Opportunity Knocks ...

In our modern age, door-to-door sales teams have all but disappeared.  Gone are the days of milk man deliveries and vacuum cleaner salesmen.  What remains are the occasional missionaries, and student laborers attempting to “earn money for their schools” and themselves.  It always was a difficult job, and with so many families requiring the income from 2 wage earners just to survive, there are few people at home even able to take in a sales call, let alone willing to listen.  In the age of social media, we prefer less physical contact, and more electronic.  Mobility allows us to communicate at our leisure, no longer tethered to long spiraling phone cords attached to handsets of touch tone phones.  We are free to interact with significantly more people, across significantly higher distances, for significantly less time.  Personal relationships now occur mostly at home with our families, and at work where physical proximity is still something that cannot be escaped.  So in this climate, how does Christ appear at the door of our hearts and knock?  How do we introduce to others what we have learned, as His disciples were commissioned to do so long ago?

Like any good sales pitch, it all begins in what it is you are trying to sell.  What is it you have to offer?  Would you buy what you’re selling?  Why?  A product based on distant fears, avoiding some future calamity that no one can prove is even real seems like it would have a very low target audience.  Likewise, a product based on the promise of some utopian rewards that no one has ever seen, or can ever prove even exists seems like yet another slim market share to seek out.  Yet this is how traditional evangelism has presented the gospel … but wait … there’s more.   In addition to either an insurance policy against tragedy, or a swamp land deal for the Brooklyn Bridge; you cannot have either UNLESS you are willing to follow the fine print of a specific denomination of Christians doing the presentation.  Even the slightest deviation, from the presenter’s specific set of rules (i.e. doctrines) will result in complete forfeiture of the rewards offered, and immediate adoption of all punishments listed.  AND now that you have taken the time to listen to this sales pitch, you have formally been educated on the “truth”, therefore any rejection or delay in accepting this limited time offer will afford you no excuses when it is time to experience the punishment you will get for not having accepted the offer when you had the chance.  Welcome to the gospel.  Not.

Our ideas of evangelism and ministry have degenerated a long way from the original model Christ Himself set up.  If we are ever to see real success in ourselves, and in our ministry, perhaps we should return and examine what we have lost.  Peter took the time to discuss “the first church”, as he recalled the plans of Jesus for John Mark to record.  Mark recorded these ideas and plans in his gospel in chapter six beginning in verse 7 saying … “And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;”  In this initial description is buried a whole host of truths that have traditionally escaped our grasp.  First, consider who was chosen to begin to share in the ministry of Christ, the twelve earliest followers.  This event is happening VERY early in the ministry of Christ.  It is NOT happening AFTER the ascension, or even the crucifixion.  At this point in His ministry (and we are only 6 chapters into the book), the disciples have only ONE doctrine they are fairly certain about … the identity of Jesus Christ.

Think about it.  These first 12 followers are decidedly NOT scriptural scholars, and in point of fact, are not being called to go out and read scripture to those who would listen.  There are not a set of standard doctrines to go share, not even about the mission of the Messiah, as nearly ALL of the disciples are still WRONG about what they think that mission is.  These men are NOT perfect.  They are still sinners, not freed from every wrong doing as yet.  These events are occurring before the day of Pentecost, and language may still be a barrier.  In point of fact, if this is the first great commission for mission into the fields, a formal set of doctrines seems to be completely absent … as is a solid scriptural explanation and interpretation for what they are doing.  The only thing they are fairly certain about is the identity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

Second, consider that despite their deep spiritual misunderstandings of the true mission of the Messiah, and their continued interest (greed), in being the “number two” in His Kingdom, they are STILL given power by Jesus Christ over “unclean spirits”.  The enemy of souls, the true enemy of redemption and salvation for the children of God, are NOT the Children themselves, they are the devil and his compatriots.  The power granted to the 12, is not the power to condemn mankind, but to free mankind from the influence of its true enemy.  Mankind is the target audience.  Mankind’s redemption through Jesus Christ the only Son of God is the product.  You cannot condemn the audience of this message, and expect it to see the wisdom and love in salvation.  The power over unclean spirits, was meant to free the bondage of mankind to demonic influences and addiction to sin.  Our enemy was and remains Satan.  Our enemy was and remains self.  The first power offered in the ministry and service of Christ, was to free mankind from the undue influence of the supernatural.

Third, consider the method in which the 12 were to be sent out to the surrounding world.  To cover the broadest area and reach the most people possible, they should have been sent out alone in 12 different directions.  Instead, Christ cuts down the opportunity by half, in order to pair disciples 2-by-2 and send them out.  Why?.  Could it be, that our picture of the identity of Christ is incomplete when we view Him only through our own eyes?  Could it be, that to truly present a better truth about Jesus, we need more than our own opinion, we need to see Him through the eyes of another?  Perhaps the only way to avoid the temptation of ego, even when serving Christ, is to have a partner with whom we must share the credit.  Perhaps the only way to make an enlightened decision of where to go next, and what to do next, is to value the opinions and prayers of someone other than ourselves.  When 2 form a consensus, and in unity reach out, miracles occur.  When we attempt to go solo … we often fail.  Protection from non-believers was not the primary consideration for pairing disciples, for God alone can take care of our security and other needs, as Peter was about to recall.

John Mark continues transcribing in verse 8 saying … “And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: [verse 9] But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.”  This “command” is a departure from everything we know.  It lacks all common sense, and reveals a complete lack of sensible preparation.  The disciples were to carry literally nothing with them that could help their efforts except the single set of clothes that they were wearing, a pair of sandals, and a staff.  They could not even take an extra coat in case it got cold.  No money at all.  No sack lunch or canteen.  Why on earth, would Jesus effectively disarm the disciples to the point where it is impossible to sustain themselves and then ask them to go out and do ministry works?  Parents, even today, insure their children have lunch in school before they send them out the door.  We put coats on our children if we suspect rain or snow is coming.  And when going on a trip ourselves, we “pack” everything we think we are going to need, or want, in order to enjoy where we are going.  Not so, with Jesus, and the first church.  They were to take nothing … but the power Christ had put within them, and the knowledge of His true identity.

Sending disciples into a hostile world with nothing that could help them sustain themselves … has the direct impact of focusing your need.  It brings into acute focus that you MUST depend upon God in order to be sustained, because you have no other choice.  The biggest danger within the gospel ministry is the idea that we can somehow sustain ourselves.  The biggest danger to our redemption and reclamation is the idea that we can somehow take care of ourselves and our sins.  The cancer-of-thought that allows us to believe we bring something of our own of value into the ministry, is the corrosive corruption of self entering into the gospel, and disabling it.  We bring nothing of value.  We have nothing of value to offer except the power Christ imparts, and our certainty about His identity.  The Disciples of Christ will by necessity demonstrate a dependence on God that none around them have to do.  The people they will encounter are workers, providing for themselves and their families.  Those people think they are sustaining themselves, but the living example of the disciples runs counter to that notion.  The disciples have nothing but their faith in the identity of Jesus Christ, and His assurance He will take care of them, because He loves them.  They need nothing else.

