A Word of Exhortation to Consider Our Ways

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

I offer you this short word of exhortation to stir up most holy affections and thought in you, in us as I reflect out loud on the Scripture and our times. I pray it will be received in the spirit in which it has been written, from a brother among brothers, with love that is free from malice.   

There is something burning on my heart I want to share with you, compelled by love for God and you all. When coronavirus (Covid-19) was officially declared a pandemic in March 2020 everything changed around the globe. We were gripped with fear and mandated to stay home, stay away (social distance), and stay safe and clean for the good of all. We never imagined our democratic government to invoke the war time act and override political and legal due process for a virus. Nevertheless, many Canadians embraced this in good faith believing it to be in the nation’s best interest. What was quite eerie though was the wholesale buy in of everyone from government officials, public educators, health officials, and mass media. It became glaringly obvious that anyone who held dissenting opinions (there were many in all the fields mentioned) were labeled and dismissed. It is worth mentioning that those who were, and continue to be rejected, are or have been top tier in their fields. The questionable behavior and debated science of the government and health officials was backed up with rhetoric and preaching of; the government knowing best, submission to the authorities, and loving one’s neighbor. Subsequently, mandated lockdowns, social distancing, masks, and protective barriers all around us became the new normal with penalization for those who would not comply. My point here is not to criticize or debate the above. What is burning on my heart is this; many have done all they can to be obedient to the government and health officials. All has been done to protect ourselves and others, to be as sanitary as possible, and to keep everyone at a distance as a preventative measure. Yet in all this, what is the true condition of our heart and the Church? I think about what Jesus said to the religious leaders in Matthew 23 (ESV) 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.  So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.     

Let us apply this to our own hearts, context, and current cultural climate! Churches and their leaders and Christians have run with frenzy, zeal, and strict obedience to implement and uphold the government and health officials’ regulations and guidelines. This has been done in obedience primarily to Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2:13-25 (even to the exclusion and disobedience of all the rest of Scripture). Many have made great sacrifices, inconveniences, and even oddities a new normal for the sake of combating or staying safe from a virus which has a 99.7% survival rate. My point is not to create controversy about that but to stir your minds and hearts to action, so bear with me. This has been done for man and for a virus but what has been done for God and to combat the virus of sin, which is 100% fatal? The Church has, you and I, and pastors, leaders, boards, and task forces, have mustered everything with all zeal for the former with great detailed obedience but where is such zeal and obedience for the Lord and his Word? The motivation for this varies. Some are driven by real concern, some fear of death, some fear of penalties, some just out of compliance. Whatever your position may be and the reasons why, should we not have equal, or more, concern and fear of the virus of sin, and a willing submission to the Lord, and the entire Word and law of God? Should we not feel as afraid to displease the Lord and compelled to obey him as we are people? Where is such effort to kill sin in our lives and to pray and advance the kingdom? We are cleaning the external house of God from a physical virus but where is the cleansing of the house of God from the virus that truly kills both body and soul in hell? There is zeal and discipline to sanitize and distance, to not sing, shake hands or hug, and file out in careful order. Many have been inconvenienced, many canceled trips, and willingly stayed home for various reasons. Yet, where is the willingness to be so inconvenienced and to change our lives for the things of God and his gospel mission? We can no longer say that this zeal for and obedience to God and self-sacrifice cannot be exercised because we have shown it to be possible for someone and something infinitely lesser. Is it possible that God has exposed something deeper during this time as we have sought surface things meanwhile neglecting the weightier ones? Have we fallen into the error of the Pharisees and Sadducees whom our Lord and Savior unequivocally condemned? We will stop men and women at the door of our lives and churches and bar them from corporate worship because of a physical virus, or noncompliance or due to fear, meanwhile we have allowed sin to reign in our lives and God’s Church. There is outward compliance yet no care for inward, or at least it seems too fearful to deal with that. Should the Church not seek to purge the evil from within with such zeal and fear, and that for God who has purchased us with his own blood? I am using the present situation we are in as an illustration as it is exposing our true state. 

Remember what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:13

"God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you.” 

and Ephesians 5:3 

"But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints."

