Christ come to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable

“And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 22, 23

There were four preachers that went out on a nice Sunday afternoon in a rowboat on the Niagara River. They were in a beautiful spot where it was quiet and calm. Their conversation was so interesting that they barely noticed that gradually the current of the river was getting quicker. They engaged in such a deep discussion that minute after minute went by, but still they did not notice where they were. Suddenly, one of them gave a shout and said, “look we’re already in the rapids”. Everyone knew that the famous falls were just a short distance away, which meant sure destruction, so they had to row as they never had before in their lives in order to save themselves. It was only in putting all of their efforts to the oars that their lives were spared and they got to safety.

Isn’t that what life is often like? We drift along thinking that all is well, maybe with our car or our health, neglecting what needs to be done for safety and suddenly we find ourselves nearly or completely beyond the point of no return and in great danger. Has it happened to you?

It certainly has happened to me! In fact, quite recently. So what are we to do with those in danger? What might be their reaction when we warn them?
Well, if they don’t even acknowledge that there is a danger—maybe they will be just like Lot’s family when he went to warn them about the sure destruction that was coming. Genesis 18: 12-14. But still, we have to try and warn them. Even if they are asleep or dead in trespasses and sins.

Do you remember who Jesus was the hardest upon in His ministry? Who did He spend so much time and effort in so many of His parables to reach and warn? It was the Pharisees. Oh, how He loved them, but how He laid it straight on the line in telling them their real danger before God…”Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” Matthew 23: 25-28.

Isn’t it those that have a form of godliness but deny the power of God to overcome sin in their private lives who are in the greatest danger in this or any time?

Does it sound like anyone you know? It is true there are to be no rude or condemnatory voices in the Reforms for this time-so we must always remember that while we’re leading souls to Christ, it is the truth that has to do the cutting, not we ourselves.
Maybe the thing that has impressed me more than anything about the work here in Australia, in just the short time that we have been here, is that the people are very complacent, perhaps even more so than in other developed countries. How can we make them wake up?

Well, how did Martin Luther do it? There were many Christian men in Wittenberg who said to Martin Luther when he was going to hang the 95 reasons that indulgences were wrong , “You don’t mean that you are going to hang up those on the church door?” Luther said: “They are true; they assail damning error; my Fatherland is bowing down to Antichrist.” “Pause,” said the men who would stand well with everybody. “Is not this zeal without knowledge? Think how you will scandalize the University; how you will drive off men who would follow you in a more discreet course.” “Away!” said the Reformer. “The people are perishing in ignorance. The crowds of the common people who come into the city to market will read these words. Yours is not discretion, but cowardice.” He did the deed; and, as the result of that act, Europe received the Protestant Reformation, and the night of the Middle Ages was ended.”

There is another great darkness coming to this world, and only those who have been comforted by the hand of God in Christ will be able to stand by faith in that time. We must guard everyone’s personality and even their pride personally. We must lead them to Christ, who will lead them out of sin. Or else, it is only a deception. In this work, we must learn to appeal for a decision and not merely let the souls who are skating on very thin ice think that they can go on like that without endangering themselves as well as others.

The science of salvation is a science so much deeper and broader and wider than anything we can imagine. If we truly love God, how can we go with averted eyes to heaven saying, “Oh, those people must know better. They will make it somehow. Maybe we can just love them into the kingdom.” But without a direct appeal, I doubt that they can see their real danger. And that takes courage, doesn’t it?

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” 1 Thess. 5:14,15. Yes, we must comfort the feebleminded, and support the weak… But how is it going to be for you and I in that great judgment day? If our neighbors, associates and families come up to us and throw blood on our garments, saying you could have had the courage to warn me, but you only studied your own convenience, comfort and spiritual cowardice. “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from Me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” Ezekiel 3: 17-19. God forbid that we should be in that condition before God.

It is a very spiritually proud, lukewarm and self-righteous time in which we live, isn’t it? One of the most spiritually dangerous times there has ever been. What is the reaction of the religious world? Isaiah 56:12. Oh, tomorrow will be like today, only much more abundant! All goodness, morality and righteousness is relative for even most Christians today! But we need to ask: relative to what? It is still perfect obedience that God requires for salvation. His grace does not excuse our transgression! It is only as we look at the absolute standard of morality contained in the Ten Commandments that we can have a right conception of God’s love for the sinner, and His hatred toward sin. As He has looked past our faults and seen our needs, we must do the same with others. So what is Man’s greatest need? Isn’t it to be saved from sin? Saved from himself and Satan’s influence? So let’s call sin by its right name but show the love of Christ to sinners. The science of salvation is exactly that: not to condone sin, but not to condemn sinners.

A couple of years ago I read in the Adventist Review about a SDA missionary who was ministering with his son up and down the Amazon River. They lived in a houseboat and would put in for the night in a good place where they could obtain fresh food and drinking water. But this one particular night someone forgot to tie them securely to the dock and they ended up drifting all night on the Amazon River without even knowing it. .In this article that I read, the missionary used it for an illustration of life—like we were all drifting along and had to depend upon God’s grace to bring us to heaven. But where will we end up if we try to drift to heaven? Not there at all, unfortunately… Christ came to comfort the afflicted, but afflict the comfortable, drifting ones. When we forget about commitment to God in this life, it is of necessity that we will be led by the evil one into darkness. That is where all of those who try to drift into heaven will end up. Zeph. 1:12; Amos 6:1

The path of least resistance will lead the world to choose the Mark of the Beast. We know that this is exactly the end of all the proud, lukewarm and outwardly conservative time in which we live – rebellion against God and His law.
If we try to just drift along into heaven, we’ll never make it. We must go against the current of the world to get to heaven. Just like Martin Luther was faced with in the Dark Ages with many ignorant and lost people, we today are faced with many outwardly educated people, but who have lost sight of the true education in the true science – the science of salvation. There is great darkness coming upon this world. All of those who have neglected to ally themselves to the kingdom of light will then, naturally, be in darkness.

This science will comfort the afflicted and afflict those that are comfortable in their sin. May God help you and I take part in this process, in working out our own salvation with fear and trembling before Him who is love. “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Phil 2:12, 13.
AMEN.