To reconcile when the moment beckons is the attribute that saves God’s children. As people in the flesh, God’s children are no strangers to the works of flesh. There are times when they are caught in the cleverness of Satan and in the words of those claiming to be of God. No doubt there have been many false Christs and false prophets from the days of the apostles. And when Christians are caught in their wisdom, which is cleverness in harmony with Satan, they inevitably fall prey to uncleanness. Though they were called by God and assemble together to praise Him, their zealousness does not yield good fruit until they reconcile with Him. It is utterly important that each one worshipping the God of heaven and earth possess a heart of reconciliation to fulfill their call of God.
No man or woman is perfect or without fault. This is clearly evident and acceptable to us from the wisdom in God’s word. Perfection comes to Christians from God alone. To be perfect is to be faultless through reconciling with God. This is the only way to be perfect to the Christians who live in the flesh. In this way they fulfill the teaching of Jesus, who asked them to be perfect as the heavenly Father, who is perfect. Nevertheless, many Christians are caught in the notion of sinless nature. As they see that no man is without fault, they often surrender to the works of flesh. They are encompassed by them. They concur with themselves that it is the best they can do as Christians. This is empty thinking; they are flummoxed. They did not see that there is perfection by reconciliation.
No one is without fault and yet, all who believe in God are perfect, even as the heavenly Father. What does it imply? It simply implies belief in God makes us perfect. Imagine a person who is saved by the blood of Christ and then sins for any reason of his. Will he have an opportunity to again become one with Christ? He does, and it is by reconciliation. He will be made perfect just as he was made perfect when he first believed in Him. As long as he continues in this perfection he remains without fault. It is for perfection that God gave a body to Christ which we know as the church. As already known, the church is the body comprising the saved and not that ought to be saved. So, the primary work of Christians is to come together or to call all the working men and believers of the church to come together to preserve their perfection that has been gifted to them. Or else, they cannot be the gospel of the Light to the world.
Christians have the word so that when they hear it, they examine themselves and may reconcile with God. A great many things can be learned from the former times. “Then the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem” (2 Kings. 23:1). Until this time the whole of Judah and Jerusalem were imperfect and in sin performing the works of flesh. When King Josiah heard that the Law of God was found and heard from it, he tore his clothes, wept and immediately sought God’s counsel. By now he has already revealed his zeal for God by resolving to repair the temple. It was an attribute of his to quickly realize that he and his people have been walking in their own ways. His reverence and adoration toward God’s Law gave him His counsel. He gathered the whole of Judah and of Jerusalem and did what his fathers habitually did. He read the Law in their presence and made a covenant to do all that is written in it. He did away with all the sin and falseness according to the Law. And, the Scripture gives a long list of works he did to please God. He reconciled with Him.
Reconciling with God happens only by faith. Had Josiah not believed in the Law, he would not have found God’s counsel and pardon. He would not have done a single thing to purge sin from his nation. Christians too as they call men and women to come together must find God’s counsel. Each time the word is spoken it must be for the perfection of the ones hearing. And, each time it is heard they ought to examine themselves and see if perhaps they need to reconcile with God. Hence, the church also praises God with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, prayers, reading and explaining of the word. To the one who is in perfection, his assembling is for praising God with joy and happiness; to the one needing to reconcile with Him, his coming together is for counsel through praise. Yet, for all this to occur, truth must first be realized. “The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwelling places of Jacob” (Ps. 87:2).
If the churches do not comprehend how much the Lord really loves them, they are the flummoxed. They are flummoxed by the notion of sinless nature. They fail to realize the need to make a covenant with God to walk in His ways. They have not humbled themselves. Though they have been called, they will not be chosen. What a shame, what a pity! To not have truly realized where God puts His heart, mind and soul, to say the least, is preposterous. It is so, because of their thoughtless assembling for His praise. Know that he who enters the assembly, upon him, the eyes of God is laid. He who comes in the name of God must come to Him in perfection or by humbling himself for perfection. He shall certainly receive His counsel. And, the weak and the strong are deemed alike by Him. On the contrary, the flummoxed will be like the tares that grow along with the wheat. They will be allowed to grow that the perfected will not be lost. They will indeed bring imperfection with them into the assembly and in some cases factions, but will be bundled up at the appropriate time for separation from the perfected. Their presence will alert the perfected concerning sin.
“I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight” (Jer. 27:5). This is God’s blessing by way of promise to the perfected. It is clear that He does not give it to anyone. He who pleases Him will not be in want. As a result, He earlier by the psalmist spoke of His love for His sons. His main concern for them is to bless them. Through the prophet He reminds men His authority to do what He pleases. Many in the present days for the lack of teaching have failed to look back at the word that plainly indicates the power of God. Hence, they are unable to splice the power of God with the power and words of Jesus. But, this was not the case with the early Christians. Much of what they learned of God and His Son through the apostles, prophets and teachers was from the things that were written aforetime. Through them God revealed Himself to them. From what they have learned, believed and experienced about God, they were led by His Spirit to live for Him. Later, the apostles and others too were powered to write to the churches the New Covenant. They were blessed. The Law has been changed through Christ, but not the power and might of God. Therefore, when one hears His counsel and reconciles with Him, he or she is still being made perfect. And, Christ did not come to abolish the Law and the prophets, but to fulfill them.
God’s power and might are to keep His kingdom steadfast in perfection. See how God made them a constant; they will be so for eternity. “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). How incredible is it that God brought out the essence of Elijah through another man! The gap between the two is generations. Yet, God’s power and might, a constant, transpired it. The reason is simple – to reconcile men to Jesus. The implication or the pattern present for ministers, elders, teachers, etc is that without the power and might of God with them they cannot bring the lost back to Jesus. If John went as a forerunner before Christ, they go as successors after Christ. The only constant in both cases is the power and might of God that reconciles men to the Lord. John did fulfill his work with help from God. So did Jesus, the power of God, who came after John.
Many for the zeal of their flesh constantly deny this working nature of God toward the Kingdom. They did not truly grasp the church as the bride being prepared for Christ. When God first gave the Law and later on fulfilled it, it was in accordance with His power and out stretched arm for the salvation of mankind. By them He governed every time period since Adam. If everything He did up to the coming of Christ is for Christ, how much more would He do for Him after seating Him at His right hand? Hence, Paul also elsewhere said that the ministry of the Spirit shall be with much more glory. “Cretans and Arabs– we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God” (Acts 2:11). This is the power and might of God, a constant, to all who are willing to accept.
For men to speak of God’s mighty deeds by His Spirit is God continuing His power and might. Over them none can gain victory; either with their works or with their teachings. Apart from them, God does not do works for the church; neither are men reconciled to God. His Spirit establishes His power and might as He pleases. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Eph. 1:18).
O, what great blessing and glory many a church have set aside! They are trapped under the cleverness of Satan and by the doctrines of men reeled with the power of ignorance. I wish they speak out what are the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance. If they and their churches did not inherit His power and might, how will they know? How can they be enlightened to know the hope of His calling? How can they realize the meaning of the Scripture that said, “Then He said, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.’ He takes away the first in order to establish the second” (Heb. 10:9).