So many Adventists, and Christians of other faiths, believe they must prepare for the end of the world, by purchasing homes in the country, and burying food in the caves.  These believers have mistaken the ideas of preparedness (like an intimate proximity to Christ), with instead a hoarder philosophy to empty the supermarket.  In short, they deny God the opportunity to provide for their needs, presuming they can take care of these needs themselves.  They further presume they can predict where they will be when the end comes, and will have access to the food, shelter, and supplies they have prepared for just this occasion.  What they omit, is that the mission of ministry is to save that which is lost, not to run and hide from it.  A deep abiding love for others, such as Christ has, does not forsake that which is in need, in order to preserve self.  Instead self is sacrificed in order to spread love to those who need it most.  Our efforts to prepare and hoard, do not testify of our dependence upon God, they blaspheme it.

The admonition from Christ continues in verse 10 saying … “And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.”  The disciples were to be humble above all things.  The disciples would have to swallow all notions of pride and accept the charity of anyone willing to house them, and feed them during their time of ministry, wherever they found themselves.  This would accomplish two goals.  It would serve to constantly remind the disciples of their dependence upon God, while at the same time, showing them (and us) that the love of God is reflected in our world through the love of one family to another.  Manna did not descend from heaven to feed the disciples, instead the charity of working families filled that role.  The love of God for His servants was to be found in those who barely knew His name.  The family who provided this charity, would in turn find the blessings of our God upon them.  It is in giving we come to know God.  It is in providing for those in need that we begin to see who Jesus Christ truly is.  This charity was not demanded of the audience, it was an opportunity to be blessed by those who offered it.

But in the world of sin, where Satan is bent on our destruction, there is not always a family willing to listen and love.  Sometimes, no matter the power over unclean spirits, the hearts of man remain stone, and refuse to even want to be something different.  Christ offers council on what to do if that occurs as John Mark continues His admonitions in verse 11 saying … “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”  You will notice the disciples are not to curse those who will not listen, or in fact, say ANYTHING that would be insulting, condemning, or judgmental.  The issue is not one of proving you are right.  The issue is not one of being empowered to condemn and seal the fate of those who would refuse to listen.  The issue is one to make a statement in the silent actions of shaking the dust off of your feet.  The disciples were to symbolically distance themselves from those who “refuse to hear”.

This symbolic action was NOT reserved for those with different doctrines.  It was not meant as a gesture between one Christian and another over disputes over matters of faith.  It was meant for those who will not accept the identity of Jesus Christ.  NONE of the disciples had their doctrines straight yet anyway, it would be pointless to argue them with each other.  They were unified in only the matter of the identity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  Even the symbolic gesture of distancing one’s self from those who refuse to accept the identity of Jesus was meant to be a “warning” against them, not a final declaration that they had no hope.  If they repented, or if they changed their mind, they could still find the same redemption you and I do.  But we should be equally on guard.  It is a warning to us, that other religions that espouse “spiritualty” and “good works for others” but do so absent Jesus Christ, are a danger to us as well.  It is not the doctrines of Christianity that are absolute, or all supreme, it is the savior found in Jesus Christ that is.  There is only one Son of God, not many.  There is only one path to God, not many.  The warning functions in two ways.

Finally, John Mark records what the results of listening to Jesus Christ were in these first evangelistic efforts beginning in verse 12 saying … “And they went out, and preached that men should repent. [verse 13] And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.”  The disciples went out preaching a message of repentance.  They asked their listeners to repent of self-styled salvation, and have faith in the name of Jesus Christ to save them.  In the name and power of Jesus Christ, they anointed the sick and healed them, just like their Savior.  This was not an extension of the temple services.  This was not the Jewish faith experiencing some sort of Renaissance and revival, where general Rabbi’s started performing miraculous works based on their deep understanding of scriptures and the Torah.  It was instead, 12 simple laborers, who through espousing the name of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, were performing the same acts of love that Christ did.

12 imperfect followers, who did not understand scriptures well, and did not have doctrinal perfection, preached only repentance, humility, and belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah … and that was more than enough for success.  They could not provide for themselves, because Christ specifically commanded that they should not even attempt to do so.  They were wholly reliant on the charity of others.  They were not professional speakers, or teachers.  They were simple men.  They had only one sure fact, the identity of the Savior of our world.  But fully dependent on God, they were successful in emulating the deeds of their Lord and Master through His Name and His power.  If we are to experience the opportunity Christ offers to share in His ministry, perhaps we should rethink entirely what our message is, and how we should deliver it.  Perhaps we should rethink where our sustenance comes from, and how wholly dependent we truly are, rather than falsely assume it comes from our own efforts.  Perhaps we should engage in ministry in partnerships with another person, in order to better present the picture of Christ, the world is in need to see.  Could that person be our spouse, or our children, or our co-worker?

Opportunity can knock again at the door of the world, in the hearts of those who have not heard, or do not understand.  But the sales team, needs to re-examine how it will attempt to present these ideas, and focus on the singular most important one … the identity of Jesus Christ as the only Son of God.  We are not in need of human intercessors, Papal Pontiffs, or a reliance on the clergy for spiritual enlightenment.  We are simply in need of repentance, humility, dependence, and charity.  If we can offer these things to the world, perhaps we can find a new era of opportunity that can penetrate social media boundaries, overcome electronic distances, and enter straight into the hearts of those who need it the most.

 

Messages to the Church Revealed (Sardis) ...

The fifth church of the seven that comprised the Church of Christ in His messages of revelation was that of Sardis.  The city of Sardis historically was said to have originated as the capital of the Lydian empire in long ago times.  It was famous for developing the ability to separate gold from silver sands and mint coins of pure gold or pure silver rather than a mixture of both.  From a commerce perspective, it relied on producing fine woolen garments and knits.  During the time of John, the city was part of the Roman Empire and generally had a climate of religious tolerance.  Archeological expeditions have unearthed evidence of a substantial Jewish synagogue, pagan temples, and evidence of a Christian church all present at the same period of time.  It was to the church in this city, and to the people who would live in the time period most closely associated with church’s period in history, and to us, that John penned the Revelation of Christ that was needed to be heard.

