The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Time Is At Hand

Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. (Micah 5:3—NIV)

The Christian Church has been in existence for two thousand years. Much good has been accomplished during this period. Some outstanding saints have been produced. Overall, however, the testimony has been weak. The believers by and large do not reveal Christ in their personalities.

As we approach a new millennium we see many people accepting Christ as their Savior, but the moral testimony, at least in America, is not clear and strong. Oftentimes there is a cynical attitude toward the Christian ministry. The churches sometimes are viewed as consisting of hypocrites or else irrelevant as far as the needs of contemporary society are concerned.

An age of moral horrors is upon us. The Christian people are not ready for such spiritual darkness and are seeking escape in a flight to Heaven. But God has a better idea.

Fruit Versus Religion

The emphasis of the New Testament is on bearing the fruit of the Spirit, on becoming a new creation, on being transformed into the moral image of Christ. We have changed the goal of becoming a new creation to obtaining eternal residence in Heaven—a change of environment having little or nothing to do with personal moral transformation. We have created a religion far removed from the Divine salvation.

We are not bent on achieving righteousness of behavior, an attitude of mercy, and a willingness to walk humbly with God. We want to escape Hell and go to Heaven by the quickest, cheapest means. There is no love for God in this, only love for self.

Because we have departed from the written Word we do not have good success; our way has not been made prosperous.

Because we are ignoring what the New Testament declares concerning the new creation, and have concentrated on giving people their ticket to Heaven, the believers are not growing in Christ. They are not coming to the stature of the fullness of Christ. Consequently the testimony has been destroyed. In addition, the believers are not prepared for the various roles and tasks of the Kingdom of God, commencing with the descent of Christ and His army to install the Kingdom of God on the earth.

For two thousand years the fruit that God is looking for has been missing. This is because we have changed the Divine salvation into a religious system.

A religious system, whether it is Jewish, or Catholic, or Protestant, or Muslim, is a murderer of God. Religious systems are described in the Book of Revelation as follows:

This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Revelation 17:5—NIV)

Babylon always murders God's apostles and prophets. Jesus mentioned that the Jews always murdered their prophets. They finally murdered their Christ. However it was not the common people or the Romans that murdered Christ, it was the religious system.

To be continued.