God always suffered when people translated their insolent thoughts into useless principles or into principles that produced images against Him. This suffering then made Him irate. He always knew the end result of these principles is defilement and God who is holy had no other choice, but to loathe every form of defilement. There are those who worship images and there are those who have made certain principles that are not of God as belonging to God. Both are akin. Such defilement always produced evil and unrighteousness in men. Defilement works contrary to man’s significance. His significance is known from the manner he was created, i.e. in the likeness of God. None who defile themselves with the things that are not of God are born insignificant, but the principles or the images they produce for themselves makes them insignificant. They are insignificant, not before the eyes of men, but before God. However, men no longer consider themselves insignificant when evil enters them. Therefore, they are able to reject God and are able to create the kind of authority that permits them to keep principles which are not of God. Anyone or anything that is insignificant is useless and is fit to be thrown out. On the contrary, a man who has approved of himself as insignificant before the God of heaven and earth through his words and works is significant before Him. He is no longer of the earth, but of God.
Yet, countless Christians of modern day Christianity have made themselves insignificant before God and even before men. Their words and their works are the primary reason. They could not reveal belief in the true God. Do not be misinformed, there are those even now who are significant before God and for this reason, the Lord is pleased to prolong His patience. And these know what the days ahead will bring, since they have understood God through the mind He has put in them. Hence, when they constantly study the insignificant, they know the instruction of God. “You shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, A city shedding blood in her midst, so that her time will come, and that makes idols, contrary to her interest, for defilement!’” (Ezek. 22:3). Israel was brought forth by God as a virgin. God taught her hand gave her all things that enabled her to stay as virgin. Yet, she acted in such a way that her time of insignificance must come upon her. She afflicted the innocent and the weak, and made her insolent thoughts into idols contrary to her interest.
As often as we speak of Israel and of her purity, her defilement often causes great astonishment. And the same defilement is present in the churches of Christ and of God. It never ceases to amaze the significant the parallelism present, though such parallelism was never present in purity. The useless principles these churches brought forth that causes God to suffer are worse than Israel, if not the same. They are worse, because of the Son of God who was offered in place of animals. This causes God to be irate. It is only in the power of the foolish to gather and keep insignificant things or principles at their disposal. Such practice corroborates with their nature. Though it is only fitting for a fool to keep useless things, the result of it will produce vanity. Vanity is the cause for works of defilement. All works of defilement are unrighteousness born out of insolent thoughts. For when the heart is corrupt with those that are not of God, it brings forth vanity giving birth to works of defilement. Though it is evident that none are born insignificant, when churches that ought to lead men to God translate their insolent thoughts into useless principles, they become defiled.
O, how time is running out for these churches even as it is for the defiled world! If only they had known the importance of time like the righteous and begin their journey toward the Lord. “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains” (Matt. 24:16). The world we live in is full of tribulation. It is especially felt when one has come to know Jesus. Therefore, it becomes imperative to constantly look toward the Lord. But, there comes a time when every true believer of Christ must flee to a safe place; and such time will also come, because of the apostasy that is present amongst us. There is no safer place for a believer to flee other than to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the mountains that provides asylum. However, when the time comes to flee, would you be ready to enter His refuge, O churches? Have you understood the urgency in the words of Jesus? Happy are you, if you do, for when the time appears you will know where to flee. But, those who with their insolent thoughts have set aside the significance of Christ’s teaching for a vain understanding have not only defiled themselves, but even those that associate with them. They will be as a woman weighed down with child at the hour of tribulation. So, let your minds be filled with the mind of Christ and that which can protect you in any adversity will fill you. How faith in the Lord is significant! It has become the difference between foolishness and understanding. It has become like the hidden manna which the unbelieving will not receive.
