“the simplicity that is in Christ” 2 Cor: 11:3
On almost any given Sunday Christians can hear a wide variety of viewpoints and messages being proclaimed. There is truth in the content of many of these messages and most of the focus is within the bounds of what we might understand as orthodox Christianity and is in agreement with the historic Christian Creeds written through the ages.
Some of these messages have an intense focus
on prophetic events. This view and focus on events developed largely in the
early 1800’s through the preaching and ministry of a man named John Nelson
Darby, but not exclusively by Darby there were others as well from time-to-time
from Darby's time unto this very day.
Apocalyptic Language
Darby, and others, had and have, developed
elaborate and complex prophetic schematics which chart the events leading up to
the coming of our Lord Jesus. These schematics can be overly complicated and
some of them unfortunately ignore the Biblical use of what is called “Apocalyptic language”, which was an oratory and
literary device taught and used in the rabbinical schools of the times in which
the Holy Scriptures were inspired.
This “Apocalyptic language” was even used by
the Prophets to convey God’s message to humanity in and trough the Old
Testament Scriptures. This “Apocalyptic literary” style of preaching
and writing was used by the Holy Spirit to speak of the seriousness of
disregarding God’s word to us, and reveals and dramatize the disastrous results
of humanities attempts to save themselves, and looking to any other means of
salvation aside from the only means through which God has provided
salvation for us in and through the person of Jesus.
“there is salvation found in no other name
under Heaven other than that of Jesus by which humanity might be saved.” Acts: 4:12
St. Paul even comments upon the purpose of the
written record of the sacred writ as a powerful illustration of what occurs
when humanity attempts to accomplish what only God can accomplish for us
whether it be in our personal lives or collective lives.
“These things happened to Israel and are
record as examples and warning for us, on whom the end of the age has come.”1Cor:10:11
Apocalyptic language is a powerfully
dramatic and highly symbolic presentation to warn and or admonish us all to put
our trust in God and his Holy Divine Son Jesus, who is the promised Messiah,
and is the focus of God’s saving work from the very onset of creation and human
history and who is the confirmation that God will bring all human history into
his perfect will and that he has and will act for our eternal best good.
Made Complicated
When understood properly, and viewed through
the saving work and life of Jesus, “Apocalyptic language”
points us and orients us to look to and trust completely in Jesus and also
reassures us that God's will is being accomplished in the Earth regardless of
what the “world system” does or does not do.
In some cases, this style of “Apocalyptic” presentation, and message, has been
so contorted as to fit personal view points, and has been worked
into a complex schematic of history and prophecy which, unintendedly has
focused some of our fellow brethren’s attention upon, and preoccupies their
minds, with events and not upon Jesus himself.
Some have become so “event oriented” seeing the work of God only as a series
of Earth-shaking cataclysmic events unfolding in the years to come. This “event orientation” has caused some believers to miss
the truth of the “Apocalyptic” events which unfolded
and were fulfilled in and around the life of Jesus; through the incarnation,
the dramatic miracles which he performed, the preaching of the Kingdom of God,
his arrest, crucifixion, death and his glorious resurrection. Jesus’ whole
life, was and continues to be an ongoing “Apocalyptic” Earth
shaking event.
Some of our brethren can be so caught up with
the often-troubling events in the world around us, at times attempting to draw
specific prophetic meaning for every occurrence.
Some of our fellow Christians have even
succumbed to the temptation to predict when the “end will come” in
spite of the plain words of the Bible that the best we can do is know that we
are in the general season of “the end”, we cannot
know when our Lord Jesus will come.
“no one knows they day nor the hour , not even
the angels in Heaven , but only the Father knows” Matt:24:36
We can know however that we have God’s sure
word that there will come a day when the Heavenly Trumpet will sound and
the Heavens will part and our Lord Jesus Christ will descend in great glory and
God’s glorious Kingdom will be made manifest over all things. Matt: 24, Mk: 13, Lk: 21, Rev: 19, 1Cor:15
This prophetic preoccupation is very
compelling, for the world around us is at times chaotic and uncertain. It may
be for some, that a constant focus on events gives the sense of control over
their lives. At times, some might feel that they will be caught up unaware and
be swept along with traumas of the world system as it reels to it’s conclusion
and ultimate collapse.
It is true that Christians should be alert and
informed regarding conditions in the world, Jesus even in his “Apocalyptic” Olivet Prophecy tells us to be able to
discern the season(s) in which we live. Matt: 24:44, Matt: 25:13
Jesus is telling us that our life in him keeps
us from being taken off guard, especially spiritually, so that we can discern
when a thought or an idea is contrary to Biblical injunctions regardless of how
legitimized it maybe by the culture of the day.
Even as the world at times anguishes in
turmoil and terrible times do come, we have our Lord’s divine assurance that he
will never abandon us and we need not give into fear at the tings which happen
around us.
