In Christian circles we often hear much excitement about a great revival. Yet, in our Western culture, it seems we truly live in a post-Christian era where our Judeo-Christian values are viewed as antiquated and judgemental.
In 1984, when I was in a more traditionally structured fellowship functioning as one of 4 or 5 co-equal/collegial elders (what other expressions of the church would have termed pastors), I taught the greatest threats to the gospel/Christianity in the world were: #3 Secular Humanism, #2 Communism, and #1 Militant Islam.
I remember some thinking I was crazy for thinking that, and particularly seeing Militant Islam as #1. But the difficulty then, as now, is that our Western mindset/paradigm cannot comprehend this kind of religious mindset/paradigm. And, particularly our political/governmental leaders still tend to see “religion” and “religious fervor/commitment” as some sort of benign and powerless growth. Note when I shared my list in ’84 I used the term “radical”. Our political leadership still has not come to grips with understanding radical Islam. Nor radical Christianity for that matter. They still live under the illusion that “if religious ideology doesn’t matter much in Washington, or Berlin, or London, then it must be equally irrelevant everywhere”. So, then we can give tacit acknowledgement that it exists, mention it, and even pray “God bless….” but serious consideration of its impact on power or culture is not important.
By the way, when I say “radical Christianity” I, of course, am not speaking about some nationalistic version that drives violence upon people, races, and the nation like John Brown or the KKK. I am speaking of the kind of Christianity that is radically committed to loving and serving others under the LORDship of Jesus, and that inspires giving all that you have, and all that you are, for all that He is as His disciple(s).
I still believe those 3 “enemies” are the greatest threat to the gospel/faith in the world. Although I might argue in the U.S. a mixture of communist indoctrination and secular humanism as religion have been combined for decades now, particularly through our educational systems, to take the minds of the country through its youth and art. This effort now damages and stands against any openness to the gospel, and any absolute truth. The gospel is seen as exclusive and judgemental, and almost anything can be redefined by what is termed “my truth”, rather than “the truth”.
With that said, and as a backdrop, my point in writing today is to remind us, as Christians, the church, His body, that we are not defeated, and certainly not irrelevant. We have a purpose in Jesus that makes us, in Him and as His body, the prime determining factor in the world, and the carriers of truth in Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life! (John 14:6) We are not militant, but we are an army. In the love and humility of He that is our commander, we are sojourners and strangers in the world, and ambassadors of the Kingdom of God and His Christ in the world as well.
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Christians often seem to struggle with boldness to carry truth and be ambassadors of the Kingdom, with authority from the King. In Matthew 16 we see Jesus ask some questions, and follow up with some amazing statements.
[Matthew 16:13-19 NASB95] 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some [say] John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal [this] to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.“
Jesus presses them to confess who they think He is. Simon Peter finally reveals it saying “You are the Christ…”, the Messiah, the anointed one. Only prophets, priests, and kings were anointed. Jesus embodied all three, something not seen since Melchizedek! But Jesus was even beyond the anointed as Peter goes on to say He is“the Son of the living God.” revealing an understanding that He/Jesus was truly deity, God in flesh!
Jesus makes it clear that Peter has had a divine revelation. The revelation that He is the anointed sent from God, and is God, did not come from just good teaching or exposition of the scripture. And, certainly did not come from his own intellectual ability or prowess. No! The Father, He Whom Jesus called the Father and God, brought Peter that revelation. And, He still brings this revelation!
Each of us that recognizes Jesus as King, priest, and prophet have had the Father bring us that revelation.
It is such a powerful revelation that Jesus tells Simon he is Petros/Peter, a “little stone”, and on this rock rock/Petra, “a huge stone” I will build My church.
The revelation that Jesus is LORD, that He is God is the foundation for the ekklesia/church. Jesus is the foundation, the Cornerstone! This is the first use of the term ekklesia in the New Testament. Ekklesia which is translated as church is a gathering of citizens of a kingdom called out from their homes to a public place or assembly, convened for the purpose of council/deliberation/ruling. There is so much here… I will build….My church… too much to go into now, but to say He builds/brings people together placing them on Himself as a foundation (not their doctrine,forms, etc)… and that it is His as God (not theirs, it’s not of their design nor of their own making. It is identified by/with Him , not them ), it belongs to Him.
The LORDship of Jesus, His Priesthood, His prophetic message is to be manifested and displayed through the likes of us! Those who have received the Father’s revelation of Him, those He has called and redeemed out of the world, to display His kingdom through love and service to Him and others.
Jesus goes on to say “and the gates of Hades will not overpower (KJV: prevail against) it.” What a statement! Hades, in the language of the time, was understood as the god of the lower regions, the nether world or world of the dead. Other places translated as hell, grave, death.
Gates is an interesting term too because it can be seen as defensive, as gates are traditionally in a wall put up for a defense of a city or stronghold. But, it can also be a term that symbolizes a lock-up a prison in which captives are held/. In either case, it is obvious that Jesus’ intent was to empower the church to have no fear of death, and to understand the enabling and power that we have to attack the strongholds of that which holds men under the power and rule of that which leads to death.
Hebrews 2 makes it clear that Jesus came to set such captives free from and render powerless the devil who held the power of death, and making slaves through the fear of it.
[Hebrews 2:14-15 NASB95] 14: Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
When Jesus, here, says He will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven and authority to bind and loose, many make much of Peter here. We should probably understand Jesus was speaking to the disciples, the first apostles, that they would have authority to make decisions, deliberations, and general rules as the ekklesia for the early expressions of His body. It was never intended to be authority that Peter would carry alone. But, authority given to the disciples as a group, and the ekklesia overall.
There is also often much made of binding and loosing in some circles. My understanding is these were common legal or administrative terms for Jews under the law. You were “loosed”/permitted to do something under the law, or you were “bound”/prohibited from doing something under the law. To loose was to be free, to bind was to prohibit. These were common terms in regard to legal rulings and deliberations in regard to the law for Jews. The Rabbi, for instance, would determine if your house was clean or unclean if an animal or person died. And, then how you were bound or loosed if it was inside or outside your home, or how you may have touched it, etc.
Jesus here was setting Himself up, through His church, to be the arbiter of how people would be bound or loosed in reference to that which holds people under the power of death. It all begins with our living under, and then inviting others to live under, the revelation that Jesus is LORD and God, and that He holds and offers all grace and truth as oppose to the law alone.
[John 1:17 NASB95] 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
In a time where the Christianity, the faith, and the gospel is under attack, and truth is redefined by a constant barrage of lies disguised as “my truth” (as in: “that may be true for you but not for me”) it is important that we manifest His love and grace. And, that we manifest Him as the truth and define absolute truth in Him. That revelation ‘YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD” should be manifested and proclaimed in us, and through us, as His ekklesia, His Body, His fullness.
I am not suggesting that that will be easy. For it requires coming to a place in discipleship, under his Lordship, that we die to self and live unto Him. Not loving our life, but Him. And, having no fear of death because we have been freed from the gates of Hades and comprehend the fullness of His love and life in Him.
[Romans 8:35-39 NASB95] 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So, the point is, again, in the face of challenges and 3 (or more) enemies, and yes even death, we are not defeated. And, we are certainly not irrelevant. WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS! Now we are the prime determining factor on the planet. What God is doing, He is doing through us. We are the hold the only hope and source of the truth regarding being freed from captivity in death (the domain darkness, and being transferred into the Kingdom of life in Christ Jesus (the kingdom of the Son He loves Colossians 1:13).
Consider
[1John 5:4-12 NASB95] 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.