THE WEARING OUT OF THE SAINTS
At the end of this age, shortly before Christ's return, there
is a spiritual crisis:
This prophetic depiction is a type of the earlier struggle against
Antiochus Epiphanes, during which many lost their lives by refusing
to forsake the faith of their fathers; however, many also abandoned
truth—just as they will once again!
As we well know, the Christian struggle is an on-going, seemingly
endless war against spiritual adversaries who never sleep in their
attempts to cause the elect of God to stumble. The battle can
be so overwhelming that we can very easily be worn out in the
process and be tempted to give up the spiritual fight. Or this
present evil age can beguile us, harden us (Heb 3:13), causing
us to become neglectful of the high calling of God.
While some do quit when the going gets a little rough, most people
do not generally drop out of a race in which they chose to participate,
and in which they are running well, even against the odds, do
they? Long before the Christian race is abandoned, spiritual lethargy
has well and truly set in. And it is this ailment that we need
to identify, deal with and overcome if we are to endure to the
end.
THE NEED FOR ALERTNESS
DARKNESS AND LIGHT, NIGHT AND DAY
Once again, in the face of this darkened world that pressures
us to fall asleep spiritually, the call is rather to remain alert:
Paul several times in his epistles revisits the theme of night
and darkness, day and light. Let us note a couple of more examples:
We can explore a little further this need to remember and
the danger of forgetting the works and the power of
God to which we all have been witness, just as was Israel of old:
FATIGUE VERSUS SPIRITUAL LETHARGY
FINISHING THE RACE—PRESSING ON
Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 12, where the writer of the book
paints an encouraging picture for us of the heroes and heroines
of faith of chapter 11 together making up an amphitheatre of spectators
cheering Christians on in the race toward the goal of eternal
life. Indeed, they are more than spectators; they are witnesses
(Gk: martus), testifying from their own experience:
Once identified, dealt with and purged, this lethargy must be
replaced with something. With what?
ZEAL
However, the sun-scorched scenery in the late Palestinian summer
can be quite depressing for the ordinary traveller as he plods
through the arid Valley of Baca, or "the thirsty valley (NEB)".
But not so for our expectant pilgrim relishing the prospect of
communion with his God; he and others like him have a source of
spiritual refreshment of which the world knows nothing:
Similarly:
According to the writer of this epistle to the Hebrews, what's
the answer to this problem of spiritual immaturity? Back to Hebrews
5, where we left off:
For the people of God, this period between Unleavened Bread and
Pentecost pictures spiritual renewal and rededication along the
road to perfection. I would like to again keep to this theme in
this message.
Da 7:25 (NRSV) He [this "little horn", this final
"Beast" power] shall speak words against the Most High,
shall wear out [or "oppress", or "persecute";
but the Hebrew has the sense of mental affliction] the
holy ones [saints] of the Most High, and shall attempt to change
the sacred seasons and the law; and they [NKJV/NIV: "the
saints"] shall be given into his power for a time, two times,
and half a time.
Now they are "given into his power" because they are
overcome—overwhelmed, worn out—by the system:
Da 7:21 [NIV] I was watching; and the same horn was making
war against the saints, and prevailing against them.
So this "little horn", belonging to the fourth Beast,
is actually overcoming the people of God—right up to the time
of the Second Return of Jesus Christ (v 22)!
Da 8:10,12 (NIV) It [this "little horn"] grew
until it reached the host of the heavens [those obedient to God],
and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled
on them.
The picture is one of a desecration of the truth of God, of rampant
wickedness and great deception—of an avalanche of evil. Because
lawlessness or wickedness does indeed abound, the love of many
will grow cold (Mt 24:12-13). For some, it becomes too much to
deal with. It is a frightening thought to contemplate: although
called to endure and be faithful, some will actually abandon the
struggle. This final Babylonian system, the end-time instrument
of the Devil, will once again put incredible pressure on those
called to obey God and to endure.
12 Because of rebellion [or those in rebellion (v 23)], the host
of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It
prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
(cf. Da 8:24-25)
Amidst these pressures of this end-time age, there is the constant
need for Christians to be spiritually-alert. Christ linked this
state of alertness to an awareness of His imminent return:
Mt 24:43-44 "But know this, that if the master of
the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have
watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore
you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you
do not expect."
