Saturday, June 8^th 2013

This part of the series will address another “mark” which identifies the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God. This mark involves motive, specifically, their motive for addressing the issues found within the Body of Christ and the apostate church congregations.

Keep in mind once again the meaning of “apostate” while this topic of motive is being address.

Apostate is defined as one who commits apostasy.

Apostasy is defined as:

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

1 : renunciation of a religious faith

2 : abandonment of a previous loyalty : DEFECTION

a renunciation or abandonment of a former loyalty (as to a religion)

one who betrays a trust or an allegiance — see TRAITOR

Nelson’s new illustrated Bible Dictionary states the following regarding apostasy:

Please note the areas I have underlined.

“In Acts 21:21 Paul was described falsely as one who taught the Jews living among the Gentiles to commit apostasy (forsake, NKJV). Second Thessalonians 2:3 declares that the Day of Christ “will not come unless the apostasy comes first” (NASB). This great apostasy will be the time of “the final rebellion against God, when wickedness will be revealed in human form” (2 Thess. 2:3, REB).

Apostasy is generally defined as the determined, willful rejection of Christ and His teachings by a Christian believer (Heb. 10:26–29; John 15:22). This is different from false belief, or error, which is the result of ignorance.”

Even though Paul was clearly innocence of partaking in apostasy, apostasy is something that starting being taught and acted upon very early on in the establishment of the Christian Church. Today we see apostasy and apostate teachings in record degrees like no other time in history.

Apostasy will/would be a hallmark sign before Christ returns. Widespread apostasy will/would be mankind’s final rebellion against God before the end; apostate being that “willful rejection” of either Christ or Christ’s teachings/the Word of God or both by Believers. Not by the world, but by those who started out as Believers. Whereas these individuals started out sincere they have now perhaps renounced true faith, abandoned loyalty to Christ and/or the Word of God, betrayed their allegiance to Christ by betraying the Word of God – distorting it, dismissing it, and making it of no effect.

Another “mark” which identifies the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God is that they cannot stand this apostate/apostasy, which is taking place within their Christian community. They have a very hard time staying silent while they watch their beloved Church fall apart. They grieve, as Christ grieves, what they see among people who where once dedicated brothers and sisters in Christ.

The CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God is motivated by love for the Body of Christ to speak up, speak out, and speak against what they see taking place within the Body of Christ and with apostate church congregation. Just like Paul, their actions and motives are wrongly assessed. They desire to see the apostate congregations return to true allegiance to Christ and the Word of God. They desire to see the Body of Christ stay on track when they see them veering off into dangerous territory. Many I have talked with have been wrongly maligned as having a wrong spirit and/or having an anti-christ type of spirit. Maligned through the misuse of the scripture, which addresses “accusers of the brethren” [Rev. 12:10]. They are in good company however, since Jesus Himself was accused of having a wrong spirit and being motivated by Satan [Mat. 12:22-30]. Love and allegiance to Christ and the Word of God are their only motive for addressing the issues found within the Body of Christ and the apostate church congregations.

It can be easy to get caught up in the belief that the majority must be right. However, more times than not the majority is exactly whom you do not wish to follow if you are wise. Remember God made it clear that the narrow road was the correct road and that few would find their way to, and on, it [Mat. 7:13-14 & Lk. 13:24].

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.