Exhortations Reveal, Not Convince

The exhortations in Scripture are often misunderstood by casual Bible readers. Yes, they are God’s means to guide His people into holiness, but they are often seen as hopeful but vain attempts to convince the reluctant to obedience. Things could be wonderful if only more people would be convinced to heed His counsel and do what He wants them to do.

There is a notion that the church either succeeds or fails as people are convinced to cooperate. However, when the culture becomes worldly, doing “church” can be difficult if not impossible. “If only Christians could be coaxed to pray for revival, then the church would thrive.” People tend to see God like themselves, wringing His hands in frustration and disappointment at the lack of interest in His program. It would appear that the church’s strategy needs some tweaking. A 2013 statistic reveals that 80% of Americans find more fulfilling ways to spend their weekends than attending church. It is probably worse in 2018.

Scripture, however, paints a totally different picture of God’s kingdom-building program for this age. God does not try anything. He is sovereign over all things. “By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance’” (Isaiah 45:23). “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose. . . . I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it’” (Isaiah 46:9–11).

Jesus affirmed that He would build His assembly (Matthew 16:18). Acts 2:47 states, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” In Ephesians 1 Paul extols “the immeasurable greatness of His power . . . [when] according to the working of His great might . . . He put all things under [Jesus’] feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (vv.19–23). In other words, His church is exactly what He wants it to be. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

God’s work in the church will progress “until all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). His will is unfolding exactly as He planned through the “grace given to each one according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:7).

Nevertheless, many have attached themselves to the church who have not received the grace of salvation. As a result, they can be a problem. Paul warned Timothy of those who “will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). Therefore, exhortations not only prod the saints to obedience; they reveal the disobedient.

The Last Enemy

Paul addresses a concern in the Corinthian church regarding some who taught that there is no resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12). If these people were right, then Christ must still be dead. If that is the case, Christian preaching is false and foolish; Christian faith is nonsense; Christian doctrine misrepresents God; and, worst of all, there is no salvation—no hope of eternal life (I Corinthians 15:13–19).

The deniers were the ones in error as Paul proved in the first eleven verses of chapter fifteen. Christ did indeed rise from the dead as confirmed by irrefutable testimony. On that fact Paul drills down on the hope that this truth brings to those in Christ. Christ’s resurrection is the firstfruits, the beginning of the greater harvest to follow. In other words, because Christ was raised from the dead, having borne the penalty of His people’s sin, they too, must be raised from the dead because they are no longer under the curse of sin (Romans 6:23).

All for whom Christ died will be raised just as He was raised. That is Paul’s argument in verses 21 and 22. The first man, Adam, was the representative head of the human race. Because he sinned, all his posterity sinned in him. Like Adam, all in him incur sin’s penalty, death. In the same way, all in Christ will benefit from Christ’s obedience and will pass from death to life. They will, like Christ, be raised from the dead to eternal life.

So, when will this resurrection take place? In the following verses (23–28), Paul lays out a simple and profound map of the end of time. Christ, as firstfruits, was raised in the first century of the “last days” with the promise that He would return to earth again (John 14:3). Paul confirms this by showing that all who belong to Him will be raised at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:23). In four words (v. 24), Paul literally destroys most of the popular and sensational teachings about end times: “Then comes the end” (v. 24). The end is when Christ delivers the kingdom to God.

Christ defeated the devil at the cross and took back the kingdom Satan usurped from Adam. Christ rose from dead and ascended to the right hand of God where He is to reign until all God’s enemies are conquered (Psalm 110:1, 2). Paul clearly references these verses from Psalm 110 as his proof of argument (vv. 24, 25). When all the enemies are subdued, the King gives the kingdom back to God.

 Finally, the nail in the coffin is verse 26, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Jesus will raise all the dead for judgment (John 5:28, 29; note also Daniel 12:1–4). This means that Christ’s ruling and the conquering of all his enemies must take place before His return and the resurrection of His own. This simple teaching eliminates any future “millennial” kingdom on earth in which people will die, if death has been destroyed. Neither can this kingdom end with the battle of Armageddon if the last enemy is no more.  

What Is Wrong with the Church?

I recently read an article entitled, “Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore.”* The piece debunked an article by Ed Stetzer (Christianity Today) contending that the church in America is not dying, just transitioning. Steve McSwain countered by citing the Hartford Institute of Religion Research that more than 40% of Americans “say” they go to church weekly, but less than 20% actually do. “In other words,” says author McSwain, “more than 80% of Americans are finding more fulfilling things to do on weekends.” To him, the church in America is dying and he has the evidence to prove it.

I contend biblically that the church is not dying. No, the true church is doing just fine. Indeed, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).

One might disagree and turn to Jesus’ letters to the seven churches of Asia minor recorded in Revelation (2 and 3). Ephesus lost her first love. Pergamum tolerated false teachers. Thyatira suffered a professed prophetess, Jezebel, to seduce Christ’s servants to commit terrible sins. Sardis pretended life, but her works were incomplete. Self-deceived Laodicea shut out Jesus in her supposed prosperity. Only suffering Smyrna and obedient Philadelphia escape the Lord’s the stinging rebukes.

The issue here, however, is not apostasy but sanctification. Every true church is made up of imperfect believers who are on the path of sanctification, becoming progressively more like Jesus (Romans 8:29).  Each church is admonished, “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). True believers have ears to hear, the Spirit speaks to them through His word so that they will overcome, persevere, and conquer (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Nevertheless, Satan has infiltrated the churches with false believers, and there lies the problem.

There will be a great apostasy ending the new covenant era, involving those who refused the truth and take pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:3). These will be deceived and perish (2:9–12). On the other hand, the true but confused saints in Thessalonica were reminded that they were chosen to salvation and sanctified through the spirit for belief in the truth (2:13). These were called through the gospel to obtain the glory of the Lord (v. 14). Understanding this, they should “stand firm and hold to the traditions” taught them (v. 15).

The victorious and conquering church is not always evident because of the overwhelming number of false believers who obscure, suppress, and discourage the saints. The hope of true saints is God, for whom they are to do good (1 Timothy 6:17–19). They “put on” “as God’s chosen ones” “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” forgiving offenses, and holding to “love which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12–17).

The encouragement of the true church rests in Jesus’ work to “put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). This work will appear to the uninformed observer that the church is failing. For example, in 2013, 7000 churches closed up permanently. However, that is actually good news. Let the true church shine forth!

* The Blog (www.huffingtonpost.com), updated January 23, 2014.