He begins in chapter three and verse one … “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”  Jesus begins by calling to our attention to that characteristic of Himself that is most relevant to this audience … “He that hath the seven Spirits of God” … and “the seven stars”.  The number seven representing perfection or wholeness from the point of God has already been demonstrated in how many churches compose His true church.  It also refers to the perfection of the Holy Spirit.  It is Christ who works in concert with the Holy Spirit to accomplish our salvation.  It is the influence of the Holy Spirit that keeps us on the path of truth, and when we realize our need of leadership and humble ourselves, we are then able to discern the truths He would reveal to us.  The seven stars are the seven angels of these churches.  The church of Christ is not left to encounter the enemy without assistance from the courts of heaven.  We are not left to our own strength, for it is clear, we have none.  Our salvation is wrought by the power of Christ.  We are changed from within, as we submit ourselves to Him, and permit Him to remake the entirety of who we are.  These are truths reflected in the seven spirits and seven angels, characteristics that seem most relevant now.

Jesus then proceeds to once again detail his discreet knowledge of the goings on in this particular church.  He declares … “I know thy works”.  The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives always has an immediate result, a change in how we think, what we want, and therefore what we do.  When we have received Christ into our lives and through humility have submitted our own will to His, it results in a change of who we are.  Sin loses its false appeal.  Love to others becomes more important to us.  And what we do for others becomes a reflection of He who is remaking us to be.  But where other churches are exhorted in the earliest part of the revelation of Christ, this church is not so richly blessed.  The revelation of our true condition is set clear … “that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead”.  The profession to follow Christ cannot be substantiated by our actions which reflect the changes He would make in us.  Instead we reveal the death of our spiritual lives, as we appear to have rejected His Holy Spirit and instead embraced the death of trusting to our own wisdom.  We have the name of Christ, but not the heart of Christ.

He continues in verse 2 … “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.”  Immediately upon the revelation of our true spiritual condition, our great physician addresses our most critical need … stop the bleeding.  Before any other message is given, our great Doctor wishes for us to not lose any more to evil than has already been lost.  Strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die.  We must first be aware of the condition of death too many have already embraced.  We must be mindful and watchful to prevent further spread of the disease. 

Our works are the symptoms by which we can know the progression of our disease.  Our works are not perfect before God, because they do not come from a reformed heart, but rather from a guilty one, or an ambitious one.  We do “good deeds” like our Pharisee forefathers in order to be known well before men.  Or we do them because we fear without them we cannot be admitted into His kingdom to receive our eternal rewards.  In either case, they remain “good deeds” as others may benefit from them.  But in both cases, it is “we” who are missing the blessing, as it is “we” who do not experience the joy of serving others, for our hearts have never been transformed.  We see service to others as a hardship, an inconvenience, or a burden.  We temper our efforts for others, by attempting to have “balance” in our lives – some for them, some for me.  We perform what we feel obligated to do, but quickly seek credit for our actions either from God, or from our peers.  While we have works, they do not come from a heart that cannot help but to love others.  They come from a heart who is looking to preserve and promote itself.

Before all is lost in this church, our church, in ourselves; we must strengthen ourselves in His strength and not our own.  We must die to self, rather than have self cause Christ to die within us.  Jesus continues His message of revelation thru John in verse 3 saying … “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”  The message of redemption and reconciliation continues, as we are told to “remember” how we have received and heard.  We do not find our own salvation because we take action to do so, but because our God came to us in love and service meeting our needs before we knew them.  We received because we accepted what we heard.  We received because we accepted His gift of salvation to us, not because we could earn it in any way. 

We are told to hold fast to this idea.  We are told to repent of trusting to self.  We are told to watch and be aware of the corruption to trusting to self.  What is less clear, is whether the consequences of not watching is that we meet our final condition unexpectedly, or whether His reform in our lives is experienced unexpectedly.  No man knows the hour of His returning, so this last admonition is not about knowing the exact date of His return.  But for each of us, we all rarely know what hour will be our last on this earth.  While trusting to self, we may find our lives ended without ever having experienced the liberating freedom from sin and experience of salvation, because our earthly time ends before we permit Christ to perform this work in us.  If we have rejected Christ entirely because of it, we would be lost.  Because we do not know the hour of His return, or the hour in which he comes upon us, we should not live as if we can delay His gift until some later date.  Instead we should embrace the freedom and life He wishes to make for us today, before we die, physically or spiritually.

Jesus continues in verse 4 … “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.”  White is the symbolic color of purity, from a practical standpoint, it is difficult to keep a white garment clean.  Readers from a city that produced fine woolen garments would be well aware of that analogy.  And here the message of hope continues to be extended as “even in Sardis” there are a “few names” which have not gotten their clothing dirty.  So it would seem that despite its lack of persecution and general religious tolerance Sardis is not a great place from a spiritual condition point of view.  The words “even in” seem to imply that this is particularly not a great place to be, and combined with “a few names” implies that is rare to find undefiled garments in this place or time. 

The time period most often associated with this church is the 200-300 years of the protestant reformation.  While this is not an advocacy to have remained content within Catholicism, it may well be a warning to those who broke away doctrinally but reflected the same spirit of intolerance to any who disagreed with themselves.  “Puritans” were not known for a spirit of tolerance and love to those who did not concur with their own ideas.  Persecution even of Catholics was a phenomenon that spread to this country as those seeking religious freedom left Europe for American shores.  “Dissent” itself seemed to be an enemy in this time, whether because it broke with tradition, or refused to accept the entirety of the doctrines of the group who broke away from those traditions.  One would think that the period of reformation would have been one of great spiritual enlightenment.  For many a doctrinal truth was uncovered in that time, and the spread of the word of God was made widely available to the people through the invention of the printing press.  Yet, despite the increase of religious freedom, and the availability to read the word of God; men seem to trust to their own wisdom and strength for their salvation and in so doing, remain with defiled garments.  Doctrines do not save us, Christ does.  Doctrines do not make us pure, Christ does.  We can only understand doctrines rightly, when following in submission to Christ, trusting in our own wisdom absent Christ, is what the Pharisees did and it led to the death of Christ.  So it would be in our own lives if we follow their course.

But “even in Sardis” and although it is only “a few names”, there are those who have held true to the reality of our salvation founded in Christ, and in our full submission to Him.  As such, these were found to have had their clothing (the robes of righteousness given to us by Christ, not earned of our own) remain undefiled.  This clothing remained white and allows us to “walk with Christ”, to go where He goes, and do the works of love for others He does.  For our hearts are in tune with His own, we see the extreme value in those we encounter, for in each one of them we see His sacrifice to redeem them.  We, like Christ, do not focus on the sins we find in others, but in connecting them with a love that will see that sin removed once and for all.  Instead of trying to compel the conscience and thoughts and motives of others, we connect them with the source of true reform and change in the person of Jesus Christ.  Jesus will remove the sins we see in others, in His own time, in His own method, our function is only to love them throughout the process, as He loves us throughout our own.

