That Woman Jezebel

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” Revelation 2:18-20 ESV

It is possible to be serving the Lord Jesus in some areas but to be “missing the boat” (an expression) in other areas. In other words, we can be walking with the Lord, serving him, doing what he says, but make an error in judgment with regard to doctrine in another area due to a misunderstanding, or due to being brainwashed in a particular direction so that we miss the truth staring us right in the face.

For example, we are all brought up different ways, and early on in our lives we are trained to follow certain things and to believe certain ways. And, some of those may not be correct, but they may also not be all that obvious, either. For some teachings can appear to be very biblical on the surface, but be very subtly false and/or so ingrained in us that we don’t see them as error until we are willing to let the Lord open our eyes to see the truth.

And, this can be one of those situations where there is a Jezebel among us that we don’t see, that we don’t discern, because she is hidden, and blended in with the truth, and so she looks like truth when she is really a lie – a lie which leads some professers of faith in Jesus Christ to believe that they can have eternal life with God and still engage themselves in the practice of sexual immorality, sexual perversion, idolatry, and the like.

Think About It

Just think about it for a moment. What was the gospel you were taught as a child? Many of us were taught to “invite Jesus into your heart,” and then we would be saved for life, and one day, when we die, we get to go to heaven. And, most of this can be supported scripturally, I know, so there is not any reason to doubt this if this is what we were taught, especially as children.

So, is there truth in this? Absolutely! But are there subtle lies in this? Yes!

But, the Bible does tell us that if we believe (present tense, not past tense) in Jesus that we will not perish but have eternal life (Jn. 3:16). It does tell us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that he was raised from the dead that we will be saved (Rom. 10:9-10). And, it says that by grace we are saved, through faith, and that this is a gift from God and not of ourselves, not of works lest anyone of us should boast (Eph. 2:8-9). And, those are all true.

So, where are the subtle lies? Mainly they are in what is not being said; in what is being left out. They are mainly that these scriptures, and others like them, are taken out of context and are used as standalones, and largely the context in which they were written is excluded.  

Examples to Consider

Let’s look at John 3:16, for one. The word “believes” is not past tense. It is present tense. So, it is the one believing in Jesus who has eternal life with God. Belief, thus, must be current and continuous for it to be genuine. And, then there is the matter of what it means to believe, and we get a big hint of it in the verses prior to and the verses after v. 16.

We must be born of the Spirit of God, and to be born of the Spirit of God means that the life that is now within us is of God, and if it is of God, then it submits to God, and it turns away from sin and it walks in obedience to his commands, because that is of the Spirit, and that is of God. And then it says that whoever does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, but whoever does what is true comes to the light (John 3:1-21).

Then, let’s look at Romans 10:9-10. We have to read these two verses in the context of the whole of the book of Romans. For, Paul makes it real clear that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For, he says, if we walk (in practice) according to the flesh, WE WILL DIE in our sins. But, if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we have eternal life (Rom. 8:1-17; cf. Rom. 2:6-8; Rom. 6:1-23; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6).

And, then let’s look at Eph. 2:8-10, for v. 10 is important. We must realize that if God is the one gifting us with his grace, his salvation, and the faith to believe in him, that what he gifts us is going to be in accord with his divine character and will and purpose for our lives. And, we must also know that the word “believe” or “faith” means to be divinely persuaded. And, what is God going to persuade us to do? He is going to persuade us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him (2 Co. 5:9; Eph. 5:10; Col. 1:9-11; 1 Thess. 4:1).

And, although we are not saved by our own works of the flesh, yet as God’s workmanship, we are saved to good works which God prepared in advance that we should walk in them (see v. 10).

In Conclusion

The reason “Jezebel” is being tolerated in the church today is largely because the people who gather together in places called “church” are mostly ignorant of what the scriptures teach regarding sin, judgment, salvation and eternal life with God. And, they are ignorant largely because their leaders are leading them to believe the lies over the truth, and they are accepting the lies because they are disguised as truth and supported with truth.

And, it is also because so many of them have exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and they have suppressed the truth by their unrighteousness. For, they know right from wrong, and yet they choose to do wrong over right. Yet, they are without excuse, for although they know the truth about God, they refuse to honor God for the holy God that He is, and so they have gone their own sinful way instead (See Rom. 1:18-32).

And, how this “Jezebel” is playing out today is that the church has largely adopted a cheap grace gospel which makes no demands on the life of the “believer” for repentance, obedience to Christ, and submission to the Lordship of Christ. For, they pull some select scriptures out of context and they build their doctrine of salvation around them while they ignore the bulk of teaching in the New Testament on sin, judgment, salvation and eternal life with God.

And, so they promise them “freedom” while they leave them still as “slaves of depravity.” So, in essence, this cheap grace gospel is this Jezebel which is teaching and seducing the Lord’s servants to practice sexual immorality and all sorts of impurity of every kind. And, that is because it does not require repentance, obedience or submission to Christ for eternal life with God, but it gives free license to continue in sinful addiction without guilt or remorse.

But, again, the Word of God teaches that we must WALK according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh if we want to have eternal life with God. It teaches, too, that we must walk in obedience to our Lord, for if we don’t, then we don’t really know God. And, it teaches that if we make a practice of sin, we are going to die in our sins, not have eternal life with God.

(Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 6:7-8; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6; Tit. 2:11-14; Eph. 4:17-24; Lu. 9:23-26).

So, don’t be tricked by scriptures taken out of context. God is not mocked. What a person sows, that he will also reap. If he sows to please the flesh, from the flesh he will reap destruction (death), but if he sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit he will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8).

So, get rid of that woman Jezebel from among you, and instead believe the truth of the scriptures and live the truth to the honor, glory and praise of God who rescued us from our slavery to sin and who now empowers us to live godly and holy lives pleasing to him (Tit. 2:11-14; Eph. 4:17-24).

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

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