Look! The Church is Just like the Rest of Us!
But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
Proverbs 4:18 (NKJV)
The Church is in process of redemption. She is not yet perfected. This means the Church is still in some measure sinful. Yet the Church is in process, it is going forward toward perfection (Ephesians 4:13). She will finally be presented to Christ as a pure bride without spot, wrinkle or any such thing (Ephesians 5:27).
“The World” (culture outside Christ) knows the Church is different. Yet the World wants to convince itself and any who will hear that the Church is no different at all. The World, steeped in the folly of immorality, unbelief and multitudinous sins, looks at the Church, sees a sin, and points with all its fingers in delighted scorn saying, “See! You are just like us! There is no reason for us to love righteousness and hate iniquity. You, Church, say that you love righteousness and hate iniquity, but look at you! You sin! You are no different from us!”
Thus the world is glad when a righteous man stumbles. Yet stumbling reveals that the man was walking. Worldlings do not walk; they wallow in their sin like a pig in its mire (2 Peter 2:22). The righteous man walks and sometimes falls. When he falls the worldlings look up from their mud hole of sin and immoral unbelief pointing the fingers of filthy hands saying, “You are just like us!” But think clearly, O worldling! The righteous man is not like you! Though he falls seven times he arises again, and goes on toward perfection (Proverbs 24:16). His stumbling reveals he was walking. But you, you lay in the filth of your unbelief. Hear O worldling, rather than rejoice, turn from your sin and call upon Jesus the Savior. He will set you on the path of the righteous and teach you to cleanse yourself from all defilement of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1).
God sets his face against the world when it rejoices in the downfall of the Church. Isaiah talks about this:
Ezekiel 25:3-7 (NKJV)
“…Thus says the Lord God: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity, [4] indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the men of the East…”Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, [7] indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples…and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
Ezekiel 25:8-11 (NKJV)
“Thus says the Lord God: “Because…[they] say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations,’ [9] therefore, behold, I will clear [their] territory…of cities…And I will execute judgments…and they shall know that I am the Lord.”
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Tags: 2 Corinthians 7:1, 2 Peter 2:22, Ephesians 4:13, Ephesians 5:27, eugene clingman, Ezekiel 25:3-11, granola, granola delights, perfecting holiness, Proverbs 24:16, Proverbs 4:18, sin of the church, the church is just like us, world delights in church's sin, worldlings