Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “Jesus’ Messages to the Seven Churches”. As Adventist’s we have studied these messages for some time. We’ve looked at the prophetic application of these with great interest. We see the message to the different church “angel’s” prophetically. We see the message to:
- The Ephesus church as to the Christian church up to 100 A.D.
- The Smyrna church as to the Christian church from 100 A.D. to 313 A.D.
- The Pergamum church as to the Christian church from 313 A.D. to 538 A.D.
- The Thyatira church as to the Christian church from 538 A.D. to 1565 A.D.
- The Sardis church as to the Christian church from 1565 A.D. to 1720 A.D.
- The Philadelphia church as to the Christian church from 1740 A.D. to 1844 A.D.
- The Laodicea church as to the Christian church from 1844 A.D. to the time of Christ’s return.
But we must remember that these messages have a historical application as well, for they were originally given to the actual historical churches. Churches that actually existed at the time of the original writing. But the message to the churches are not messages to faceless corporate entities. Each “church” is composed of individual human beings. So the messages are really to people. And to people like us today, too. Each message needs to be looked-at closely to see if it applies to… ME. To YOU. This is a universal application, for each of us can be precisely in the same condition as any of the listed churches. We can be like the Ephesians… having lost our “first love”. We can be just like the Thyatirans, having the spirit of Jezebel, “pushed to compromise with the pagan environment… who compromised truth and adopted the ‘unclean’ pagan ideas and practices (and) are committing spiritual adultery with her” (Quarterly for Monday, January 14). This concept (that Biblical messages to actual people or persons apply to us today, too, as well as to the original recipient) is an idea that has a long history in Scriptural interpretation. The qualities of persons in the past that elicited a certain action from God, can be my qualities, too. Even Biblical writers like Paul make this contention in the writings of their day.
For example, Paul writes to the Galatians that once Christ came, we no longer need the Law. Many (most) Christians interpret this as solely historical, instead of universally, personally. Here is that most famous quote, misunderstood by so many.
“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” (Galatians 3: 19-25).
Many Christians interpret this to Christ coming historically. That we are no longer under the Law after Christ came and died and rose again. This interpretation has given rise to the widespread belief that there were two ways of being saved. One way before the crucifixion of Christ and a different way after His crucifixion. But this interpretation does great insult to the rest of scripture and does not reflect the true meaning of these verses, because the Bible enjoins obedience to the Law over and over again in many, many places in the Old and New Testaments. Christ Himself enjoins obedience and Revelation tells us we are judged by our actions (works). The true deeper meaning of these verses can only be seen universally, personally.
You and I today can be huddled around Mt. Sinai… focused on the law. Likely, many of us were initially attracted to the Seventh-day Adventist denomination and to the Sabbath-day from a legal perspective… because of our understanding of the law and our desire to please God. And then we learned of so many other laws and how God wants us to live. And so we strove to conform. We tried and tried to keep the law. We were mentally hovering around Mt. Sinai as literally as the ex-slaves who had just come-out of Egypt ~4,000 years ago. So whether we literally are around the mountain or not, we can still “be there” mentally striving with the same intent as the children of Israel who promised, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient” (Exodus 24:7). And so the “Old Covenant” was thus spoken out-loud by the children of Israel and promised out-loud, too. But this “Old Covenant” understanding can persist in any of us at any time. Even from Eden lost to Eden restored. This “Old Covenant” understanding of our relationship to our God is not confined to a certain time or a certain place. It is a matter of condition, not a matter of time and place.
Likewise with the “New Covenant” (which is really the “Everlasting Covenant”, the only real covenant there is). Christ “the Seed should come to whom the promise was made” (quoted above) at any time. He comes to each of us individually. Christ came to Abraham and “he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6) and He comes to you and me, too, in our day. Christ’s coming is not a matter of time and place. It is a matter of condition. After we have striven to do the law and then realized that the heart motive that the law requires is beyond us, we are then in a position that Paul described to the Galatians. “The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (quoted above). When we finally see that truth and come truly to Christ and to the Father He personified and have real faith in God, “after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (quoted above). No longer in need of the Law, as law. The Law and the love of it, is now in our hearts and the Law as a code of conduct is no longer needed… as law. It is in our hearts where it always belonged. It is our heart’s motivation. Not a law imposed from outside of us but a principle of motivation and action from inside of us.
And so with the messages to the churches. They can be messages to you, too. Look for it. God is among the lampstands, in your heart and mind, your soul temple, your personal “Holy Place”. He knows you and has given messages to you and me. Messages from His Holy Word and messages from His Holy Life. Let us study to see Him and to hear His voice to each of us. He loves us so!
With brotherly love,
Jim