It is not our perfection that makes us “worthy” to walk with Christ and share in His ministry.  It is instead our willingness and submission to Him that make us “worthy”, for we are made “worthy” by Christ, not by self.  Our robes of white, our robes of righteousness are “given” to us by Christ.  We are changed within, because He changes us.  It is this change, that sees our works becomes symptoms of what has been done in our lives.  We do not work “to” achieve salvation, we work “because” salvation has been re-created within us, freeing us from our former sins, and transforming us into the new creations He wishes us to be.  Our works are a reflection of our new way of thinking, our new way of loving and serving.  They are a testament to His so great love.  The robes never belonged to us, they were given to us by Christ.  We can only keep them undefiled while we remain in Christ.  When we trust to self instead of Christ, we become like the Pharisees of old, and like the great majority in Sardis whose works are not perfect in God, for they are dead in the embrace of self.

Jesus continues with a promise in verse 5 … “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”  What must be overcome, is self.  What must be overcome, is that despite the lack of persecution, and a climate of religious tolerance, a trusting to our own wisdom, and a lack of the true reform that comes from being remade by Christ.  The early protestant church was hardly more tolerant than its predecessor.  And both tended to trust in the doctrines of the word, or of tradition, than in the full submission to Jesus Christ.  In so doing our garments were defiled by self.  But as we submit, we overcome the self that stands in the way of our salvation and freedom.  What is given to us, is to be clothed in white raiment.  Our purity becomes the purity of Christ, as we are remade from the inside out in His image.  Our names are not blotted out of the book of life, but instead we are hailed in front of God the Father and His angelic throngs as true followers of Jesus Christ.  This is done despite our unworthiness, but is accomplished because of His worthiness, and the depths of the sacrifice Love was willing to make to see us redeemed.  This is a promise that we will be known in heaven, not for the strength of our works, but for our submission to Christ, and our joining in His mission of love to the world.

If anything the time of the reformation, and the religious tolerance in the city of Sardis, presented an even more dangerous condition for the people of Christ.  Because instead of trusting to Christ alone, men were led to trust in the wisdom of the doctrines and truths they discovered in the word, at the expense of remaining fully submitted to the will of Christ.  Persecution can drive us to our only hope, but religious freedom can often make us lax in seeking in humility the source of our salvation.  We, like our Pharisee forefathers, trust more in our unique interpretations of scriptures, than in the God who inspired them and knows the truth of them as no one else can.  Our doctrinal purity is not what keeps our garments undefiled, but our unconditional love of others from a heart only He can remake, shows us to be clothed with His righteousness and not our own.  The truths found in scripture are important, but can only be rightly understood in the context of and submission to Jesus Christ.  Without this humility, we draft our own ideas, and find ourselves well outside of the meaning He longs to impart.

Jesus concludes this message in like manner as the others in verse 6 … “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”  The message was for those who made up the church in Sardis in the day of John.  It was to those who lived in the times of church history that corresponded to the conditions most like that of Sardis and reformation.  And perhaps most importantly, it was to us, to each reader who would hear what the Spirit said to the churches.  Each of the seven messages to His church applies to us in some manner.  Each has a common theme.  Each has a common appeal to bring us to Him, to be reconciled, and re-created.  To the believer of today, the message of Sardis reminds us not to allow our complacency and ease to think and worship to replace our dependency on Christ for our salvation.  If we are to have perfect works, they must be the works of Christ remade and re-created within us, as only He can do, and only as we allow Him to do it.  Even so, perform this work in us.

And the messages were not over yet …

 

Messages to the Church Revealed (Thyatira) ...

The fourth church of the seven singled out for a revelation of Jesus Christ as our God, was in the city of Thyatira.  Historically, the city was renowned for its artisans related to the making of clothing, particularly of royal clothing, dying of purples and blues.  The city itself is said to have been renamed to Thyatira upon the announcement of the birth of a daughter to the old king Seleucus while he was away in battle in the year 290 BC, though the name itself may have had more meaning to the Lydian culture of the day.  Paul and Silas encountered a woman who was actually named Lydia in Acts 16:14 who was a dyer of purple from the city of Thyatira, who became baptized and a devout Christian.  It may be that these historical and cultural references added meaning to the message the Jesus would reveal of Himself through John to this particular church.  The message begins with a focus on yet a different characteristic of how Christ looked to John during that initial encounter of Him walking among the seven candlesticks.

In revelation chapter two, in verse 18 John begins … “And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;”  The eyes of Christ are alive and brilliant and as the Son of God, they see everything.  Nothing can be hidden from our God who is able to read the desires of our hearts as well as the things we display in public.  His feet are like fine brass, they reflect the image of service and love, and inform us that He is more than human, but still walks amidst His church.  Jesus then exhorts his followers and reassures them that He is well aware of the fruits of His Spirit that have been poured out in this church community.  John continues in verse 19 … “I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.”  The works prompted by His Spirit were listed twice, with an accentuation of the latter being even more than the former.  This may have more significance if we consider its application to be over a wider time span than just the audience of the day who composed that particular church community.  If each of the seven churches were to represent the church of Christ’s followers over a corresponding period of time, the works done in the beginning of the time period in this case, might have been out-shown by the works done in the latter part of the time period.

But none-the-less as with the previous messages revealed to the other churches, Thyatira was in need of a message of redemption as John continues in verse 20 … “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”  This message may have both literal and spiritual application.  First you will notice what is under attack once again is intimacy.  Christ uses the idea of a woman, the most corrupt in Old Testament writings who was named Jezebel.  In Old Testament days Jezebel was an evil queen married to King Ahab of the northern 10 tribes who broke away worship from Jerusalem that held the true sanctuary of Israel’s God.  This woman inspired Ahab to destroy intimacy with God thru the worship of sexual promiscuity.  This would eventually degenerate into the sacrifice of the unwanted offspring of unprotected sex with temple prostitutes.  Girls would be preserved to make a new crop of temple prostitutes, boys would be slain in the fires of Molech, or Baal, and an assortment other false gods.  The first casualty of spiritual infidelity however was not the results of infidelity, it was the original intimacy between ourselves and our God.  As we begin to entertain other “loves” outside of our God, we find what we “love” most is ourselves, and our gratification, not our God, and the needs of others.

