[We are reposting the next few articles from a few years ago because they seem to be relevant to what the Lord is doing lately.]
Meeting Christ As Judge
The depth of intimacy with our
Lord affords a liberty and honesty in our relationship like no other. No one
will ever know us to the minutest detail as He. We have great assurance and
confidence in Him, knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus, as
the perfect Husband, exhibits an unparalleled patience with His bride. He
affords us an extended grace period or honeymoon, where we become secure in His
undying love. When our relationship is strong and stable, as King, He is also
faithful to begin to reveal truth to us about our character. He shows us
weaknesses and flaws that do not conform to His image and likeness. Jesus is a
faithful Bridegroom/King who confronts us, and works in us to conform our
character to His likeness.
Truth is a two-edged sword that
helps us first to identify with our new nature in Christ. As we align ourselves
with His thinking and who we are in Him, we also begin to see that which is not
of Him. We are like Adam and Eve in the Garden, as we see our nakedness.
Nakedness here is a metaphor for the fallen nature of man, and that fallen
nature is inherently rebellious to Him because is shamed-based at its root. We
need clarity of both aspects of the sword. Our intimate relationship with and
knowledge of Him gives us the courage to embrace the power of the cross
prepared for us specifically, allow the Holy Spirit to work within our lives,
and leave behind our old self to be clothed in Christ.
The bride must undergo the refining
of the will so that she appears like her Husband. We are to be changed
from glory to glory. The good news is
that the end result will be glorious; the “bad news” is that the process is
quite grueling. Malachi 3:2-3 says:
But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver.
A silversmith places a piece of
silver over the hottest portion of the flame to burn off all impurities. His
eyes are riveted on the silver because a moment too long under the flames would
destroy it. He knows the process is complete when his image is reflected. Jesus
watches over us and carries us through the fires of affliction until He sees
His image reflected in us, His bride.
Our desire for the Lord, awakened
by the revelation of His desire for us, gives us courage to enter the fire. Our
knowledge (gonosko) or intimacy with His goodness and His desire for the
ultimate best for us, gives us the courage to withstand the heat of the flame
until His work is complete. Psalm 19: 9-10 says: The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea,
than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
His judgments toward His bride
are to be a desired, treasured gift. They are to be sought after, not fled from
or scorned. We rejoice not in the process, but in the results of who and what
we become. We rejoice because of His undying love and faithfulness to help us
face the truth, purge us from bondage and sin, conform us to His image and
share His inheritance with us!
Judgment begins at the House of
the Lord (1 Pet. 4:17) and we are that house, and Jesus has begun this work.
Throughout the ensuing articles, I will refer to this work of Jesus with His
bride as remedial judgment. Because the work He is doing is His remedy to prepare us as His
bride.
We live in the most spectacular
time in all of history, what all of creation groans for, what all of history
has waited for: the return of the Creator of all the earth. The brightest and
the darkest days of all time lay ahead. The decisions that we make in response
to the Lord’s work will determine whether our days are dark or bright. It is my
prayer that all those who read these articles recognize the seriousness of the
times, identify the role they are to play and push forward to advance the work
of His Kingdom.
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