By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Revelation 3:19 "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." - NIV
Jesus not only knew everything good about the churches for which He gave encouragement and praise. He also knew their shortcomings where they needed to repent and correct their ways. He had things against some of the churches and detailed out what it was He didn’t like. He called them to repentance. The good things they were doing was no excuse to overlook or ignore wasn’t going right. It was out of love that He sharply rebuked and corrected them.
In the process of perfecting the church He is building, the Lord will leave no stone unturned in our lives. He will point out the falling from first love, compromise with sin and the evil worldly systems, doctrinal compromises and errors, and anything else that is not going as He wants it in us. He appreciates the good, but can’t ignore the wrong, the imperfect. He does this in love.
Thank you for every good thing you are doing to the glory of God. Don’t let that make you ignore your blind spots. The all seeing and searching eye of God before Whom nothing escapes, desires to bring us to perfection in all our ways. Allow Him to search, correct, rebuke and present us to Himself as a church without spot or wrinkle. The Holy Spirit through the Word is doing this in each of our lives. I pray we cooperate with Him in humility and repentance as He points them out.
Ephesians 5:27 “… and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Shalom children of God.