Bible Studies
What About The Remaining 99%?
Part One.
If most of us were to get a 99% grade on a test in school, we would be quite content, if not surprised. As we get older, should medical specialists advise us that our recent lab work indicates that any given major organ was functioning with 99% efficiency, we would be relieved.
Yet, when the Corona Pandemic impacted less than 1% of what should comprise our post salvation spiritual life (leaving 99% of it intact), many who identify themselves as Christians felt like their “religious” experience had gone into a tail spin.
Where does the 1% figure come from?
Do the math. Discipleship is a 24/7 lifestyle in which we are given 168 (24 x 7) hours a week to glorify God. The average Christian spends about an hour or so each week “in” Church. 1 out of 168 represents less than one percent of one's post (after) salvation spiritual life (1/168 = 0.005).
The reason that so many Christians experienced this tail spin is because what many “Christians” do/did during that one hour each week pretty much sums up the extent of their ongoing experience with God and/or things of God. This is evidenced by the fact that during the remaining 167 hours each week, there is little overt difference between their daily lives and the daily lives of their unbelieving counterparts.
In this the devil is well-pleased.
“Going to Church” for one hour per week accounts for less than 1% of the 168 hours that Christians have been given each week to glorify God. That leaves 99% of one’s post salvation spiritual life to be addressed. It is the 168 each which for which we are going to give an account (Romans 14: 12).
This less than 1% factor does not mean that what is (or should be) going on when we do gather together is not important.
When God commands us to do something (e.g. Heb. 10: 25) it is important.
“…not forsaking our own assembling together (Heb. 10: 25).”
Many place themselves on a slippery slope by taking the “I don’t really need it “ (Rev . 3: 17) stance. To this God responds, “you do not know that (in your souls) you are wretched and miserable and (spiritually) poor and (spiritually) blind and (spiritually) naked (Rev. 3: 17 NASB parentheses mine).”
Show me a “Christian” that does not gather together or otherwise connect with the type of local assembly that God designed, and I will show you a “Christian” who in more cases than not is not picking up the cross on a d-a-i-l-y basis to follow the Lord (Luke 9: 23). Such “Christians” are saved, but produce little, if any, divine good (1Cor. 3: 12-15) during 99% of his/her post salvation spiritual life.
Show me a “Christian” who checks in once a week in order to fulfill some perceived religious obligation, but takes nothing home, and I will show you a “Christian” who either has no clue as to what the mission of the Church is all about, or worse, has no desire to participate.
There are blessings or consequences for our chosen response to obey, disobey, or to ignore any ONE (James 2: 10) of God’s commands. Gathering together is not a suggestion. It is a command.
In keeping with the plan of God, it is when gathered together that God is worshiped and the individual believers are (or at least should be) “equipped (Eph. 4: 12)” for ongoing and future service during the remaining 167 hours each week.
Destroying supplies and disrupting supply lines are critical elements in the art of warfare. This same principle applies in the realm of spiritual combat (Eph. 6: 12).
In the type of local assembly that God designed, there will be a pastor teacher who continually supplies his congregation (John 21: 15, 16) with what is needed to identify and to execute the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship.
It is when we are at home, work, school, and play (or anywhere else) that disciples are called to be ambassadors for Christ (2Cor. 5: 20) , demonstrated by a-l-l that we think, say, and do. It is in these scenarios that we execute 99% of our post salvation spiritual life.
In order to successfully engage in the spiritual combat (Eph. 6: 12), the advancing disciple must not only receive, replenish, and maintain the necessary equipment on an ongoing schedule, he/she must continually learn how to better make use of it for maximum effect as he/she advances forward in his/her post salvation spiritual life. This is what the equipping of the saints spoken of in Eph. 4: 12 NASB is all about.
Many Christians exit their local assemblies on a regular basis taking nothing with them. In some cases, there isn't much offered; in other cases much is offered, but little is retained. In both scenarios, the devil is well-pleased.
This equipment consists of the helmet of salvation; the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, combat boots, and the sword of the Spirit (the Bible). See Eph. 6: 15-17. Without these supplies, born again believers are easy targets in the realm of spiritual combat.
* * *
The Word of God must be interpreted in light of the time period in which any given passage of Scripture was composed.
In the First Century AD, when Heb. 10: 25 (commanding believers to gather together) was composed, there were no other ways to comply with it other than for individuals to physically get together.
This was scores of years before Sunday, through religious tradition of men, became “the” or primary day for gathering together for worship services. This was long before any buildings that most folks now a days would call a “church” came into the picture. This was long before tangible altars and an “officiating” priesthood became “necessary” to celebrate the Lord's Supper (Communion).
The celebration of the Lord's Supper is an important ritual that the Lord Jesus Christ COMMANDED (1Cor. 11: 24, 25) Church Age believers to participate in on a regular basis. The stated purpose for participating in this ritual is to BRING INTO REMEMBRANCE (1Cor. 11: 24, 25), the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not for the purpose of reproducing and literally ingesting His body and blood.
By bringing into one's consciousness memory the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on an ongoing and regular basis, believers remain anchored on the foundation on which their salvation was (past tense) secured (John 3: 16, 18). It is on this same foundation that the Church that God designed was built.
