Influencers Weekly Devotional

Go With ME

Embracing Our Sacred Responsibility

Now is the Time of God's favor!

"As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (NIV) Do you see the passion and urgency in Paul's letter to the Church in Corinth that I do? I mean he sounds like a man looking at a crumbling building after an earthquake with people inside, who shouts with great urgency, "We have come for you. You must seize this opportunity right now, for you have very little time before the building collapses!" He is also like a rescuer who has been dispatched to coal miners after a cave-in. After breaking through to them, and knowing that there is little time left before another cave-in, he shouts, "Men, we are here for you! We have been sent from above to lead you out. But you must act now, for another cave-in is imminent. The braces will hold only for a short time before another collapse!" How do you think any of these endangered people would respond? Certainly they would respond with great urgency. How would the rescuers react to reach these people? They would also act with urgency. But the question we should ask is why Paul is so urgent in his letter to the Corinthians? It is obvious if we know his mission and purpose. He is urgent because he was rescued by Christ and has been sent to rescue others for Him. He realizes there is a limited amount of time for him to serve in this role. He also realizes that, at any moment, the people in his life may lose their opportunity. The Church in Corinth was operating in a "favored time" for her work, but they had forgotten their purpose. Paul was urgent to remind them. What is a "favored time," for it sounds temporary, much like ephemeral timbers holding off another cave-in? You must look through a Biblical lens for the answer to the question, and when you do, you will likely determine as I do that the Church today is in a "favored time." But we should never forget that this time is only temporary, and the truth of this world's condition, and the condition of mankind, will be revealed in the not-too-distant future. Look around, and you will see a world full of people who are aware of a need for salvation from their conditions. Oh, they might think they only need saving from debt, job loss, financial drain, a bad relationship, an earthquake, extreme poverty, or other such things. Most people are under the illusion that a great life is still ahead for them which has no serious challenges. They think it is simply a matter of time, or luck, to find it. But the truth is: their need for salvation goes far beyond a removal from a temporary condition in their life. They are longing to break away from an eternal grip that is on their life and souls. People are now starting to be figure out that they have been deceived by empty promises, and they are tired of the lies. People are now beginning to sense there is something else, something better. They are like many of us who grew up thinking the "Great American Dream" was without hardships. They see this as the hope of all mankind, rather than what it really is ... "The Great Illusion." We have been hyped up, pumped up, and promised a bill of goods, only to find our dreams shattered by the debt that purchased those dreams. We now see an economy that compounded the debt, and we are left with the dissatisfaction from the emptiness of it all. Guys, let's get honest with each other. There might be a few good times ahead for us if we learn to appreciate the right things in life that God has given us, such as family, friends, our health, and even our job. But the Bible is pretty clear that bad times are ahead for this world and the people who live in it. None of us will escape these difficulties as long as we live in this world. Don't be deceived by the ways things are right now, for we are living in a temporary lull before things get really bad. We must be like Paul in being both rescued and being a rescuer. We must be urgent, for there will be those around us who will have a dismal future and a desperation beyond what you and I can imagine if they do not have Christ in their life. When Paul wrote the referenced verse in his letter to the Corinthians, he was writing to Christians. I think he was greatly concerned about an "evil element" moving into the church there, for this same nemesis has been corrupting God's family for ages and is still active today. It was idol worship. Understand that idols and idol worship had been in the Greek culture for a long time. When Paul came to Corinth and preached the Good News, he did it to both Jew and Gentile alike. Of course, the pious Jews had their idols, as well, but they didn't realize it. Their idol was religious and financial success, the same idol to which many Christians in America today bow. The religious leaders in the synagogues were resistant to anything that challenged their comfortable position, much like we see in many churches in America today. Yes, religion can be an idol, if there is no relationship with Christ, or if we have forgotten our purpose as God's Church. The Christian Greeks also had their idols and didn't know it. Because they were raised in a culture of idolatry, they didn't realize how deep the culture influenced their perspective in living right before the Living God. You see, it wasn't the idols of stone and gold that pulled them back into idolatry. It was the appeal that the idol culture had to their senses of lust, materialism, and the need for acceptance by the people of their culture. When they became Christian, of course, they were required to leave their idols. But leaving the influence of the idol culture is a hard thing to do, especially if you continue to live in it. The fact is: none of us can escape a culture of idolatry, for it is all around us, especially in a materialistic society such as America. Therefore, we cannot leave it by isolation, for as long as we live on this earth, some form of idolatry will attempt to pull us into its grip. But it is possible to insulate ourselves from an idol culture. We must understand how to keep the culture at a distance, and we must act with a sense of urgency. Know this: An idol is anything that comes between God and us, and God will not allow us to have it both ways. It is either Him or it, but we cannot serve two masters. Similar to many churches in America today, the Greeks compromised their faith by thinking they could embrace Christianity and still practice their idol culture. They attempted to pervert God's grace by making it a free pass for their sinful choices. They used their fallen depraved natures as their excuse to keep the culture in their life. That was then, but what about now? I am reminded of my friend Pete McKenzie's explanation of this same problem in many churches and Christians today. He calls it The Jesus of Orange County. The Jesus of Orange County allows materialism, promiscuous behavior, greed, lust, divorce, adultery and an "anything goes" attitude by man and church. It is taught that the "God of grace" understands and accepts the culture we now live in. Sounds a lot like the Corinthians doesn't it? The problem with the people of Corinth, and the people who worship The Orange County Jesus, is that their Jesus is not the Jesus in the New Testament. Believe me, if you will read His words, and the words of those who truly knew Him, you would determine this attitude would be vomit in His mouth. That is how detestable it was to Him then, and is today. Now, I've got my own perspective about how widespread this problem is. It is not only The Jesus of Orange County that represents the Corinthian church today. I believe The Jesus of America has gone this way. Much of this erosion in the Church has come from churches adapting to their culture, as the Church in Corinth did, rather than being an influence to the culture. Because of this, many churches in our country have compromised their faith, and they will be required to face an angry God for teaching a perversion of His grace. But men, for those of us and our churches, who are willing to make a difference, we live in a "favored time", where people are longing for salvation from this emptiness and lies. Therefore, we must have a sense of urgency and be the Church God would have us be to them. But first, we must identify our own idols, and rid ourselves of them right away. We live in a "favored time." But it will not always remain this way. God will not allow His bride to continue her prostitution, without serious consequences. With a sense of urgency, imploring us not to receive God's grace in vain, the old Apostle Paul would say to us today: "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Corinthians 7:1 To that end, Rocky TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THIS DEVOTIONAL,CLICK HERE