"A Good Showing in the Flesh"?

“See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

“From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.” (Galatians 6:11-18 ESV)

I am a Gentile by physical birth, not a Jew, and I am a female, not a male, so I have never had to experience what this is talking about here in these specific details. But there is more than one context at play here, and so I am going to relate this to my world today. For the context is that of someone pressuring us to be something we are not, and that we should not be, in order that we might be acceptable to other humans, and in order that they could take pride in us and not be embarrassed by us, and in order that they would not be persecuted on account of us and our stands of faith.

I also live in the United States of America where it appears that the majority of what are called “churches” today are institutions of human making and origin, which are incorporated as businesses under the state, and which are marketing their businesses (“churches”) to the people of the world. And so they are getting their ideas for how to “grow their churches” from business models and marketing schemes, whether or not they agree with God and with the Scriptures. And so many are diluting the gospel in order to attract the people of the world to their gatherings, so they don’t offend the ungodly.

Therefore, if we are those who walk by genuine faith in the Lord Jesus, and who live by the Scriptures, and who do not compromise with the world, we may be regarded as “out of touch,” or as “holy rollers,” or as “hyper religious,” or as “legalistic” if we hold to the teachings of the Scriptures and to the gospel message taught to us by Jesus Christ and by his NT apostles. And others who profess faith in Jesus Christ might try to persuade us to back down and to take it easy and to not take our Christian walks of faith so seriously. And we may even be kicked out of some “church” gatherings.

Why? For many of the same reasons that the Christians of Paul’s day were being persecuted and were being pressured to compromise their faith and convictions. Since it appears that most gatherings of what are called “churches” here in America today are under the influence of the world, so many of them are following business models for how to grow their churches, and these business models are training them to attract the world to their gatherings via worldly means and methods. And so they are altering the gospel so as not to offend the world, and they want us to do likewise.

And if we are not agreeable to compromising the truth of the gospel in order to not offend the people of the world who they are trying to attract to their gatherings, they may not want us to remain among them. And they may invite us to “go someplace else where you will be a better fit,” for they were warned about people like us, i.e. people “with strong convictions.” And they may even create ways to get rid of us, too, if we stand on the truth and on righteousness and on the message of the gospel that says we must die to sin and now walk in obedience to our Lord to have genuine salvation from sin.

So, the encouragement here to all Christians who are being pressured to make compromises with the world in order to attract the world to your gatherings, don’t do it! For the church is not to be a place of business being marketed to the world. The church is the collective body of Christ throughout the world comprised of all who are of repentant and obedient faith in the Lord Jesus. And our gatherings are for the purpose of mutual edification in our walks of faith and in obedience to our Lord so that we can go out into the world and share the truth of the gospel with the ungodly.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]  

And with regard to these institutions called “churches,” if they are not operating as the biblical body of Christ, and if they are partnering with the world in marketing “the church” to the world, then we are to come out from among them and to be separate. For we are not to partner with the ungodly, and we are not to make compromises with the world so that the world now has been joined in with us and to where compromises of truth and of righteousness are being made to keep the world coming back for more. And we are not to turn the Lord’s church into places of business.

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

And then be willing to stand on the truth of the gospel taught by Jesus and by his NT apostles even if you get rejected and booted out of what are called “Church gatherings.” For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, then we have the hope of eternal life with God (Luke 9:23-26).

[Matt 7:21-23; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

My Heart’s Desire  

An Original Work / June 29, 2013

Based off Romans 10:1-21; Luke 9:23-26; Ephesians 4:17-24

Loved Ones, Oh, my heart’s desire

Is that you might come to Jesus.

Many appear zealous for God,

But they do not trust in Him.

They have not submitted to the One

Who saved them from their sins;

Not forsaken their sins,

Nor have they obeyed their King.

The word of the Lord is near you:

The word of faith we’re proclaiming:

That you must confess your faith

In Jesus as your Lord and King:

Believe in Him as your Lord, 

And follow Him where’er He leads.

Share the gospel; be a witness,

And meet others’ needs.

Beautiful are the feet of those

Who bring the good news of Jesus:

Anyone who would come to Him

Must deny himself today;

Die to sin and self, and

Let the Spirit transform you in heart;

Put on your new self in Jesus,

Yielding to the cross. 

https://vimeo.com/115643303