The Full Cup of God’s Wrath

This morning I was reading through Revelation and have been doing so for the past three weeks. But today I couldn’t get past Revelation 14 so easily after a solemn pause, a time of deep reflection. Eschatology aside, the passage that gripped me hard was speaking about the Lord’s anger poured into the wine press.

So the angel swung his sickle toward earth and gathered the grapes from earth’s vineyard, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. ²⁰ Then the press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press up to the horses’ bridles for about 180 miles. Revelation 14:19-20

I couldn’t move away so easily from these words for a number of reasons. The first being that if I know truthfully that God’s wrath is coming upon those who are unbelievers, that should shake me up in some measure. It is a sobering reminder that His justice will prevail against the wickedness that has scorched the earth. It is even more personal when you stop to think of a family member or a friend who doesn’t know Christ and may very well drink the full cup of His wrath. How much more knowing these truths should we press on to sharing the truth of the gospel?

Another thing that gripped me is this. Christ took the full cup of the Father’s wrath from you (if you’re a Christian that is)…so that you no longer have to enter His winepress. Are you starting to feel small? And all that Christ did was giving glory to the Father by being nailed to the cross and taking a penalty for the sins of His people. Now consider Christ’ prayer, the God-man who asked the Father to take the cup away.

Going a little farther,^[l] He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39

Can any of us really blame Christ for asking the Father to remove the full cup of the Father’s wrath? He was perfect and blameless when He took that cup so that we Christians will never have to enter the winepress of His anger for the wicked and vile sins that we have committed against Him. This should move us in two ways. 1) Praising God with all our strength! He has accomplished what no one else could do. His gift is freely received by those who confess their sins, repent and turn to Him. 2) It is a reminder for us, that God is withholding His wrath until the books are closed and time itself ceases. He is patient but He is also a just God. And so this thought should grip us because there are people whom we all know as Christians are walking the broad path to destruction. Pray for them, share the gospel with them and rejoice knowing that God has provided eternal salvation.

The Lord is slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children to the third and fourth generation Numbers 14:18

Risk Taking Academics

Imagine for a moment that you’re in a secular university studying the many disciplines of ethics. As a Christian, you stand immovable to your presuppositions when it comes to ethics, involving its origins and meaning. But when confronted with a lecturer that presupposes ethics as being nothing more than an idea, you begin to feel the clash of worldviews. This type of situation is all too familiar within universities. And although they might teach worldviews from an introductory unit, they will always try to push the students into a neutral submission under the guise of ‘free thinking’. What goes through the mind of a Christian when they pick up their pen or begin typing on the keyboard? What does it mean to stand firm in the face of supposed proverbial academic Goliaths and to hold vastly to the truth of scripture?

I believe Paul knew the battle in part what it would be like for Christians to come across confrontation of all sorts. He left the Ephesian church with a message that stands upon a greater foundation than the wisdom of man. “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.” Ephesians 6:10. The preceding verses explain the nature of the full armour of God and what it means when you are strengthened by God Himself. Now going back to what I was originally conveying, for a Christian to write anything opposing the ideas of man regarding the nature of ethics or any topic for that matter, hinges upon greater strength than themselves. Why do I say this? Not many Atheistic lecturers presuppose absolute truth, they will usually begin with relativism “What’s true for you is true for you, what’s true for me is true for me”. But when you expose the inconsistency of relativism, you will have to rest upon the vast strength of the Lord. In doing so, you risk your own position within university itself.

Many lecturers and tutors will try to push the idea of neutrality; an example of this is presuming that evidence points to a direction of truth. It’s an illusion for both the Christian and the one pushing neutrality. A Christian should never presuppose neutrality, the disciples never did and to do so would be to deny the strength of the Lord. This isn’t good apologetics nor does the bible present itself in the same measure. If we believe what Genesis 1:1 says about how things came into being “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”, than our presuppositions ought to begin with this truth. If we don’t begin with these presuppositions than our faith is easily shipwrecked by the wisdom of fools who try to undermine the nature of things in existence using irrationality. This is why it’s important for Christian parents to sit down with their children prior to sending them off to university or any school for that matter. The way in which you’re taught things may have a detrimental impact on how you present Christianity to those around you, even if you do think yourself ‘out on top’ of the wisdom of fools.

I believe that the only reason a Christian should be at university or college is simply to share the gospel. For any other reason would infer that you’re open to all types of teaching and even the way disciplines are taught. Parents PLEASE pay attention to this! Unless you know how universities operate and unless your child is firmly grounded in the gospel, don’t send them to university. It takes risk taking Christian academics to write a thesis or an essay that pushes the antithesis of how truth is presupposed. And those Christians are willing to risk it all in order to share the truth of the gospel.

The Sin of Association

Recently I posted an article on my Facebook regarding John Piper preaching alongside Christine Caine (http://apprising.org/2014/01/02/john-piper-to-preach-with-hillsong-pastrix-christine-caine-at-passion-2014/). I originally took this as John Piper preaching at a Hillsong conference, but later realised that I was wrong on this matter. However, that said many of my friends on Facebook disagreed with my argument. My argument was simply this “that we should use discernment about where we preach”. I mentioned that I (personally) wouldn’t begin preaching in a cult or a Catholic church or even a stip club. Now as I mentioned above, many of my Facebook friends disagreed with this which is why I've written this blog entry to explain my position a little more clearly.