And remember 1 Peter 

"put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander... As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 

We are above all to be mourned over if we think God is pleased with outward good while we leave the inside unclean (and who is to say, the outward good might not even be good in the end). I have heard pastors, leaders, and Christians laugh about such things as church discipline or pursuing holiness in the fear of God say, "I couldn't really do such things, the people wouldn't allow that," or "Well, yup that's true but this can’t really be expected from us." We nod the head and give lip service, or worse: we are zealous in speech and preaching but deny the truth in practice. What is disheartening is to see us then get serious when talking about Covid-19 step away, take urgent action, and even berate those who do not agree and exclude them. God’s shepherds and people will not endure God’s word and commands to worship in Spirit and truth, but they will endure the commands and constraints of sinful people for good or ill! What has happened to our leaders? What has happened to us? Oh, if only we would love Christ and the purity of the Church, and hate sin, even our sin, as much and take such actions! There is more church discipline and war today than ever, but it is not the biblical kind, no, true church discipline and Christian warfare has long been forgone. What a shame beloved, zealous to cleanse the outside of the cup and appear righteous meanwhile dying from terminal diseases and uncleanness inside. There are Christians and ministers who have remained silent or stood idly by about gross immorality and pastoral malpractice, both in doctrine and life, even covered it up in their lives and for each other, but in this season have verbally and visibly attacked, and even so much as reported non-compliance to the authorities. Is this not hypocrisy? Where is love for God and neighbor in this? Are we not to hate even the garment stained by sin (Jude 1:23)? Are we not to mortify the flesh lest we perish (Mt. 5; Gal. 5&6), and wage war with righteousness in our left and right hands (read 2 Cor. 6)? We need God to do for us what he did for Ezekiel (Ch. 8) and open our eyes to see what is really going on inside the temple (our hearts and the church, local and abroad), and see the true condition of priests, people, and worship. Of course, this all can and has been done wrong but that does not mean that the truth is wrong. It means that just as we are so quick to be faithful in light of a virus (which I am not condemning) and learn the rules and implement policies, so we can and must all the more learn and implement the commands and ways of God, for his Son, his Bride, and a perishing world. God’s glory is and always has been at stake, yet it seems to be nothing to us. You may say, “We are pursuing God’s glory by loving our neighbor in this season,” to that I say, “Wonderful, but where have you pursued the glory of God and love of neighbor in weightier matters?” We run after men and women and bind them to obey the government and health regulators. Will you and I run with such zeal and fear for our brothers, sisters, and neighbors to obey the law of God and the gospel, to bow the knee to Christ in light of divine judgement and eternality? We are pre-eminently counting the cost regarding self-preservation and how we respond to the authorities and people, but what about counting the cost for following and obeying Christ or the failure to do so? What about biblical leadership, holy worship, prayer, evangelism, holiness, the means of grace? Remember, there is a greater reward and punishment for how we approach that. I do not think the contrasting of this can be denied as we see the present state of things. The apostolic mentality and spirit were how much they could honor Christ at their own expense and counted suffering for the advance of the gospel as "being counted worthy" (Acts 5:12-42, v.42; Cf. 1 Peter and note suffering for Christ in the letter). Can we honestly say that this is us in our present world? (Yet, I do thank God that he is reviving many in the present hour! For he is working even this for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). We have tithed to men and the government with great care and diligence, as Christ said (Mk.12:17), but God's house is empty. We have offered lips service and tossed a diseased offering to the King of Kings. Whether we want to admit it we have slapped our eternal King who has lavished us with incomprehensible kindness in the face by doing this.

"When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 1:8).

Mere human beings, nor governing bodies accept it, but we expect God, our Creator and Savior, to accept our half-hearted worship, both personally and corporately. Are we to put the Lord to the test (1 Cor. 10)? 

