Heavenly Mindedness (46)

 

Continuing our reflections on Geerhardus Vos’s Message on “Heavenly Mindedness” from Hebrews 11:9 – 10:

 

“A religion that has ceased to set its face towards the celestial city, is bound sooner or later to discard also all supernatural resources in its endeavor to transform this present world. The days are perhaps not far distant when we shall find ourselves confronted with a quasi-form of Christianity professing openly to place its dependence on and to work for the present life alone, a religion, to use the language of Hebrews, become profane and a fornicator like Esau, selling for a mess of earthly pottage its heavenly birth-right.” G. Vos

 

Have we become the Church of Esau? Have we discarded “all supernatural resources”? Are we working for “the present life alone”?

 

In our need (as opposed to God’s direction) to be relevant and to attract people to our churches, have we become irrelevant? Has marketing and entertainment and therapy overwhelmed our vision of Jesus Christ and His Church? Has our parochial theology smothered Biblical theology and vision? Has our self-branding as upholding this or that “tradition” or “movement” blinded us to the image of the glorious Bride of Jesus Christ? Where is the supernatural?

 

We are now able, across the theological spectrum, to interpret the Bible without the aid of the Holy Spirit. We are so well trained that we can preach and teach without Him. Instead of throwing ourselves on the Holy Spirit for guidance we hire consultants who bring with them demographic studies and marketing plans. We design Sunday morning “experiences” that are so tightly woven that there is no space for anything to be amiss – we must control the time and the space.

 

Our Sunday school and small group curriculum is often mundane, poorly thought out, lacks Biblical epistemology as well as cohesive pedagogy; it is not designed for spiritual growth in Christ – which is why people can be in Sunday school all their lives and not have a deep relationship with Christ and the Bible…but this appears to bother few pastors, and it certainly does not concern publishers.

 

The Holy Spirit has left us and we don’t even know it. We can manufacture excitement. We can dot our “i”s and cross our “t”s regarding doctrine, we can live within whatever theological language and jargon suits us, but were we to pull the life-support lines from what we do we would stop functioning.

 

What else can explain the sad reality that so few professing Christians share Jesus Christ with others? (At least here in the United States). What else can explain the fact that the majority of people who have been in churches (which claim to have a high view of Scripture) all their lives, do not have a functioning knowledge of the Bible? What else can account for the fact that we are a divided people and that the Messiah’s prayer for Trinitarian oneness in John 17 has no room in our prayers, our preaching, our decision – making?

 

To what else can we attribute the absence of holiness in our people? We spend our money the way the world spends its money. We indulge in the same entertainments as the world. We have allowed ourselves to be politicized and nationalized and are willing accomplices in doing the bidding of this world’s powers and usurpers.

 

Where is the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14)?

 

Is Jesus a threat to us? I think that He ought to be. I think that Jesus Christ ought to as much a threat to us as He was to the Seven Churches of Revelation. His threat is born of love and justice, and is made in righteousness. We can be perfect in doctrine, discerning between what is true and what is not, but if we have left our first love our candlestick will be removed. If we harbor sin in our midst, endorsing it, propagating it, our candlestick will be removed. If we are lukewarm and self-assured, thinking we are rich and thinking we “see,” while all the time we are naked and miserable and blind and poor – our candlestick will be removed.

 

Yes, the professing church in American has “become profane and a fornicator like Esau, selling for a mess of earthly pottage its heavenly birth-right.”

 

The Church of Jesus Christ is called to love God, build itself up into the image of Jesus Christ, and make disciples of all peoples, teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands us. (Mark 12:30; Eph. 4:11 – 16; Matt. 28:18 – 20).

 

We are not called to make excuses for our spiritual fornication. The idea that, “Well, the church is filled with sinners and is imperfect,” is simply not found in the Bible – that is certainly not the attitude of Jesus Christ and the Apostles – perhaps they were deficient in their understanding of who we are? As the sons and daughters of the Living God we are accountable to Him – consider again Revelation chapters 2 and 3, and of course the NT epistles. Christ is not our Grand Therapist, He is King of kings and Lord of lords and the Holy Spirit was given to us to empower us in worship, in edification, and in witnessing and teaching others to obey all that Jesus has commanded us.

 

Will you be faithful to Jesus Christ? Will you be faithful to Him even if the entire “Christian” world and “church” around you is selling its birthright? Will you love Him even if no one else loves Him? Will you love Him for who He is and not for what He can do for you?

 

Will you present yourself, your life, all that you have and all that you are to Him, daily, moment by moment…as a living sacrifice? (Romans 12:1-2)?

 

Jesus tells us that the Father is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23 – 24).

 

Will you raise your hand, will you raise your voice, will you lift up your heart and soul to Him and say, “Here I am holy Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit – come to me! Draw me to you!”

 

Will your life in Christ be broken Bread and poured out Wine for others?

 

Ephesians 3:4 – 21.