A WORD IN SEASON TO THE WEARY
🌷🌷October 25🌷🌷
For our conversation is in heaven” (Phil 3:20)
In Eph. 1:22 God’s people are called the Church. In Greek it is called “Ecclesia” which means a people who have been pulled out or drawn out. As long as we live in sin, we are like a person who has fallen into a deep horrible pit, which is so deep that no one can draw us out of it. We require a mighty hand, or a great power to pull us out. Sin is also likened to miry clay. If you go to some parts of Assam, you will find miry places. Some time ago we went there for Gospel work and we had to go through jungles and streams, to get a certain place. As we were walking in one place, I suddenly found my feet sinking in the ground. I sank so deep that my friend had to pull me out. Nobody can ever come out by himself. If he tries to get out he will only sink in all the more. If Africa, many tigers and lions die in the miry clay. The miry clay sucks the animal inside, and however strong it may be, it cannot get out by itself. The Psalmist says, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Psa. 40:2)
The world can also be compared to a ‘horrible pit’ or ‘miry clay’ , and none of us can come out of the world by ourselves. The people of Israel, even though they had been brought out of Egypt and had seen many miracles, yet were longing for the things of Egypt. In the same way many who are born again do not know their heavenly calling; they long for worldly pleasure. It is surprising how many believers watch movies, read worldly books, and were fashionable clothes. At the time of marriage all the worldliness in people comes out by their worldly clothes, worldly movies, worldly conversation. Judging by their clothes, habits and conversation, nobody will think they are born again, because worldliness is there.
Read 2 Cor. 6:14 to 18. Suppose a man has become a Christian from a Hindu background. He no longer goes to the temple everyday but decides to go once a month or once in three months; would you accept him as a Christian? It would be impossible. In the same way how can we have fellowship with worldly people when we have been drawn out from the world? By conversation and habit, by clothing or association, we must be peculiar in every way. How sad it is today to see worldliness among believers, who say they are born again. That is why they do not know their heavenly calling or vocation. We are heavenly people, we must keep our eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
The right understanding of the word Church, will free us from all temptation to imitate worldly people. By our conversation and habits we have to prove that we are His people, His Church. In the same way, as we read in Col. 3:1-2, our affection should be for heavenly things. The true Church consists of those who have been pulled out, or drawn out by the Lord Jesus Christ from the world and worldly things. So wonderful is this experience and fact, that even though we are hated and despised, we do not go back into the world, but thank God for the privilege we are given to bear reproach for His Name’s sake.