Yet in light of this we have to shout, “What a merciful God we serve!” That we are all not immediately consigned to an eternal hell is only because of God’s patience and Son (Rom. 2:3-5; 2 Pt. 3:9 & 15). Can we seriously continue washing the outside of the cup and painting the walls brilliant white for show yet leave the inside full of rebellion and all manner of sin? God forbid! My brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord has shed abroad his love in my heart afresh for you, the precious members that make up his bride. And remember Jesus is only coming back for a pure and spotless bride (Eph. 5:27). I am jealous for him, and for you, and your local churches and organizations that he would be sought with such zeal as is presently exerted. 

Please hear my heart, this is not about where you might find yourself regarding COVID-19. This is about seeing the bigger picture and getting to the heart. 2020 has shown the reality of the Western evangelical Church as a ship lost at sea, without an anchor, with irreparable damage. This is because we have abandoned a healthy ship (classical evangelicalism) for one with cosmetic beauty, sailed by blind guides who say all is well, while the ship is sinking.    

The world is inconsistent and a conundrum. It seeks to keep us from a virus but signs into law policies such as: the mass murder of the pre-born, the perversion of children with irreversible aciurgy, and convenient euthanasia. Unsatisfied with any disapproval we are shamed, maligned, coerced, or even punished for nonconformity. We cannot be like this, we cannot be like the world. We are God's Church in which his glory is to be made manifest to the world (Eph. 3:10). We are not to be inconsistent and a conundrum to the world regarding holiness and gospel sacrifice and obedience, but a faithful witness in deed and truth. Our love, worship, and message will never make sense to the world, nor the backslidden Christian, but it is the beauty which God has ordained to be worshiped by and that which will draw the elect of God from the nations. Let us return to the Word of God and pure worship in Spirit and truth. Let us return to genuine love in deed and truth. Let us put off the deeds of darkness in and outside of us with COVID-19 zeal and come back to the authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures. Oh Church, let us open our doors for Jesus whom we have thrust out of our midst, yet we are unaware of his absence. In great mercy he still stands knocking, but not forever (Rev. 3:14-22).

My pastor-brothers and fellow laborers, let us return to Paul's charge to Timothy:

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching... O man of God... pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen." 

Beloved of God, by all means wash your hands, sanitize the building, do what you are convinced by God's Word and reason should be practically done in this present climate, but please, please don’t forget, don't neglect, the weightier matters: the heart that lives forever, and the Church, which God has made you members and shepherds of by his precious Son's blood (Acts 20:28). Let us run from sin as we run from Covid. Let truth reign and ring as clear as the signs and propaganda do. Let the world give itself to the world but let us give ourselves to God, our only Sovereign, and Christ our Captain, that in doing so some might be saved. Let us do all the good we can for as long as we can, for when night comes no man can work (Jn. 9:4). Remember, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” (John Elliot). Those words cannot remain as a nice slogan but must be a living reality.                   

My heart especially goes out to you, pastor-brothers and leaders, I know the great weight that lays on you and the trial many of you are experiencing in this hour. The decisions you are forced to make in the present moment are not easy. Remember you are not alone (Hebrews 13:4-6; 1 Pt. 5:9). Your labor and love are not in vain (if it is according to God's Word, 1 Cor. 3). God has promised to give wisdom and power (Jas. 1). Only trust and obey and you will see the salvation of the Lord. You are not the head of the Church so do not bear the burden of trying to keep together that which is kept by Christ. Your task is to be a faithful slave of Christ and love him first and most of all. Heed now the example of the apostles like never before, "For we will give ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). As God said to Joshua, "Be strong and very courageous” (Jos. 1:7). This is why the call to pastor and lead (and the call to be a Christian) is not to be taken up lightly because you have one road, one master, and one mission, yet many adversaries and temptations along the way to test your fidelity to God and the Word. The need for wisdom from above and patient love is great. We all have to choose this day whom we will serve, and that all the more. 

We are told by Peter fiery trials are given by God to test the genuineness of our faith - which is more precious than gold - that after it endures and is found faithful, it will result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pt. 1:3-9). Oh, that God would not let us settle for ease and easy but heart blazing love for Jesus Christ in deed and truth. For our present afflictions cannot compare with the glory that awaits us (Rom. 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). There is no crown without the cross. 

With heartfelt love

Your servant in Christ Jesus 

Samuel J Beaulieu

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good... Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”