PART 1
he Lord Jesus Christ is looking for
real, true disciples. His eyes are looking throughout
the earth for those who will truly be loyal to Him (2
Chronicles 16:9 NKJV). He is looking for people whose
hearts are committed to Him, His kingdom, and His word.
The Amplified Bible says the Lord is looking for those
whose hearts are blameless toward Him. He is looking
for real disciples.
For much of my life I have been
looking for the real. I believe this is something the
Lord Jesus has worked within me. It was expressed in an
experience that happened in 1993 while my wife Susan
and I were driving to the home of friends. As we waited
for a stoplight to allow us to proceed, I pointed up
toward heaven and with brokenness said, “God
is real!” Then moving my hand horizontally,
“There have to be real pastors!” I later
added that there also have to be real Christians. These
were cries that came from deep within my spirit.
My search has become more defined
in the last few years. I could even say it is becoming
more defined daily. The more defined it has become, the
more I realize that I must be real; I must be true to
Jesus Christ, His kingdom, and His word.
Following are some of the comments
I wrote to a friend a few days ago which give voice to
what has been growing inside my spirit (with minor
editorial changes to give clarity to the reader).
“I think for most of my life
I have been looking for the real, the true. I have
learned in my search that I must first make sure that I
have yielded all to Jesus Christ so that He can make me
real. Having said that, I will add that in the midst of
all that is going on within the Church, as well as
outside of it, I believe the Lord is calling His real
(true) disciples to come together. [Note: When I first wrote the previous line, I
wrote ‘the Lord is bringing together’ but
changed it to ‘the Lord is calling’ because
those called must still respond.] I reiterate: I believe the Lord is
calling his real disciples to come together.
“Before we moved several
years ago, I was sitting in our living room one day and
heard in my spirit, ‘You are not moving from
something, but are going to something.’ I did not
realize the full meaning of that statement at the time.
Looking back, one thing I went to was a
‘stripping.’ When I speak of this, I am
careful not to say I have been totally stripped because
I know God is listening (in
a drama script, you could add a cautious laugh at this
point). I made note this
morning that God strips away things to bring us to the
place where self is stripped away. Self does not go
away willingly or easily. It will even dress itself in
the clothes of humility just to stay around. I desire
to walk in the Spirit continuously. To do this I have
learned that I must have faith in all that took place
on the cross. I must believe and live like Jesus died
for me, but I must also believe and live like I was
crucified with Him. That can only happen when self has
been stripped away.
“I recently wrote to you
that I am a nothing. However, if we yield to God, He
can do great and mighty things through us. We need 2
Chronicles 7:14 to be a reality in the body of Christ,
but we also need to be found loyal, as we read about in
2 Chronicles 16:9.
2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV:
‘… if my people who are called by my name
will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and
turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their
land.’
2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV: ‘For
the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the
whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those
whose heart is loyal to Him.’
“When I was a child, I
memorized Matthew 6:33, ‘But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.’ Although I have
known about the kingdom since I was a child, God has
shown me recently that there is a greater depth to be
found in the meaning of the words seek first the
kingdom of God, seek first His righteousness. I want to be
completely surrendered and yielded to God. I want to be
at the place where it is God and God only. I want to be
so hidden in Christ that all that can be seen is Him.
May we all be able to join with our brother Paul in
saying, ‘It is not I who live but Christ who
lives within me …’ (Galatians 2:20). May
God have many to answer His call of coming together to
follow Jesus Christ.”
Now, looking back over the letter
above, I will add that the cost of attaining that place
in God is full surrender to Him in every area of life.
The cost is total self-denial, the cost is total
consecration to God, the cost is taking up our cross
daily and following Jesus Christ. I choose to pay the
price! Who will join with me? Will our Lord Jesus find
you among the real, the faithful, as He searches the
earth?
What does it mean to be a
“real” disciple of Jesus Christ?
What is the definition of the word
“real”? It is that which is actual, true,
genuine, or authentic, not pretentious, fictitious,
imagined, or “relative.” One dictionary
defines “real” as being or reflecting the
essential or genuine character of something. God is
actual, true, genuine, and authentic; He is real! I am
looking for real pastors and real Christians (true set
apart followers of Jesus) who truly reflect the
character of Christ Jesus. We need real pastors to come
forth to equip the body of Christ for the work of the
ministry. We need real Christians (true disciples) who
will come forth to edify one another and who will go
forth ministering the truth of Jesus Christ and of the
kingdom of God. We need people to go and make disciples
unto Jesus Christ and not unto Paul, Apollos, Cephas,
Martin Luther, John Wesley, or anyone else, including
those who have started a church or denomination. We are
disciples of Jesus Christ!
First Corinthians 3:1-4 NKJV:
“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to
spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in
Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food;
for until now you were not able to receive it, and even
now you are still not able; for you are still carnal.
For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among
you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For
when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another,
‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not
carnal?” (See also 1 Corinthians 1:10-17.)
Let’s get honest!
Let’s get real! We stumble over 1 Corinthians 3:
1-4 constantly in the modern church. We stand back with
our superior attitudes and talk of how false religions
are growing, how the world is waxing worse and worse,
how the rapture must take place soon, and all the while
are blind to the fact that we are a major part of the
problem. We have divided the body of Christ into so
many parts that it is not a body “fitly
joined” (Ephesians 4:16). It no longer even looks like a body.
