May 3: Highlights and “Lowlights”
For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:4-7
It is a rich journey to walk through history and appreciate how we have received jewels of truth through those in the past who dared to stand for truth. The Bible records for us highlights, and shall we say “lowlights?” as men and women bore witness of God’s forgiveness and inexplicable love.
The infinite love that He has for each of us is the essence of His nature. The sin-debt of ours that He paid personally is proof of that love. But His love and forgiveness are not without purpose. All who seek His forgiveness and trust the power of His love to restore His image in them will consequently be made fit for heaven.
The Bible does not portray the heroes of Scripture as super-human. In fact, their most embarrassing moments are frequently included, along with the highlights. The rich lessons of God’s provision for forgiveness and restoration lift us to a place of learning, if only we cultivate a willingness to learn. We are shown how faith in Him led to lives of obedience. To see God’s merciful patience interwoven with simple, true accounts of sin and failure imparts to you and me real hope for our own lives.
Paul’s message to the Corinthians in the above passage foreshadows the development of Protestant denominations. The Reformers who bravely spoke against the abuses of the Roman church were attempting to share the Bread of Life with the spiritually starved masses. They were not out to make a name for themselves or create denominations, but rather to spread the truth of God’s holy, just and loving character. The Dark Ages were, well, dark, due to the absence of the light of His word (which was banned for the common man by the church, claiming that only priests could understand and interpret the word of God). This period, mentioned seven times* in Scripture, was a heyday for Satan as he propagated erroneous ideas of God’s character: oppressive, tyrannical, vindictive, cruel. To this day, the world is in turmoil because of confusion about the nature of God that has been passed off as fact.
But the law of God written on the hearts of some of these Catholic clergymen resonated with what they were discovering for themselves in the written word. The jewels of truth found by the Reformers were fervently and faithfully shared for the purpose of lifting people out of the darkness of error and leading them to know their Savior personally. Never was it God’s plan for the church to withhold His word from the people or that His people fragment into opposing groups. Yet, in His omniscience, He saw it coming and told us about it in His word.
The fragmentation of the Protestant church has hurt the cause of Christ among professed believers, and also damaged our witness for Him before unbelievers: and all because His professed followers set their sights on this denomination or that denomination, and not exclusively on the person of Christ! A Day is soon to come when every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7). But now is the time to focus on Him with our spiritual eyes in preparation for that great Day!
*Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 11:2&3; 12:6&14; 13:5