“I am with you even until the end of the age” Matt: 28:20b
We believers need to rest in the sure word of
God and relinquish any and all fears about the world’s troubles. Jesus will
come, you are not alone, yes, dark days will arise upon the Earth in the times
to come and are already here, but our God has given his Church around the world
a simple message of the Gospel which is Good News for all people which should
calm our hearts in spite of what takes place around us. St. John wrote regaling
this message of the love of our God.
“Perfect love drives out all
fears” 1Jhn: 4:18
The Gospel is a simple message, that God
loves us which need not be clutter with side issues, but is focused upon Jesus
and his unconditional eternal love for us, in spite of the “end of the world”
and cataclysmic events which will arise in the world around us.
Simplicity of the Gospel
When St. Paul preached and ministered to the
Christian Church in the Greek city of Corinth, he said that his primary message
was a focus upon the person of Jesus and God’s work of salvation, as it is
manifested and revealed in, and through his Holy Son.
Now it could be said that St. Paul was
speaking in regards to his posture of heart as one of humility and lowliness.
There is very much a truth to that view of what St. Paul was writing about in
his Corinthian Epistle but from that posture of heart came forth his central
message to the Christians not just in Corinth but throughout the ages.
“When I came to you brothers, I did not come
to you with eloquence and wisdom as I proclaimed to you the
testimony about God. For I decided to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you with fear and trembling” 2Cor: 2:1-3
The Heart of the Gospel
St. Paul was not just talking about the
content of his Gospel alone, and his messages’ central point, but he was
speaking of his complete reliance and simple trust in that central point, which
is the person of Jesus.
St. Paul is telling us, that he understood
that his, and all of our salvation is accomplished and is made manifest in the
saving work of Jesus expressed to us in the most dramatic “Apocalyptic” way at the Cross of Calvary and is
confirmed through the resurrection of our Lord from the dead, for without the
resurrection the cross would have no value and without the cross there would be
no resurrection, for Jesus had to die in order to rise.
“for if Christ be not raised then our
preaching is in vain and your faith is useless” 1Cor:15:
14
This is the heart of the Gospel; that Jesus,
the incarnate eternal Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity has
come and has accomplished for us the salvation which we could never bring to
pass, which the Scriptural records so powerfully reveals to us and bears
witness to. The Heart of the Gospel is God's heart for and toward us.
"for God so loved the world" Jhn: 3:16
This is the simple message of God’s love. This
simple yet profound love of God which has, and is expressed to all humanity at
the cross is the Gospel, the good news which St. Paul and the early Church
witnessed to the world and of which St. Paul preached in a posture of humility
to the Christians of his time.
The primitive Apostolic Church did not present
a complex schematic of history and prophecy about wars and worldwide
destruction, but rather, they proclaimed the simple message of God’s
love for and toward an errant humanity who live in a state of
misunderstand about the Lord God and even themselves.
This message of the love of God is truly good
news for us, that our Lord has done for us everything needed for our salvation;
all any need do is to embrace it all through grace and trust in Jesus. When we
embrace this salvation then we experience the reality of this salvation and
transformed by the Holy Spirit and we become oriented to the person of Jesus
through whom we have a relationship with the Holy God, the Trinity, who is the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Undiminished
When our message, which we declare to the
world, becomes an “event” message then we can, if we
are not careful, diminish Jesus down to the role of being a participant in a
series of cataclysmic events. Any message which results in the diminishing of
Jesus, being central focus of the Church’s message will result in a form of
legalism wherein our status with God is seen as uncertain and can only be “maintained” by our performance.
This view when it enters our minds can breed
fear, for we lose sight of the complete perfect work of Jesus, which means,
that when Jesus is diminished in any way his work of salvation is therefore
diminished and allows for the thought that it is not complete, that there is
something left undone or to be earned or merited by us. If this is true
salvation would not be by grace alone. This is an unintended result which
enters when we take our focus off the person of Jesus as the central focus of
our Gospel.
The Simple Truth
It is very true that there will be difficult
days during the “last days” as the “world system” convulses to its end and the glorious
return of our Lord Jesus even as St. Paul long ago to the young pastor Timothy.
“But know this, that in the last days
difficult times will come”2Tim:3:1
Yet we can in spite of the “events” which take place we can take hold of the simple
truth that God loves us and has given us his Son Jesus to which we can
turn be assured of his unconditional love which drives out all of our fears.
This simple yet profound message of the
Father’s love for us as it was and continues to be expressed in and through
Jesus is the good news of the Gospel. This is the simplicity which is
found in Christ.
Benediction: May we each and all ever be oriented
toward the person of Jesus and may we all experience the depth of our God’s
Holy love for us all, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.
Rev. Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma
"If
It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About
Anything"
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