While the changes in society continue to propel away a people looking to God’s Word, one might think there would be an obvious exodus to being planted in the local church: representing the pillar of truth. But, at times this can prove disheartening, as each local church tries to navigate its way through the apparent urgency, yet also keeps itself and programs running and intact.

Where does one really GO? Where do we plant our feet?
“Let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach…” (Heb 13:13)

The following six verses have come my way to form a framework in which a Kingdom stance has become clearer to me. Perhaps it adds a guided security. I would like to share them with you for your consideration:

Ps 84:10: “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness”
1 Cor 9:12: “If others are partakers of this right over you…nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the Gospel of Christ
1 Cor 9:15: “nor have I written these things that it should be done to me, for it would be better for me to die than anyone make void my boasting”
Heb 11:25: “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.”
Acts 5:29: “…we ought to obey God rather than man.”
Acts 26:22: “Witnessing…saying no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses said would come.”

Choosing to be merely a doorkeeper, not using rights, not fulfilling our need of expression, obeying God rather than man, speaking only that which conforms with His Word, and choosing the company with His destitute ones.

May we stand until that Day.

Let me know if I am on base with this:

The Canon on Scripture follows two general bookends. It begins Genesis, Creation, the beginning and ends with Revelation, the culmination, the End. The pathway through the passages/verses/ books of its pages generally follows the trail of humankind’s mortal experience from beginning to the ending age.

The Law emerges in the OT, yet glimpses of Grace come in, too, i.e., David’s knowledge that blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven in the Psalms (cf. Rom 4). It all points to the Plan and the Redeemer coming.

Jesus appears. His words and life deal with the bridging of “the law coming through Moses, BUT grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1).” Law to Grace and Truth. His earth-time Words and teaching extend to the End of time (Matt 24 and 25). His Words in the Gospels too bring in words of the Law, yet He interprets them with the NEW ORDER, the new righteousness, which is higher than the Law. He dies on the Cross and is Resurrected, becomes our Righeousness and baptises the Church with the Holy Spirit.

Acts of the Apostles, great acts by the Holy Spirit.

Conversion of Paul unfolds and his revelation as a man of the Law into the PURE and FREE Grace of Jesus apart from works. Romans, Colossians, Ephesians seem the FLOWER of civilization with the blossom of Grace apart from works revealed and expressed. Glorious and visions of the Age to come.

As we move further in the pages of the Epistles of Canon, there is Grace. More accountability, though, begins to be God-breathed for what we have done with Grace. James – test the work of grace by works. 1 John clearly brings us to account that the practicing of sin reveals we are not children of God. Hebrews (lest we let it slip), 2 Peter 2 and 3, Jude, 2 John…have a tone with the theme of Accountability and retribution even for the one who says they embrace Christ. Warnings increase. There is more ‘threat” in the terms of following Christ, if we truly ARE Christ’s own. The age of the End is coming nearer.

Revelation, the End book. By the Churches in Revelation 3, Jesus is speaking to the actions resulting in these churches. Actually, not much talk of faith and grace by this time but the FRUIT of what true Grace has/is revealing/producing in them NOW.

Am I off on this? Does it make sense that as the tinge of the End of the age starts pulsating, the rightful threat in the proclaimed/preached/taught Word must increase as well?

(Tell me where I am wrong on this.)

The gracious Gardener of Genesis gave His human the chance to be wonderfully and fearfully formed and to draw breath. Even more, He gave that human a chance to give Him pleasure in a relationship, one that could “applaud Him, soothe Him, stroke Him (Ps 117:2).”

The Old Testament perhaps highlighted mostly clearly in De 28 speaks in a conditional/if sense of fellowship since humans ruptured that chance of freely moving with the Loving Creator. One might still have fellowship and blessings, but the determining factor was “if, if you obey…” Please see vss 1 and 15.

There had to be such a sigh of relief as the requirements of His Law that none could attain were completed in the Beloved Lord Jesus. We were now joined to Him, righteousness included, One Spirit and so bound together that nothing can separate us from the love of God which in Christ Jesus the Lord (Rom 8:31-39).

So has “if” (whether, provided that, unless, except you, should you, as surely as you)…of our actions now been removed?

Our land is bearing under the weight and repulsion in almost every neighborhood, every committee, every family, every church, every office, every workplace marred by the behavior of one speaking belief in Jesus. This could be the greatest single plague of our land truly.

Francis Chan, David Platte, Paul Washer among a few have arisen to seemingly reinsert the “if” into the ears of the American professing Church. There is a warning by one’s fruit…if truly we are a child of God. Is John saying in 1 John that the practice of sin keeps one from being a child of God or that the fact of not truly being a child of God issues in the practice of sin?

There seems to be a conditional quality Voiced upon the Seven Churches of Revelation (cf 2:5,2:26,3:3).

Can we accurately assess this in-between day of grace of many conversions and yet so lacking in fruit of self-denial? May we tremble to ever minimize the completeness of the Cross of Christ. If some conclusion must come, the finished Work of the Perfect Sacrifice of the Unblemished Lamb is FULL. Yet to our eyes, like the words of John the Baptist preparing the way right before the Harvest, the fruit of repentance must be brought forth. “If” there is no fruit, the “if” may remain.