, naked, and in desperate need of eye salve for their blind eyes.
Why would Jesus zero in on their blindness? Throughout
Biblical history we see that from time to time God blinds the eyes of
those who claim to be His. Here's
how it works. If we're bent
on going our own way, Jesus will let us go.
Romans 1:24 puts it this way.
God hands us over to the sin of our choice.
In the handing over process our spiritual eyes become blind to
all things godly. It's clear
to me that God handed the Laodiceans over to their lust for wealth and
self sufficiency. In the
process they became spiritually blinded to current events and how they
fit into God's plans for the end of this age.
In
Mark 13:33 Jesus told us to watch and pray for the time of the end is
near. In context, watching
means to pay attention to current events and how they relate to the
return of Jesus. You can't
effectively watch if you are spiritually blind.
That's why the Laodicean church needed eye salve. Their eyes
needed to be opened to how current events fit into God's plans for the
end of this age. We're
obviously closer to the end than Peter was.
This Laodicean church might well exist today.
If we hide ourselves in the darkness of a Laodicean style
Christianity, we might as well be blind.
Things are happening around us on a daily basis that needs to be
understood in light of Biblical prophecy.
I believe too much of what we call church is spiritually blind to
these things. The Laodicean
spirit that lusts for wealth and self sufficiency that infects church
these days inhibits folk from understanding the signs of our times. I
wish we'd all have a deep love for the Word of the Lord because it's a
real "eye opener". At
the same time I think there should be a warning label printed on every
Bible. It could read;
"WARNING – if taken seriously the message of this book will
create conflict in your life".
If the Biblical message is properly understood and applied to our
lives, it won't just open our eyes, it will bring us into conflict with
the anti-Christ culture in which we live.
It will also bring us into conflict with the Laodicean style
church that exists around us. Beyond
that, it will bring us into conflict with our own human nature, which
opposes all things godly. The
message of conflict resulting from obeying the Word of the Lord might
not have been the message we heard in past Evangelical altar calls, but
it's Biblical reality. The
application of Biblical truth to our lives certainly creates a measure
of conflict. On the other
hand, it's the source of inspiration,
encouragement, and instruction. As
painful as the coming conflict will be, it will result in a church that
pleases Jesus, and pleasing Jesus is what we should all want.
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