Today in church I was reading my Bible and there were a few scriptures that really stood out and I felt God telling my that this is His message to the Church. It’s a call to repentance and to turn back to God and away from the things of this world which we have allowed to come first in our lives instead of God. I think that it is highly important to remember that while God demands righteousness, He is at His very essence Love, perfect, complete love. God loves us no matter what.
For some time now I have felt quite strongly that God has been saying that the Church, or at least a part of the Church, has strayed and grown cold. The Church has become more focused on material things and pleasures of this world and less focused on seeking God and His Kingdom. A lot of legalism has crept into the Church. The thing is, we are saved by grace. And the main principle about grace is that we are so bad that there isn’t anything that we can do on our own to save ourselves, God had to save us. Grace is not earned, it is freely given.
While there is an ocean of grace for us to fall into when we repent for our sins, the point is that we have to repent and turn back to seeking God with a full heart. I feel this is what God is specifically saying to the Church today.
“‘If you will return, O Israel, return to me,’ declares the Lord. ‘If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray, and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, “As surely as the Lord lives,” then the nations will be blessed by Him and in Him they will glory.” Jeremiah 4:1-2
‘”I myself said, ‘How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I though you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following Me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband so you have been unfaithful to Me, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord.’ Jeremiah 3:19-20
What is maybe important to recognise here is that the Church has been adopted into God’s family, so we are effectively spiritually a part of Israel. It is therefore, possible to insert the Church into wherever you see ‘Israel’.
I also read the letters to the Churches in the beginning of Revelation and for the first time something stood out for me in the letter to the Church in Sardis.
“I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember therefore, what you have received and heard, obey it, and repent. But if you do not repent I will come like a thief and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Revelation 3:1b-3
I hope that this gives you encouragement to turn back to God and repent and fall into His ocean of grace.