If and when anything is added to the Gospel Message as the means to either obtain, retain, or regain eternal life, the resulting diminishment of faith (trust and confidence) and faith alone in Christ, amounts to spiritual adultery. The bride of Christ (the Church) no longer has 100% trust and confidence in her husband (the Lord Jesus Christ), but has turned (or returned) to religious traditions of men to provide for her.
To be born again, one must believe (have full 100% trust and confidence) in the unadulterated Gospel Message. To what extent one places his/her confidence in ANYTHING else (good deeds, good behavior, religious traditions of men) to obtain or to retain salvation (eternal life) is the same extent that one does NOT have trust and confidence in the Person and the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
* * *
The Church that God established consists of every soul that has been, is now, or that will be born again throughout the course of the Church Age. Most of the Church that God designed is in Heaven indwelling interim bodies (2Cor. 5: 1). Among other things, they are awaiting the Rapture to take when they and the members of the Church who are alive on the Earth are reunited. From that day forward the entire Church will be with the Lord (1Thess 4: 16, 17).
The primary work that the Church that God designed was given to do is clearly documented in the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19, 20).
The “inside” part of the primary mission that was given to THIS Church is accomplished when it gathers together by any means and/or in any place (Matt. 18: 20), as it did for the first two hundred years of its history. THIS Church did not need the products and practices of man made religion then, and it doesn’t need them now.
In fact with such practices and products came many false doctrines. Religious clergy were given functions that God never gave to any group of individuals, including the Apostles.
The generations of the Church had to deal with false gospels and false doctrines from the very beginning and throughout the course of the Church Age. Apostasy will be widespread throughout the Christian Community (2Tim. 4: 3) during the end times preceding the Rapture (1Thess. 4: 16, 17).
Gathering together can be accomplished by way of the many remote means of communication that has become available to us through modern day technology.
Many very traditional local assemblies turned to such techniques when the restrictions imposed by the Corona Pandemic closed the physical doors of their local assembly. However, many ministries has been making use of such technology as their primary or pulpit for years. Others have used such technology as a secondary means of communication. In doing so, they have expanded their local “congregation” to a world-wide ministry on the Internet.
At the end of the day, it is not the geographical place or the type (if any) of building that matters. What matters is rather or not God is being glorified, unbelievers are being saved and born again believers are being spiritually edified.
What cannot be always be done (remotely) is to engage in some of the traditions of men that religious authority have established along the way. The obvious question raised by thinking people is how did the Church do its job BEFORE such personnel, buildings, tangible altars, furnishings and apparatus came along.
Rather or not such clergymen and many of their functions came from Man (Matt. 15: 9), the devil (John I: 44), the devil's spokespersons (2Cor. 11: 14), or from God (Acts 5: 39) is one of the hurdles that an advancing disciple has to overcome if he/she is not to be deceived.
Q.: Just how is one to do that?
A.: The Biblical answer is found in Acts 17:11. NASB. It was/is by accurately “…examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”. I say “accurately” because the Pharisees searched the same Scripture, could “quote much of it backwards,” but still failed to understand its meaning (John 5: 39).
Q.: Just how far as satanic influence penetrated the human environment?
A.: Scripture refers to the devil as, “…the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the w-h-o-l-e world (Rev. 12: 9 NASB).” Such passages as 2Cor. 11: 14, Galatians 3, and 2Tim. 4 clearly teach the Christian Community is not immune to deception.
In fact, here in the Church Age, the Christian Community is the devil’s primary target.
As for me, the final answer to all spiritual questions is found in the Word of God.
I have found that most people who consider themselves to be Christians of one variety of another would be shocked to learn just how much of their “religious” beliefs and practices have no Biblical substantiation, or worse, actually contradicts what the Bible has to say.
When a teaching or practice is of God, it will have the support of Scripture.
Scriptural knowledge (2Pet. 3: 18) and its application (James 1: 22) is at the heart of discipleship. Without both, we prevent ourselves from reaching the long term objective of participating in the Great Commission.
Our earthly responsibilities and activities are no excuse for not participating in the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19, 20).
It is when we are producing divine good and participating in the Great Commission that we find spiritual significance in every activity that we embrace throughout the course of each and every day.
The life of discipleship is in view regardless of where we are or what we are otherwise doing.
Yes, even when sleeping, our minds process much of the information, good or bad, that we have more recently taken into our soul structure and have allowed to become a part of our thought processes (Psalms 23:7). The “good” primarily consists of accurate Bible Doctrine. The “bad” consists of gossip, human viewpoint, and Man-made religion.
One can not swim in the devil’s pool and not get wet. In scenarios in which we do have a choice, we are accountable for the application of the good and the removal of the bad.
If Jesus were to knocking at our door, would we have to change the channel or put anything out of sight before letting Him in? Don’t bother ; already knows!
We do not always have control over the evil that bombards our souls on a daily basis, but we have complete control over what we do with it.
At least as adults, here in America we have 100% control (and accountability) of (if) when and
where we spend the 1% “in Church” and the remaining 99% of our post salvation spiritual life everywhere else.
To be continued...
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