The Community of God’s People
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
The message to the community is a startling denunciation, and is applicable to the people of God at the present time….
The Lord here shows us that the message to be borne to His people by ministers whom He has called to warn the people is not a peace-and-safety message… The people of God are represented in the message to the community in a position of carnal security. They are at ease, believing themselves in an exalted condition of spiritual attainments…
The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true situation of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness…
The community’s life is a constant battle and a march. There is no rest from the warfare. It is by constant, unceasing effort that we maintain the victory over the temptations of the evil one… We are fully sustained in our positions by an overwhelming amount of plain scriptural testimony. But we are very much wanting in humility, patience, faith, love, self-denial, watchfulness, and a spirit of sacrifice. We need to cultivate holiness. Transgression prevails among the people of God… Many cling to their doubts and their darling transgressions, while they are in so great a deception as to talk and feel that they are in need of nothing…
All the disciples of the Messiah virtually obligate themselves to enter a battle against the adversary of souls, to condemn wrong, and sustain righteousness… Eternal life is of infinite value and will cost us all that we have…
It is not enough for ministers to present theoretical subjects. They need to study the practical lessons Messiah gave His disciples, and make a close application of the same to their own souls and to the people. Because the Messiah bears this rebuking testimony, shall we suppose that He is destitute of tender love to His people? Oh, no! … He rebukes those He loves.