A Lot Further to Go

Today’s church is made up of many denominations: Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists and Pentecostals just to name a few.

There is no greater sin among Christians than to refuse to grow spiritually. So much has been provided in Jesus’ death on the cross. Yet many Christians are satisfied with the first step of salvation and never grow beyond that. Each of the denominations named above and many others never grow beyond their four walls. The Methodists, for example, usually remain Methodist for their entire lives. It is the same for the others. A Baptist will usually remain a Baptist, and Pentecostals will always be Pentecostals. Seldom does a Christian grow beyond his present place in his particular church. For that reason very few Christians become aware of the Spirit realm of God. Spiritually they are blind, deaf, and dumb.

The Laodicean church is a good example of modern day Christianity.

Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot.
16 So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.

The Laodicean Christians were indifferent. God wanted them to be hot, zealous for Him. It would be better for them to be cold than lukewarm and indifferent. If they were cold, God could deal with them but it is very hard to reach those who are indifferent and lukewarm.

Revelation 3:17-18 Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

The Laodicean Christians felt they had no needs. Everything was cool, you might say. They were not aware that they were spiritually blind, deaf, dumb, and naked. They could not see into the realm of Spirit, they could not hear the voice of the Lord, they could not speak a living Word, and they did not know they were naked, without the clothes of righteousness. If you could talk to some of the Laodiceans, they would probably not admit to God’s assessment of them. They would think they were doing the will of God.

While most Christians today would not admit it, that is God’s assessment of much of today’s church, too. They are blind, deaf, dumb, and naked. It is easy for a Christian to be robed in religiousness instead of righteousness. Today’s church is drunk on the wine of the world. They are like the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day.

During Jesus’ ministry on earth He opened the eyes of the blind, caused the deaf to hear, made the dumb speak, and healed the lame. In each case the blind knew they were blind, the deaf knew they were deaf, the dumb knew they could not speak, and the lame knew they could not walk. The church, though, does not know it is blind, deaf, and dumb.

John 9:39-41 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and they that which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If you were blind, you would have no sin: but now you say, We see; therefore your sin remains.

If you want to see the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, you must first be blind. If you want to hear the Word of the Lord, you must become deaf; and if you want to speak a living Word, you must become dumb. No one is so blind as he that thinks he can see. No one is so deaf as he that thinks he can hear. This is what the Lord was speaking about when He told Paul, My strength is made perfect in weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). You can’t be strong in self and in the Lord, too.

How arrogant is the church that thinks it is pleasing God when it has refused to go beyond the first step of salvation. Regardless of where we are in our relationship with the Lord, we have a lot further to go.