Judgment on the Abyss of Love

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In today’s “Christian” atmosphere or culture or whatever you want to call it, the word “judgment” has almost become taboo. If we speak of it we are called hypocrites or those who label others. When we refuse to accept heresy or apostasy as legitimate Christianity then we are called judgmental, spiritually arrogant, etc. The ones crying foul always point to Jesus Christ as their example, but when we point out their apostasy, they say we are un-Christlike. The following devotional by Oswald Chambers speaks of this. I pray that God will bless you as you meditate of the truths found in it. – Mike Ratliff

Judgment On The Abyss of Love

by Oswald Chambers

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17)

The Christian worker must never forget that salvation is God’s thought, not man’s; therefore it is an unfathomable abyss. Salvation is the great thought of God, not an experience. Experience is only a gateway by which salvation comes into our conscious life. Never preach the experience; preach the great thought of God behind. When we preach we are not proclaiming how man can be saved from hell and be made moral and pure; we are conveying good news about God.

In the teachings of Jesus Christ the element of judgment is always brought out, it is the sign of God’s love. Never sympathize with a soul who finds it difficult to get to God, God is not to blame. It is not for us to find out the reason why it is difficult, but to present the truth of God that the Spirit of God will show what is wrong. The great sterling test in preaching is that it brings everyone to judgment. The Spirit of God locates each one to himself.

If Jesus ever gave us a command He could not enable us to fulfil, He would be a liar; and if we make our inability a barrier to obedience, it means we are telling God there is something He has not taken into account. Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power.

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9 thoughts on “Judgment on the Abyss of Love”

  1. “Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power.”

    A constant warefare of our own. Anyone who recoils at the thought of judgment from a loving God must also deny the cross, for it was there that God’s love and judgment were mingled as one.

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  3. I was doing some historical study of the two main religious factions of 1st century Judaism (Saddusees and Pharisees} I believe that the modern church has become a joining of these two factions, a synergism , accomplished by way of the dialectic process.

    The Saddusees became the prominent and predominant party durng the Hasmondian era from 37 BC to about 68 AD. They were the ones from which the High Priest were chosen. The Saddusees gained this position because of their willingness to capitualate to the Hellenisation of the area and then to the Roman rule and culture of the 1st century. They believed that if they were going to have any influence they must engage the culture by emulating them as much as possible without giving up their Jewish identity. Sound familiar with much of the church today? They and todays church wishes to maintain the status quo of being part of the worldly culture in order to better witness to it. Of course as the saying goes- what you win them with , you win them to.

    The Pharisees were the party of the people. They were the party that the average Bar-Harry and Mary were attracted to. Though for them the Pharisees laid “holiness” burdens on the people, the people of their mindset believed that these burdens were right and good as a way of pleasing God. They probably didn’t like the burdens , but they were necessary and good. The people were poor and had only God to look to so these legalistic issues made sense to them. But they were wrong in their thinking.

    So today also , we have Pharisees , but today they are not expressed in the same manner. Whereas the 1st century Pharisee laid down burdensome laws of separatedness ,to attain holiness, the modern Pharisees or Pharsadusees as I call them, lay down burdensome laws of unseparatedness thinking this a form of holiness. The ancient Pharisees demanded that people follow these rules to separate themselves while the modern type demand that we follow the rule of unseparatedness, that we emulate cultural things. Both did and do it to preserve the holiness of God , but maybe it is rather to assert influence. and maintain the self and its desires in some form.

    Jesus condemmend and judged both the Pharissees and the Saddusees and their church system. Will He not also judge our present Pharsaddusaical style of doing church? Just a thought.

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  4. Rick,

    Amen brother! Yes, I find it incomprehensible that a Christian bought by the blood of our Saviour could reject their saviour’s commands to repent and pursue personal holiness.

    In Christ

    Mike Ratliff

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  7. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:28)

    ’nuff said.

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  8. Hi Mike,
    Than you for sharing Oswald Chambers with us, I love waht he has to say.
    God knows everything that has ever been said, done, or even thought; and He will reward or punish each one accordingly. Humbling isn’t it?

    Cristina

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