Ray Family Update from November 2017

In the Lord Jesus’ initial promise to build the church, He actually prophesied three important details concerning that church. First, He prophesied that it would be He who would build the church. Second, He promised that the gates of hell would do all in their power to assault the church. Lastly, He promised the gates of hell would not prevail. While we focus much on the first and last truth, we often forget that Christ promised an all-out assault on the church. Paul went a little bit further and called it a gift from Christ when he said, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). If you stop and think about it, it makes perfect sense why Satan would go after the church: (1) the church offers collective praise to the Lord Jesus Christ and (2) the church tells a lost and dying world about the Saviour’s offer of salvation.

When we think of the assaults of Satan, we think of outside forces like the world and the Devil. However, Paul enlightened us all when he warned the Ephesian elders saying, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). Although the wolves came from without, they were to settle “among you” and then “of your own selves shall men arise.” All that being said, the greatest threat to any church is from within. This assault can begin in a variety of ways but often involves the spread of gossip, false doctrine, or complaining. The severity of the end result depends upon several key components: (1) the power and influence of the individual or group starting the discord, (2) the spirituality of the individual members of the body to withstand the assaults, and (3) the willingness of someone, anyone to stand against the wiles of the Devil.

The sad truth is that the people involved in the twofold assault of Satan against the church are often also victims of a satanic attack. This is why Paul admonished young Timothy, saying, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26). It is God’s will for us to help others see the errors of their ways, but these situations often get to a point where the better responsibility of the church is to protect the church and allow or cause others to go. The sowing of discord, whether it involves sins of the tongue/heart or sins of doctrinal corruption, is despised by God (Proverbs 6:12-19) and damages the spirit and effectiveness of a church. Most often, God’s greatest way to preserve and strengthen a church is to remove the source of the discord so that the church can heal and “with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6).

All that being said, we must remember Philippians 1:29—all of this is given to us on the behalf of Christ. These troubles are not meant to break us, but to make us a stronger more unified body than we were before the troubles manifested themselves. The assaults leave us smaller in number but mightier in spirit, resolve, unity, love, and zeal. After all, if the gates of hell do not prevail, the church must, yet only through Christ! That is the lot of any assaulted Bible-believing church who loves the Saviour and seeks to please Him. That is our lot at Antioch! God has given us a gift of suffering on the behalf of Christ and we ought, with the apostles, to rejoice that we “were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41). We will prevail!