How can the world be drawn to Jesus when His body is so
divided? As some politicians are more against our
President than they are for our country, some Christians are
more for their manmade doctrines and traditions than
they are for Jesus Christ, His kingdom, His truth and
His body. Oh, for conviction, humility and repentance!
Oh, for love!
where do we begin in bec0ming a
“real” disciple of Jesus Christ?
There are many doctrines,
traditions of men, and misunderstandings of Scriptures
in the world and also in the Church that hinder and
even stop some people from becoming real, mature
followers of Jesus Christ. We must begin to address
these issues as to their truth. In addressing them, we
must be ready to lay aside any weight, any belief that
has hindered us and the body of Christ from becoming
real and mature in Christ. All doctrines and traditions
of men are based on words or someone’s
interpretation of words. We must make sure the beliefs
of the Church are based upon the true words of Jesus
Christ because His words are the only ones that give us
a solid foundation on which to build our lives. His
words will enable us to withstand the storms of life (Matthew 7:24-27). His words will not change.
We are going to look at some words
that are vital to our becoming real, words that have
too often been misunderstood, ignored, or watered down
within the Church. In order for us to become real,
we must begin to fearlessly examine the belief systems
with which we have aligned ourselves, even if that
involves re-examining some of our favorite church or
denominational doctrines and beliefs.
As we look at these words, let me
assure you up front that I do understand that certain
things are not going to be completely fulfilled until
Jesus Christ returns. I also understand that it will be
done by the work of the Holy Spirit and not by our
works. Our job is to fully cooperate with the work of
the Holy Spirit. This requires knowing the Lord Jesus
and His word intimately, which helps to safeguard us
from any misuse of God’s word. Therefore, I
encourage you to judge all that you hear, read, or see
by the Living Word and His written word. As we said
above, this will go a long way in giving us a solid
foundation upon which to build our Christian life. It
will also help train our spiritual senses to discern
truth from error. Building one’s house upon Jesus
and His word not only gives spiritual strength, but
protection from storm winds and deceiving spirits.
Now may we look together at some
of these words as they are used in Scripture and see
what the Lord has to say about them. I ask you to let
your mind and heart be as a slate upon which the Lord
can write the pureness and intent of His word. Let us
remember that showing ourselves approved as workmen
requires us to take the time to pray over and
diligently study all of God’s word. Now may we
apply this principle to these words and the
accompanying Scriptures.
The words we will look at here are
“perfect,” “sanctification,”
“consecration,” and “holiness.”
These are words that we hear often in the Church, but
there may be many believers who do not have full
understanding of what they mean to the kingdom of God
and to the believer. As we examine them, led by the
Holy Spirit, we will gain a better understanding of
God’s purposes and expectations for us, His
children, and the importance of our obedience.
First, let’s look at the
word “perfect” and its true biblical
meaning. In Matthew 5:48, the word “perfect” means to prove the perfect will of God;
complete in labor, growth, mental and moral character;
full age. In John 17:23, the word “perfect” means complete finish, fulfill. Jesus is praying that we may be
complete in unity. In Romans 12:1-2, the word means the same as in Matthew
5:48. In Hebrews 6:1, it means a
completer, a finisher. Matthew 5:48 in the Amplified
Bible defines
“perfect” as growing
into complete maturity of godliness in mind and
character, having reached the proper height of virtue
and integrity.
Many people make the excuse that
they cannot be perfect in this life, which can lead
them to a “perfect excuse” for willful sin.
I say that tongue-in-cheek but to emphasize that we
absolutely must become aware of these little foxes that
spoil the vine if believers are to ever grow up into
mature disciples of Jesus Christ. Gaining knowledge of
the biblical meaning of this word “perfect”
casts a whole new light on the word, revealing that
seeking after or even striving for perfection is a
legitimate goal for those who desire to be mature in
Christ. It also removes our excuses for willful sin and
provokes us to resist our sin nature. I have not
forgotten that certain things are not going to be
completed or fulfilled until Jesus returns, but I
am attempting to show that with the help of the Holy
Spirit and the rightly dividing of the word, there is
much that can be accomplished by faithful disciples
prior to our Lord’s return.
Second, let’s study what
Scripture says to us about “consecration,” being cleansed, being holy. In 2 Corinthians 6:
17 through 7:1, we read
that we are to come out and
be separate, and as sons
and daughters, we are to cleanse
ourselves and perfect holiness in the fear of God. In Ephesians 5:
26-27, we are to become a glorious church. In 1 Peter 1:13-14, we are to be
holy as God is holy in all our conduct.
Third,
“sanctification” is being set apart, a separation to God to live a
life of service and holiness. Sanctification must be pursued and sought
after by the individual. For that person, it is a possession of holy character, built up
little by little as the result of submission to the
Holy Spirit, obedience to the word of God, and of
following Christ’s example. While “consecration” is dedication to sacred service, “sanctification”
is to be set apart to sacred service. A synonym of
sanctification is “holiness.” As
consecration and sanctification are to be pursued
individually, so holiness is likewise to be pursued by
the individual who, by choice, is set apart to God.
* * * * *
For an audiotape titled
“Looking For The Real” write or call:
Pastor R. Wayne Wilson
New Covenant Church of Jesus
Christ
3147 Klondike Road, SW, Conyers,
GA 30094 USA
770-760-1101
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Church of Jesus Christ, Conyers, GA USA
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