Jezebel of old was forever trying to kill the real prophet of God, Elijah.  Elijah had the message of truth for the people of God in his day.  But the queen would not allow for truth to be spoken to the people of God, lest she lose her power and control over the people.  So Jezebel was forever hunting Elijah to be killed.  And in her day, she did not do the hunting personally, a woman had no real power.  Instead she would have the power of the king (her husband), and his soldiers and army to do her bidding.  In spiritual terms this would equate to a false church using the power of the state to maintain control and power over the people, with its origins of denying access to the truth of the word of God.  Attempting to supplant the true word, with false words of her own.  Notice too, that Jezebel is not out to convert the world itself to her ideas and false doctrines, but instead is looking to “seduce my servants”.  She tempts the servants of God with the seductive ideas of power, control, and self-gratification.  The idea that we can please self while still claiming to please God, is at the core of Jezebel’s false seductive message to the church of Christ.

It may not have been lost on the members of the Thyatira community that Jezebel and many other women of a royal class wore garments of fine purple’s and blue’s and in general were used to living with the excesses that wealth provides.  Perhaps even some of the workmanship done by members in Thyatira would be used by Jezebel to make herself happy.  The literal piece of this message was very similar to the churches that preceded it.  A destruction of intimacy through sexual immorality, followed by the symptom of eating to please self without regard for the consequences or implications to those in need; were indicators that true reformation of the heart had not yet been experienced by those who purport to follow Christ.  If anything, wealth is here identified as NOT being the goal of the follower of Christ, in that the danger of using wealth on self rather than on the needs of others seems to outweigh its benefits.  Jezebel, as a queen, had wealth but used it to hold control over others, not to love and meet their needs.  That the church of Christ did not denounce Jezebel and expose her as having nothing to do with the real followers of Christ was the fact Jesus was revealing to His church that He was not happy with.  Jezebel and her teachings were wrong, and associated with the most evil woman in the scriptures, yet the church of Christ “suffered” her.  The church made no separation from her, or denunciation of her.  Instead it seemed the church embraced her as a part of it.  This was the revelation Christ was pointing out that was in error.

John continues the message of reformation to Thyatira in verse 21 … “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.”  Even Jezebel is offered redemption through repentance.  Even the most wicked woman penned in scripture is not without hope, or opportunity, or a chance to repent and become part of the fold of Christ.  But repentance and humility cannot be forced, just as love cannot be forced.  If the church who uses the name of Christ, is unwilling to submit and have the heart of Christ created in it, what follows is the destruction that is inevitable in our choice to embrace the pain and death of sin.  This is not a choice our God takes lightly.  So He does not have us make it instantly, but instead he offers us time to consider it.  During this time, He makes every effort to reach out to us in love, and hopes to lure us back to Him, through the power of His so great love.  But for the heart that will not yield, that will not submit, that will not see its own need, He cannot force it to comply for the use of force is not His tactic, but that of His enemy.  Despite giving Jezebel herself time to consider her decisions and repent, she does not repent.

John continues in verse 22 … “Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. [verse 23] And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”  Ouch.  The rebuke here is severe.  The punishment for her refusal to repent, is to bear the weight of her own choices and actions.  The “works” of evil that will result in pain, are to be allowed to be experienced.  We sometimes do not know the full weight of our sins, because as we repent, the Lord is generous and protects us from the pain our choices should have resulted in.  We therefore miss the full weight of our sins and choices, because of the mercy of our God.  The punishment identified here for Jezebel however, is simply a removal of that protection.  Those who embrace the ideas of self-love and self-gratification are going to be allowed to see just what pain and death accompany those choices.  The hand of mercy will be removed, and the full weight of our embrace of pain and death will be experienced … “except we repent.”  Even in our disaster, the hand of repentance remains outstretched from our God.  But while we refuse it, the results that come upon us, will reflect that God does denounce the sins we embrace, that His hand of mercy will not forever spare us from the pain of our un-repented sins.  It is not only our actions that are allowed to bear fruit, but our motives as well, both the “reins” and “hearts” are known of our God.  The weight of our sin is to be a clear message to the world and the church of where sin leads, and what it truly means, if we continue to refuse to repent.

John continues in verse 24 … “But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. [verse 25] But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.”  Here again is hope outstretched.  Notice Jesus begins by addressing “you”.  “You” who is reading this message, by virtue of reading and reaching out to God, He identified “you” as being separate from those who have refused to repent and suffer the fate of their choices.  “You” are different than them, because this message has not been lost on “you”.  He continues “and unto the rest” in Thyatira, and in the space and time associated with this period of church history.  Both “you” and “unto the rest”, and “as many as have not this doctrine”, in effect to everyone who has refused to adopt the false doctrines of control and self-gratification, there is to be a promise. 

This group which has refused to embrace the false prophecies and doctrines and teachings of Jezebel, this is a group which in so doing has not known the “depths of Satan as they speak”.  Those who would compel conscience, and put to the sword any who should disagree with them, and in the name of our God, have truly come to know the depths of Satan in what they say.  For since the war in heaven began, Satan has blamed all death on God, taking no responsibility for it himself.  Satan has forever attempted to enslave and compel the minds and hearts of men, for he does not desire the choice of love, but instead the mindless compulsion of slavery.  Satan wishes to rule the universe on pain of death.  Whereas God rules it because we choose to return the love to us He has already offered.

The promise given to those who have remained faithful to their intimacy with Christ, who have not abandoned Him through love of other gods, or of self, to them is given the promise that they shall bear none other burden but that which we already have.  This is the essence of salvation itself.  A submission of our will, a repentance born of humility, is already the “hardest” part of our salvation.  It is after all a refusal to repent that has seen Jezebel and those who would commit adultery with her bearing all the pain of their choices.  A stubborn refusal to repent is why Jezebel is being allowed to bear the weight of her sins.  If she, and we, would have repented, the mercy of our God would have kept us from seeing the full weight of the choices and sins we had embraced.  But the outstretched hand of mercy is consistently rejected, and so what comes, comes.  But “you” were not meant to suffer the fate of Jezebel.  “You” were meant to refuse her false words and instead embrace the words of Christ.  “You” were meant to know the freedom of repentance and submission, and salvation by being remade by Christ.  “You” were meant to be saved from yourself and your natural inclinations.

John continues in verse 26 … “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: [verse 27] And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. [verse 28] And I will give him the morning star.”  Now the giving is going to just get ridiculous, as usual.  The works of Christ in His ministry were works of love for others, healing for others, meeting the needs of others.  He did these works without condemnation, or judgment, but to redeem, to save, to reconcile us to Himself.  These acts of charity we are charged with keeping until the end.  Notice this is the ONLY doctrine, the doctrine of His actions of love to others, that He charges us to remain within.  For it is love alone that accomplishes our salvation, and leads others to want that same salvation with our God.  It is not our hate, or judgmentalism, or legalistic views of right and wrong that inspire salvation in others, instead it is ONLY our unconditional love for them.  What must be overcome then, is the idea that we can compel the conscience of others, that we can deny others access to the true word of God, that we can put faith in our wealth and fineries rather than in Christ alone, that we can corrupt our intimacy with God through the false doctrines of self-gratification.  These things can only be overcome as we submit our will in repentance and humility to Christ, who alone can remake and recreate us in His image.

