May 6: Agreement With God's Will
“And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:47-48
Having full and unlimited access to the Light of God’s written word is a blessing that is meant to usher in a perpetual stream of spiritual blessings. However, I must recognize that the conduit for added blessings is character change—and this happens only with my consent! In the absence of agreement with the will of the Savior, I will find myself in rebellion against Him. As one with access to the Word of God, I am more culpable than someone without this privilege. This is the basis for Peter’s statement:
For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17
Peter knew of the judgement witnessed in vision by the prophet Ezekiel (chapters 8&9). Yahweh was speaking to Ezekiel about the rebellious Israelites, now in the middle of their 70-year Babylonian captivity. Ezekiel was to deliver a warning which, if heeded, would save them. In Ezekiel 8 we see God taking Ezekiel, in vision, by a lock of [his] hair (v.3) to show him the abominations taking place among the leadership of God’s people whose mission it was to equip the congregation to take the message of salvation to the world. But they had amalgamated pagan worship practices into the sanctuary. The culmination of this catalog of abominations was sun worship (v.16).
The current ecumenical movement centers on a form of apostasy that echoes this very situation. The concept of unity without regard for the truth of God’s word began at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). The stated goal is to unite all persuasions of religion (Christian and non-Christian) into a single, “one-world” organization under the leadership of the unholy trinity: Satan, a false church (in union with world governments), and a false messenger. In Revelation chapters 17 & 18 this fallen worldwide system is called Babylon. Millions of God’s people are currently in Babylonian captivity. We are in the countdown of the last days. I must ask myself if I take seriously the loving warning of Revelation 18:4: “Come out of her, my people…”
And [the LORD] called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after them through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. Ezekiel 9:3b-6