They rather desire faith in the Lord to be the manna that is hidden from them. For if they begin to believe they will have to set aside their doctrines or principles and must begin to acquire the mind of the Lord. To renounce their doctrines would result in the loss of all the privileges they have been receiving or have desired to receive; the money, reputation and may be more. They must also face the ridicule of men and perhaps face greater suffering for the sake of the cross. They will have to regard their learning as rubbish. (For no education on this earth can provide you with the understanding of the Lord and His word; or else, Paul would not have needed Christ for righteousness). For the sake of their own interests they are rather determined to deny the mind of the Lord; much worse, they rather convert His teachings into a doctrine of their own and keep it. They have followed the principle of Judas Iscariot, who did not want the feet of Jesus to be anointed with perfume, but rather wanted it to be sold for a certain price. His reason to sell it was to help the poor! Has Judas done more for the poor than the Lord has and will? Certainly not, but his interest was only in stealing the money from the money box. He was accustomed to stealing for a long time and hence, constantly sought for an opportunity to acquire the things of the flesh. How astonishing? After having witnessed the Lord personally, he could not come to the realization of eternal life. Therefore, he was able to say, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” (John 12:5).
This is the nature of many present day churches, their preachers, teachers and leaders. Though there is a need to glorify the Lord with the Spirit according to His word, they still seek to provide an alternative for the works of the Spirit. Since they have been accustomed to their insolent principles, they constantly seek an opportunity for the thoughts of the flesh. They would rather speak of the Lord with their principles than actually working to understand Him, because to speak for the Lord will not serve their interest. So, to create doctrines of their own in the name of the Lord has become their only way to fulfill their interests. When he saw that anointing Jesus’ feet would not serve his interest, Judas tried to manipulate a principle of goodness. Since he was already defiled, he could no longer speak for Jesus. He was insolent in his thinking from the beginning. His image or idol was wealth and with it he caused suffering to the Lord. Therefore, he received the fury of the Lord. If the same should not be repeated on these churches, they should endorse in themselves this truth. “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). The same Jesus that was first laid by God, whom also the disciples and the rest laid in word and the Spirit of God, must be laid by all who preach the gospel in every generation. Only then belief is possible leading to salvation in the accompaniment of the works of the Spirit. Yes, this is the truth the churches of Christ and of God that have brought forth another Christ must embrace. Have these churches done for people what the Lord desires? Certainly not, because the Christ that has been laid cannot bear another meaning than what has been assigned by God. One cannot lay Jesus Christ by falsely interpreting Him or His word, though he will surely lay a Christ that is not of God. And if one has laid another Christ, it is only because of his insolent thinking. For this reason, Paul in the Spirit encouraged his readers by saying, “so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober” (1 Thess. 5:6).
Nevertheless, many have already slept. Considering the world of Christianity there are only a few present that are alert and sober. Why is it that many are asleep when it cannot be that Christ Jesus, who is needed for our salvation, is not redundant toward believers for performing works through the Spirit? It is because many doctrines have come about in the name of Christ disabling the churches in many nations. These doctrines became the harlot standing at the corner of the street ready to spread her garment to every thoughtless man that seeks to go into her house; and many are those that entered. Just as the offerings of a harlot, so are the offerings of these doctrines. And when men offered their strength to such doctrines, they made them their king and ruler. “And he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues’” (Rev. 17:15). Truly, these doctrines, which amount to sin, are the harlot that sits on many churches. They are not equipped to remove sin and make men insignificant before God. For when the works of the Spirit of Christ are not believed to accompany alongside the word, sin cannot be removed.
The insolent thoughts of men that became the doctrines of the churches are pressing for man’s insignificance before God. However, if you have understood this message, break away from such doctrines to carry in you the work of Christ. In a time when men are confused and the men of God few, the time has come for you to become a servant of Christ. What you have heard proclaim it to those near you and if possible, to those far off. For in this way the gospel was preached from the beginning and many having known Christ became sober and alert to the end. Therefore, imitate our predecessors as they have imitated Christ. “When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece” (Acts 20:2). Paul became significant both before God and men by bringing glory to the image of God in him. The same will become of you, if you are willing to be His servant.