The power that comes over nations, the iron rod that splinters the vessels of potters clay, is the steadfast love that is given unconditionally to everyone we encounter.  Think of it, Christ took no violent actions in His day, yet the entire Roman empire was brought to its knees by the fundamental doctrines of love and submission in the hearts of true believers.  Pagan Rome is a thing of the past, despite its iron grip in the time of Christ.  No dictator, including Satan, is able to maintain control over a people who embrace love of others as their primary premise.  Evil itself, will be forever removed from the universe, by the free-will choice of sentient beings in the universe, including us, because we choose to embrace love of others instead of love for self.  This is the truth that shatters evil and cannot be broken.  Love wins.  Love conquers all, including evil, and Love will see evil finally and fully defeated.  As Christ received love from His Father, so we are to receive Love from Christ who we follow and submit our will to.  Christ was forever doing the will of His Father, not of Himself.  So we are to do the will of Christ and not of our own.  And in so doing, we are further promised the “morning star”.  We are promised the gift of Christ Himself, poured out in our lives, in our families, in our churches, in our communities, and in our world.  The gift of Christ is the greatest gift God could make to us, and is the basis of our salvation from beginning to end.

Jesus concludes his message of revelation to the church of Thyatira as John writes in verse 29 … “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”  Once again the message to the church is joined by the power of His Holy Spirit.  For without the power of His Spirit, we will be unable to overcome, unable to understand, and unable to be removed from the power of our choices and sins.  But as we submit to our God, we come to know the power of His salvation to us.  This is the promise to Thyatira, and of way more importance, the promise Jesus makes to “you”.

And the messages were not over yet …

 

Nicodemus (witness number four) ...

Often Christians seem to feel compelled to confront the errors in another person’s ideology, point out to them the error of their ways, and walk away from the encounter feeling better about themselves.  Nicodemus was a religious leader of his day.  A church official of sorts; Nicodemus was wealthy, educated, a man of renown, of influence, he had a reputation to maintain, and a set of doctrines based on the “truth” of the scriptures he and his contemporaries interpreted.  But Christ presented an anomaly, He broke the laws of physics, and preached a message counter to everything Nicodemus had been taught.  When the rules of physics are broken, then perhaps what we perceive to be true is really nothing more than perception.  So Nicodemus must investigate this phenomenon, He must seek out this anomaly, and determine what it is he does not know.  For with as much wisdom as his education, and his scriptures have offered him, they still do not seem to explain this man called Jesus.

In an effort to guard and maintain his pristine reputation, he seeks out Jesus at night.  We read these passages in the Gospel of John chapter three, beginning in verse one, and we are quick to think less of Nicodemus for being so concerned with his own reputation to seek out Jesus at night.  Because had it been us, in his place, we would have boldly sought out Christ in broad daylight, declared ourselves His most ardent disciple (move over Peter), and made sure we were the ones who Jesus could depend on in any situation, right?  But, where is our public declaration(s) at work, at school, at the mall?  And perhaps more important than carrying a sign that might identify us as Christians, where are our private declaration(s) that God and those in need alone, can easily see that we follow the God of love, and not of judgment?  Sometimes Christians are publicly Christians when the numbers and company favor being one, and conveniently silent when they do not.  Sometimes Christians declare themselves to be Christians, with placards that condemn the evil in others, instead of offering a love that might offer one steeped in evil, a reason to think differently.  Perhaps there are more night-movers in a modern church than we might at first think.  Nicodemus begins his encounter with Jesus in this way, in secret, at night, and to protect his reputation.

His opening remarks and question to Christ are couched in respect, but also in flattery.  In verse 2 Nicodemus says … “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”  The term Rabbi is one used for respected teachers, and from his perspective, He is elevating Jesus to be a peer, a contemporary teacher, a person of respect, even though Jesus does not appear to be wealthy, or formally educated, or a man of means and influence.  Nicodemus, perhaps subconsciously, takes Jesus down a peg, by calling him a “teacher” come from God, not the Son of God.  He also refers to this, as common knowledge.  Here is the essence of modern Christianity, we come to Jesus and proceed to tell Him what we “know”.  We flatter Him with our words, while at the same time, place Him as nothing more than a contemporary of ours.  His wisdom is worth no more than our own, after all we have common sense, and an absolute certainty about what the scriptures teach us is the truth.  So we proceed to tell Jesus, what the truth is, and what is common knowledge to us.

Having been greeted in this manner, at this time of day, and knowing the reasons behind it; Jesus should have been insulted.  Here He has the perfect opportunity to put Nicodemus in his place, remind him who He is, as opposed to who Nicodemus is, in relationship to God.  Confront and correct the errors in the thinking of Nicodemus, by telling him everything about how mistaken Nicodemus is in his interpretations of scripture.  He could have told him, Hey, come back in the morning if you really care about truth, and next time, remember who My Dad is.  What’s more He could have told people after this encounter how the “respected” Nicodemus came to seek wisdom from Him, thus proving He was greater than the Sanhedrin.  Of course all these human responses to insults, and errors, do not seem to even enter the mind of Christ.  Christ did not concern himself with the implied insult of the time of day, or even with the errors in everything Nicodemus has just said.  Instead He changes the subject completely and offers Nicodemus a truth of profound spirituality, that summarizes the entire Gospel in one line.  We might call it a sound-bite in modern terminology, but it was way more than that.

In verse 3, Jesus says to him … “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Here is a one line summary of every scripture Nicodemus has ever learned.  Here is a summation of every philosophical concept about the nature of man ever pondered by deep thinkers.  In effect, we must be re-created in order to even perceive the kingdom of God.  Jesus must deal with the blindness of Nicodemus before he will be able to even “see” the truth.  For the truth is not found in his long study of the word, it is summarized in the Person standing before him.  The voice who inspired the scriptures is now trying to open the mind of Nicodemus to begin to think differently, perceive differently, and find something that humanity on its own, is incapable of finding.  To be “born again” is not some slogan Christians wore out in the 1970’s, pairing it with “free love” and trying to associate it with “speaking in tongues”.  Being born again is about being fully re-created, the death of a carnal self-centered ideology, and the birth of a self-less-service based ideology that mimics the definition of love that Christ brought to the world.  One does not choose how to be born, this is done outside of our control.  Begin created the first time, was a decision of love made by others.  Similarly, being reborn is not something we can do for ourselves.  It is a gift of love offered to us, done for us, by the hands of the only Creator God who has ever existed.  This is what we must have, in order for the blindness of our own ideas about scripture to be fully and finally taken away.  It will take a power outside of ourselves, to remake us, in order that we might begin to “see” truth.

