A SLICE OF APOSTOLIC LIFE -- Tomorrow:
"Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia. Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place." (2 Cor 2:12-14)
Devotion 21 of 24
" . . . and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place."
Lest anyone be tempted to think knowing God is an option rather than a necessity, let me remind you that failing to know God will result in condemnation. As it is written, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on THEM THAT KNOW NOT GOD, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess 1:7-8).
Of old time, some who did not know God were referred to as "sons of Belial" (1 Sam 2:12). Unconverted Gentiles are also referred to as those "which know not God" (1 Thess 4:5).
It is a serious thing to be ignorant of God – to be fundamentally unacquainted with His Person and purpose. If you have been in Christ for any length of time, you know that it is not uncommon to find professing believers to be grossly ignorant of God. They have little or no understanding of His character, His purpose, His manners, or His word. This is not a circumstance with which we can be content. Those who do not know God will face the wrath of God when Jesus comes again. That is a matter of revelation.
Our text affirms that God Himself is making manifest the savor of His knowledge – the perfuming fragrance of men knowing the Lord, or being acquainted with Him. If this knowledge is not found, it is because God has not made it known. If He is not making it known, it is because His Gospel is NOT being preached. I do not believe it is possible to escape this conclusion. The gravity of this circumstance, then, is seen in the fact that those who "know not God" will, in the end, be condemned.
There is no accomplishment or identity that can compensate for the lack of the knowledge of God. Apparent moral goodness, even though it is essential to Divine acceptance, is of no value whatsoever without the knowledge of God. If men do not know the Lord, being acquainted with His ways and Word, all else in vain. A thorough familiarity with a religious movement or a sectarian creed has no value of its own. In the matter of salvation, knowing God, as distinguished from knowing about Him, is everything.
In our day, particularly in the Western world, a fundamental ignorance of God can be perceived within professing Christendom. One can detect a sort of groping that is taking place within the Christian community – a groping that is being driven by a lack of acquaintance with God Himself. If we were speaking of those who professed no faith, and made no claim to identity with God through Christ, the situation would be bad enough. However, the state of affairs of which I speak is found within the professing church itself. It is not uncommon to hear a collective church invite the Lord to be with them in their gatherings, or to ask Him to break their hearts. Such expressions betray a fundamental ignorance of the glory of the New Covenant. It even suggests the people may not be saved at all.
Even though God has clearly affirmed His focus is upon His Son, He is often addressed as though this was not the case. The people, for the most part, appear to know no more of God's ways than the recalcitrant Israelites of old. The fact that they tend to rely upon men and their wisdom confirms that they have not seen Him as He has been revealed in Christ Jesus.
This is by no means intended to be a word of condemnation. Rather, it is meant to draw attention to the seriousness of the condition in which the modern church finds itself. Its constituents resemble the hardhearted Israelites more than those who have been reconciled unto God, been raised up to sit with Christ in the heavenly places, and have free access to Him and His grace. God is not pleased with such circumstances. This is because His "great salvation" is designed to eliminate the ignorance of Himself, acquainting men with His Person and His ways.
There is nothing about reconciliation to God that condones or promotes the ignorance of God Himself. Nothing about justification allows for the ones who are justified to live at a distance from the God who justified them.
It is understood that every person who comes into Christ begins in a state of spiritual infancy. But woe to that individual who insists on remaining in such a state – which imagined feat is simply not possible. This is the point of the sixth chapter of Hebrews, written to those who were deluded into thinking they could remain in a spiritually juvenile state. This notional condition is thought to be maintained by commitment to a religion of ritual and routine – much like that of the Israelites. However, the Holy Spirit pushed the people to abandon such foolish thinking, and go on to "perfection," or spiritual maturity.
The absolute necessity of doing this is set before us. We are plainly told that "falling away" is inevitable for those who do not grow up in Christ. Here are the words of the Spirit. Let all who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying "to the churches."
"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner" (Heb 6:1-9, NKJV).
Let us be clear about what has been affirmed in this text.
1. Our communication concerning the things of God must not linger in the vestibule of truth – "leaving the discussion of elementary principles."
2. The Divine mandate is to "go on to perfection." No person is given the luxury of ignoring this word!
3. Even though souls have been "enlightened," "tasted of the heavenly gift," become "partakers of the Holy Spirit," and "tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come," those conditions cannot be maintained in a state of spiritual juvenility. A failure to grow leads to a falling away!
4. When those who have been reconciled to God fail to "go on to perfection," they have, in fact, crucified Jesus again, and "put Him to an open shame."
5. Such a condition is utterly inexcusable because salvation is "accompanied" with everything required to "go on to perfection." Therefore, those who do not do so, have actually "neglected so great salvation," putting themselves into a condition from which there is no escape (Heb 2:2-3).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant repentance to those who continue to linger in the outer court of elementary things.