There are a few passages in scripture that point us to be wary of whom we associate ourselves with. Now I want to be ultra-careful to mention that if I am wrong about this, please let me know, but that said please use the scripture as I am using the scripture to convey this matter of truth. One of the passages that first comes to mind is Galatians 2:11-14

But when Cephas^[a] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned.^{[b] 12} For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. ¹³ Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas^[c] in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?”^[d]

In this passage Cephas’ along with Banabas’ sin was in relation to fearing those within the circumcision party and certainly not fearing Christ. Their association was in Jewish customs and the traditions of man than it was in knowing God and trying to win over those who don’t know Christ at all. This passage speaks very clearly about whom we associate ourselves with and the conduct in which we ought to consider carefully.

In Numbers 25:6-9 we see the sin of association between an Israelite man and a Midianite woman.

An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁷ When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand, ⁸ followed the Israelite man into the tent,^[c] and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman—through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped, ⁹ but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. Numbers 25:6-9

This passage speaks volumes about sin of association. At this time, Israelites and those who were outside the covenant were not allowed to be yoked or associated with. If you’re still thinking that sin of association isn’t that bad, this was punishable by death! Now why ultimately was I objecting to anyone preaching on a Hillsong stage? From my experience having been to a Hillsong conference in order to warn people of false teachers, I knew that no one should approach such a platform lightly without first using discernment.

In Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus says “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. ¹⁶ You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.

Consider first the warning that Christ presents, we’re to ‘beware of false prophets’. This tells us two things already that false prophets and prophets both exist. But how do we distinguish between the two? Jesus mentions the fruit of a tree producing good or bad fruit, in other words, are their things in a person’s life that openly shows their conviction of sin and their need for Christ or is there something else that they’re motivated? Perhaps this might include money, fame or power? Now at this point I should mention that friends of mine and I didn’t enter the conference but instead we preached the gospel outside. Below this blog entry is a link to my Hillsong experience.

As Christ Himself says we’re to beware of false prophets, I doubt this means that we can shake hands and borrow their podium once in a while, even if that means preaching the true gospel. The apostle Paul speaks of avoiding false teachers in Romans 16:17-18.

Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause dissensions and obstacles contrary to the doctrine you have learned. Avoid them, ¹⁸ for such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites.^[j] They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words. Romans 16:17-18

Now I don’t think Paul could be any clearer on the matter of associating one’s self with false teachers. And by scripture, I’m convicted that it’s biblical to avoid churches that produce bad fruit and hold to a different gospel, one of fame, money and power. This doesn’t mean we can’t call people out of those churches but we should not approach platforms so lightly without first considering scripture and using discernment and acting upon what is right by God. For more information on my Hillsong experience, check out this link. http://acts27.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/so-what-exactly-happened-at-hillsong.html

Remember Your First Love

But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Revelation 2:4

 
What is strange about this rebuke is that for the majority of what Christ is saying to the church of Ephesus, it’s quite positive. In fact from what Christ is saying in the beginning of this letter to the Ephesian church are an address of what is pleasing to Christ! Let’s have a look at this in context:

 

“Write to the angel^[a] of the church in Ephesus:

“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says: ² I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. ³ You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. ⁴ But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. ⁵ Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you^[b] and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in^[c] God’s paradise. Revelation 2:1-7

 

At first glance, you’d probably be assuming that this is the kind of church you’d assume is ‘on fire’ for God! It’s the kind of church that you’d probably want to consider joining yourselves! It’s the kind of church that shuns evil, calls out false apostles (or teachers of this modern day) and from verse 3 Christ is affirming their persecutions against the church because of His name and still manages to press on in the toughest of times. But there’s one problem Christ says “You have abandoned the love you had at first.” This is the type of sharp rebuke that requires self-reflection. It’s the type of rebuke that should cause ourselves to examine our hearts, and see where it is we get our motivation from in doing anything in the Lord’s name! But what a sharp rebuke it is, when it is the man in the mirror whom Christ is talking to.

It is so easy to research reformed theology, early church fathers, puritans, presuppositional argumentation and so forth…and to forget the joy that Christ put in your heart the day He opened your eyes to your sin and all that He did on the cross for you. It is so easy to point out false teachers, to press on and endure hardships and yet as Christ Himself says to abandon your first love! We ought to test ourselves, test to see what are motivations are aligned with and repent too if we have abandoned our first love. In the end at the time of everyone’s death is a personal meeting with Christ Himself! And He will examine the hearts of everyone who has ever lived. In the end, it’s only Christ who matters most; it’s only His power to break the bonds of sin that matters most! And it’s that recognition that Christ deserves! Consider all that Christ endured and examine yourselves to see if you have also abandoned the first love. I urge you to repent and to know the depth of what Christ endured for your sake. Pray that God works a mighty joy in you, and press on in the faith with recognition of what He has done upon the cross of Calvary!