But Nicodemus is still blind.  So his response is a human one, based on the current laws of physics.  To Nicodemus, this idea is simply nonsense.  How could a fully grown person be reborn from his mother once again?  This is crazy talk.  Again Jesus does not rebuke Nicodemus for still being blind, or thinking He is crazy.  He does not ridicule Nicodemus, and He does not abandon what He has just summarized, instead He elaborates a bit more, again attempting to get Nicodemus to begin to “see” truth differently.  Nothing in the doctrine Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus is counter to anything taught by all the scriptures of the Old Testament.  Yet Jesus is employing none of the traditions or symbolisms upon which the entire Jewish religion is based.  Jesus did not throw the law at Nicodemus.  He did not cite the need to keep the Sabbath, or sacrifice lambs on the alter at Passover, in order for Nicodemus to finally see truth.  Those ideas Nicodemus already practiced, and despite this fact, they had not led him to the truth he was still blind to.  Attempting obedience before a re-creation is attempting to find salvation on our own, and through our own strength and ideas about truth, and it is fruitless.  Good ideas, and good intentions, are not what our Lord wants.  He wants us to see truth as truth, and this can only be accomplished if we first recognize our need for outside power to remake who we are.

In verses 4 and 5 Jesus answers Nicodemus again … “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [verse 6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”  Here Christ points out the sequence in how this rebirth is to take place.  Being born of water, or through the symbolism of baptism, Christ points us to the need we have of rebirth.  We exist in a condition of pain.  Most of our pain is self-inflicted from the evil we embrace.  While our evil hurts others and causes ripples of pain that extend out in every direction, at the center of this pain is still us.  We hurt ourselves by what we do, and how we think, and what we want.  It is the core of us, that must be remade, reborn, re-created.  This is our so great need, and the reason why John called for repentance.  Not to simply be forgiven for what we do, but the desire to be something else.  The desire in us, to escape our state of perpetual slavery to self and pain, to sin no more; to repent, not just of what we have done, but of what we still want to do; this was the call of John in the desert.  Who you are defines what you do.

The Spirit then, is the agent outside of ourselves, that must be the mechanism, the gift of our re-creation.  It is through the Holy Spirit that Christ remakes us into the new creations He intended for us to be.  This is an act we have no more control over than we did at our first birth.  We do not get to tell the Holy Spirit how to remake us, what areas to leave alone, and what areas we think we need help in.  This is an all or nothing deal.  This is about complete renovation, not minor alterations.  This is not about our own ideas of truth.  This is about beginning to see truth for the first time clearly.  The removal of our self-inflicted blindness will only happen as we abandon our ideas, and be willing to accept a complete overhaul of who we are, how we think and what we want.  This being born of the Spirit, changes the rules of physics.  We begin to see that our perceived boundaries are really no longer true boundaries, because we exist no more as humans taking care of ourselves, but as new creations wholly reliant on God.  It is no longer our power used to defeat evil within us, it is the power of God who defeats evil within us on our behalf.  It is no longer our meager attempts at obedience, but rather true obedience from a heart that embraces the gifts God offers.  The Sabbath is no longer a chore, but a treasured time with Christ, we would not abandon for the world.  The chance to praise God in church is no longer about pretense, and social ratings, but about a treasured opportunity to say thank you to a God who has freed us from ourselves, and our bondage to selfishness.  Perceptions of reality change post a true rebirth in Christ.  What was once seen as impossible, is now merely child’s play, as we now acknowledge where all things of power can truly be found.  It is no longer us.  It is only Him.

Christ continues, by saying “Marvel not”.  In other words, don’t be so surprised Nicodemus.  You have no idea where the wind comes from or where it is going.  You do not control the wind.  Why did you think you could control “who” you are?  Why do we?  Being born of the Spirit is something that happens outside of our abilities.  We must invite it.  But we do not control it.  It controls us.  It replaces our slavery to self with the freedom that comes from self-less-ness.  Here Christ keeps the conversation centralized on “how” a person is saved from evil.  It is not about lamb’s blood at Passover.  It is not about all the traditions the religious leadership has instituted to help people “keep” the law.  It is not about how educated you are, how smart you are, how rich you are, or how healthy you are.  It is about recognizing it takes something outside of yourself to be remade into something new.  You DO NOT CONTROL it.  You benefit from it.  It is a gift.  It is the gift of salvation.  No earning it.  No buying it.  Just receiving it.  It changes who you are.

Nicodemus still clings to his own ideas about truth; ideas that are based on years of study, years of education, years of pondering the meaning of scripture.  These ideas and education have earned him prominence in Israelite society.  And in all his years, he has never even considered, that salvation came from outside of himself.  Still clinging to his ideology he again mutters … “How can these things be?”  To this stubborn clinging to human wisdom, Jesus must chide Nicodemus a bit to wake him up.  In verse 10 Jesus responds … “art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”  From the perspective of Christ, how could you study the law, the prophets, and creation and NOT come to these conclusions?  How could all the education have led you somewhere else?  Did you not read the stories of the Old Testament and see the repeated failures of humanity, and find their success only when they trusted themselves to God?  Only when they submitted to God were the victories ever witnessed.  How could you have read so much, and missed the point entirely?  How do we?  How is it we read the Old Testament and focus on the violence of human actions, missing entirely the point of those stories.  It is only when we submit to God that His victory is wrought within us.  And just like Nicodemus that is not what we have seen.  We focus on the human actions and think that is the way we will be saved.  Here is Christ saying, you don’t get it.  That is not how it works.

Jesus continues in verse 12 … “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? [verse 13] And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”  Here Jesus corrects what Nicodemus first said in addressing Him.  Here Jesus says, you called me a teacher come from God, but you are not accepting what I am telling you about truth.  How then can you accept what I want to tell you about heaven, where only I have been?  Jesus re-asserts his divinity.  Jesus tells Nicodemus here, it is not your ideas that define truth, it is me.  It is not your understanding that brings about salvation, it is literally your belief in Me, and in my mission.  You must accept that salvation will come from outside of yourself, and I alone am that vehicle.  Then comes the most profound and detailed verses in all of scripture about the nature and mission of Christ.

