These words had personal meaning to me today. With these I truly did tear up. Not for the sake that I have visited so many churches with personal disappointment. Not that I personally desire the fellowship and brethren with no avail in this area. No I cried for them that God may hide Himself from. I cried for their congregations and that many will not only hear but be satisfied with a perverted gospel. I pray you are awakened from your sleep, I pray He rocks the foundation of every church building, I pray for His mercy. May God bless these words that He may be glorified. God is the light and what serves to lead some, will illuminate and fully expose others.
Extra credit reading: I still am posting this week on the duties of the parents (or more particular the father) you can check them out daily on gleanings of grace.com Today’s extra’s though are on the church. First from grace gems.org, an excellent site that I pull many of my articles from, I recommend this one by Joseph Philpot called Toys and playthings of the religious babyhouse” additionally I have linked J.C. Ryle "The True Church". (Like most of Ryle’s stuff, it is lengthy but good.)
Jhn 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Jhn 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jhn 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
- Why did Jesus hide Himself?
- What does this show of man’s depravity and God’s deity?
We have here the true, the eternal “I AM” (Exd 3:14), standing before these orthodox Jews. These were learned men that knew the scriptures and prophecies and were deeply impassioned with their belief in God. Now we have that God standing, teaching them. This was the God of Abraham, the God of Moses, and the God of these Jews. This is the Immanuel. But we see no knee bowed to Him, no homage being rendered to the most high. We see no honor or glory or praise. Instead we see them pick up stones to cast at Him. And we should possibly mention if it stands to any importance that these men did not stand in a field or road but in a temple of the Lord were they chose to do battle with Christ. Would this be much different today? If Christ Himself, as flesh, went into the synagogues of today and reveled the character of that church. If He would pronounce you to be slaves of sin and that the father you worship is the devil. If He said that you delight in doing so would we see their conduct to be that same. Would we see them try to chase God and His word out of their church. I truly do sorrow for I have already seen this in many churches I have visited. I have seen God’s Son chased out of their pulpit and replaced with works of the flesh. And Christ response wasn’t to speak louder or force His way back in but instead He hid Himself from them. I say this without exaggeration, I cry when I write these words for Christ may have left and hide Himself from them and so have passed by them without them seeing. How this should make any tremble. I pray to you, humble yourself, repent, and believe in Christ Finished work.
