Those Whom I Love

I think it is always vital to keep in mind this precious saying of Christ when dealing with what can at times feel like the "harsh" message of repentance found all over the Bible: "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline" (Rev. 3:19). That's one for the noggin right there. In Christ's zeal for purity and hatred of hypocrisy, He comes through with this precious line of hope. In his exhortation He is for us, if we are His children. This can be awfully confusing when we consider that the church He currently reproves is the one He calls lukewarm! After all, what are we saying? Will You reject those You have received, Lord? Will You vomit up those You clutch tightly in Your hand? I don't think so.

About a year ago, and from a rather unfortunate source, I was pointed to this nevertheless great truth. Paul, in his shipwreck on His way to Rome, is visited by an angel, and promised that all of those on board will survive:

Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you." So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. (Acts 17:22-26)

So Paul has God's good faith promise that those who are with Paul will all be alive at the end of the day. So what in the world is Paul doing telling the centurion 5 verses later that "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved" (Acts 17:31)??? Paul had an understanding of the relationship between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. He was no fatalist! You could say that God used this exhortation from Paul as a means to grant His promise.

So don't take Christ's warnings lightly! If you remain lukewarm, He will indeed spit you out of His mouth. But seriously, what Christian redeemed by the blood of Christ from the depths of sin and granted eternal bliss in glorious communion with the Holy Trinity can stay lukewarm in light of his Father's rebuke? Would this even make sense? For those who are Christians, you ought to be encouraged in a sense by the Lord's rebuke. Better to be rebuked by Him than forgotten! Indeed, if you aren't receiving the Lord's chastisement, you aren't a true child (Heb 12:8).

And what is our response to Christ's chastisement? Zealous repentance (Rev 3:19). Pretty consistent, eh?