In verse 14 Jesus continues … “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [verse 15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”  Here is where the rubber meets the road.  Your salvation did not come through the actions of Moses, but through the belief that God could and would save you.  Here Christ says to Nicodemus, I am the sacrifice that the symbolism of the sacrificial system pointed forward to.  It will be me lifted up on a cross, for your salvation Nicodemus.  And as it was in the days of Israel of old, you will not be saved because of your actions, you will be saved because you believe that I can and I will save you.  Christ alone, being the Son of God, could do this work, fulfill this mission, and enable salvation for all of mankind.  Having done it, it would take a continued belief that God would do what He said, and change who you are, give you the rebirth, and recreation you must have in order to escape the bondage of sin.

In verse 16, Jesus articulates the reason why He, and His Father God would do this work … “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  The most quoted text in the Bible, the most repeated verse in all of scriptures, are spoken by the mouth of Christ, to the ears of Nicodemus, in the dark of night.  Praise God, that John was there to record the conversation, and preserve it for you and I.  The reason we are saved is because of the infinite love of God for us.  Our God loved us more than He loved His own life.  Our God loved us so much, that as a Father, He would willing part with His own Son, to see Him tortured and killed by the very creation He was there to redeem.  Our God, both Father and Son and Spirit, loved us this much.  That despite our lack of knowledge of truth, our intentional self-inflicted blindness, our own sense of self-worth to dare to tell God what truth is, He would still love us more than all of it, and save us from ourselves in spite of it.  Love was THE reason, we exist, and we would be saved.  This motive alone moves the actions, the mission, the words, and the deeds of Christ.  This motive alone – not to boost His own ego (He has none) – not to achieve some sort of wealth (He measures wealth in us) – not to win some sort of contest with Satan (He won that before it began).  It was love, plain and simple.  Love alone is the only reason He would do it all.

In verse 17, our very Savior continues … “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”  Here Christ lays out the purpose of His mission, and directly addresses the misconceptions that have arisen regarding the point of the Messiah.  He is not there to judge the world.  There will be no Roman overthrow.  There will be no wicked punished.  There will be no misdeeds made right, and inequalities addressed, and justice instantiated throughout the planet.  These things will not be achieved by force, but by love.  What must precede them, is the work of enabling love within us.  What must precede a perfect world of justice, is the desire for others above our own.  This rebirth cannot be attained until the mission of the Messiah has been fulfilled.  There will be no righteous judgment of condemnation upon the evil of others.  There will be instead redemption and salvation.  Despite these direct words of Christ Himself as to His own mission, modern Christians so often jump the gun, and believe the work of judgment and righteous condemnation belongs to them.  Not even Christ came to condemn.  But somehow modern Christians feel the need to compel their own ideas about truth on the lives of others, whether by law, or by placard.  What Christ alone would not do, we somehow think we are qualified to do?  The work of Christ was salvation.  Those who bear His name, should embrace His mission, not try to redefine it.

In verse 18, He continues … “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  Jesus tells Nicodemus, I am here to save you and the world at large.  I am the vehicle of your salvation.  If you believe this you are not condemned to the life you were born to.  If you do not believe in the only Creator God is who is capable of changing who you are, you are simply embracing the person you are today, with no hope to change, no hope to be someone else, and as such, you are condemned already.  You are who you are Nicodemus.  You are who you are modern Christian.  There is no denying who you are.  Lie as you will to others.  Fight as hard as you want to deny it to yourself.  But who you are, must be remade new, reborn to Christ, if you are ever to really change and want something else.  This is the unmistakable truth about the Messiah.  Salvation comes from outside of ourselves, not within us.  It must be accepted as a gift, no other way.  To reject a belief that Christ can and will save you, is to leave yourself as you are – born of the flesh, and condemned to the slavery of serving self, and the pain that it brings.  There is only one hope outside of yourself.  There is only one offer on the table that is real, and offered by the Creator.

Then in verse 19 Christ redefines for Nicodemus and for us what “condemnation” actually means … “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [verse 20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [verse 21] But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”  Condemnation is NOT the fires of Hell, we like to think of.  It is living a life that prefers to “love darkness” rather than living free in the light and truth of God.  Being a slave is its own version of hell.  Living like we do is living under the weight of condemnation, and the pain we choose to embrace and inflict.  Our lives are the problem.  Our deeds are the cause of our pain.  It is who we are that is the hell of separation from God, because we choose it.  It is this Christ came to redeem us from.  Not just from some far off fiery lake of flames and torment, but from the here and now of the pain that comes from our sins and our choices.  This is what those who refuse to believe that Christ will save them, are doomed to experience.  Whether Christian or not, believing that salvation comes from within us, perpetuates the doom of this life, this existence, and this pattern of sin and pain.  It is only when accept the gift of Christ that our condition can finally be remade.

Notice too, the end of verse 21 referring to the deeds of truth Christ says … “they are wrought in God.”  Our actions are NOT our own, even after being remade.  They are BECAUSE of the rebirth, not to achieve it.  We do deeds of truth because of the effect of love that completely remakes us in His image.  His love has a transformative effect on our very thinking process.  Deeds that can be done in the presence of God, in the beauty of His light, that would cause us and others no shame, are those deeds inspired by love for others, more than love for self.  The absence of ego is our beginning.  The absence of self, even self-preservation, is the beginning of the love Christ offered on our behalf.  When this transformation is enacted within us, our deeds become those which are wrought in God.  Even past the act of transformation, even past the act of surrender to Christ that brings re-creation, it is still not us.  It is still acts wrought in God, not OUR acts that define our transformation.  Even past the initial re-creation is the ongoing renewal powered only by Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

This ends the encounter between the religious leader and Christ for now.  Nicodemus came to Christ, thinking he did Christ a favor, when instead everything he thought he knew, was blown away like so much dust.  How similar it is for those of us who are willing to encounter Christ today.  Everything we think we know about scripture and doctrine and tradition are blown away in the presence of such overwhelming love and redemptive power.  For it is not the interpretation of scripture where Nicodemus found truth, instead he found it in the person of Jesus Christ.  It is not in the law that Christ told Nicodemus the secret to how he would be saved.  Salvation would only come from outside of himself, and outside of us.  There is only one Creator God, and only one offer of true change, true reformation, true transformation away from the condemnation of pain we live with every day.  Rebirth, re-creation, renewal is what our God came to bring us.  He did it because He loves us, for no other reason.  His mission was not to judge or condemn but to redeem and save us from pain.  His mission has not changed.  His motive has not changed.  His love is as alive now, as it was when He walked this earth.  He does not turn Nicodemus away for his ignorance.  He welcomes the engagement and uses the opportunity to give to the world perhaps the most precious words ever spoken.  His gift is to more than just Nicodemus, or John, it is to you, it is to me.  And it has not stopped giving yet …