Not only is there a need to be ready, but also to be alert:
Mk 13:32-33,35-37 (NRSV) 32 "But about that day or
hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son,
but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert [why?]; for
you do not know when the time will come.
The paramount necessity for Christians, not knowing the time of
Christ's return, is to be alert, awake, watchful, watching—not,
as we were once told, primarily "watching" the unfolding
of prophecy on the world scene, but rather our state of spiritual
preparedness in the face of an age drifting further and further
into the abyss. It is precisely because we always expect
His return that we are to be ever diligent, working, watching,
keeping ourselves in spiritual readiness:
35 Therefore, keep awake [so it now becomes a call not just for
alertness, but also for wakefulness—in other words, it's
not the time to be sleeping]—for you do not know when the master
of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at
cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when
he comes suddenly [and if you are found asleep at Christ's return,
what will be the reaction of the Son of God to your state?]. 37
And what I say to you I say to all [so this is not just
a warning for the disciples]: Keep awake."
Lk 12:35-40 (NRSV) "Be dressed for action [NKJV: "Let
your waist be girded and have your lamps lit"—have your lights
trimmed and burning as you await the Master's return] 36 be like
those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding
banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he
comes and knocks [so they are prepared both for their Master as
well as for service]. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master
finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his
belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve
them [as Christ will at the Wedding Supper]. 38 If he comes during
the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed
are those slaves. 39 But know this: if the owner of the house
had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have
let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for
the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."
Like these slaves, we must ever be alert, both for the unheralded
return of our Lord, and for the possible intrusion of thieves,
who may break in and steal what has been entrusted to us [we have
a down-payment on eternal life which the Devil wants to steal
from us]. Like these slaves, we too do not know for certain when
our services may be called upon; and like the slaves in the parable,
we may not see Christ return: the first indication that He is
back could be a knock on the door. So it may well be a return
to judgment, rather than to reward, for those of us who
are asleep. This warning to remain spiritually-alert holds true
for Christians even during the very height of the wrath of God
upon this earth:
Rev 16:15 (NIV) "Behold, I come like a thief [1Th
5:2: the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night]! Blessed
is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him [if
we are alert, prepared for a sudden attack or call to action we
are not going to lose time looking for our clothes—we will always
have the robes of righteousness close at hand], so that he may
not go naked and be shamefully exposed."
It is in the night, said Christ, when no one can work (Jn
9:4), when one stumbles for lack of light (Jn 11:10).
Just as Christ enjoined upon the disciples, and upon all Christians,
the need to be actively watching for His return (1Jn 2:28 tells
us that we should have confidence in this Day), so is the Second
Coming of the Son of God ("the day") the reference point
for this call for spiritual alertness:
1Th 5:4-11 (NRSV) But you, beloved, are not in darkness,
for that day to surprise you like a thief [so the frame of reference
is, as always, the reality of Christ's return]; 5 for you are
all children of light and children of the day; we are not
of the night or of darkness [the moral darkness of unbelief and
evil]. 6 So then let us not fall asleep [spiritually] as others
do, but let us keep awake [figuratively; let us stay spiritually
alert; "watch", in the context of Christ's impending
return] and be sober [spiritually-sober; "self-controlled"];
7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk
get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day,
let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love,
and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined
us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord
Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake
or asleep [figurative for 'alive or dead' (cf. 4:13-18); but perhaps
also spiritually/morally asleep] we may live with him. 11 Therefore
encourage one another and build up each other [because it's easy
to doze off when there's darkness all around you], as indeed you
are doing.
Someone who is asleep becomes insensitive to, unaware of, his
surroundings; similarly, the danger of spiritual sleepiness, spiritual
lethargy, is that, unless checked, it renders us spiritually insensitive.
Would each of us be aware if we were the victims of such a condition?
1Pe 5:8 (NRSV) [in verse 7 Peter urges us to cast upon
God the anxieties that can so easily wear us down; in the next
breath he adds] Discipline yourselves [NIV: "Be self-controlled";
NKJV: "Be sober"], keep alert. Like a roaring
lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone
to devour.
If we are not alert spiritually, we will fall prey to the Adversary
who seeks to devour us by means of the pressures we are then unable
to deal with as God would have us.
Ro 13:11-12 (NRSV) Besides this, you know what time it
is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep
[from spiritual slumber]. For salvation is nearer to us now than
when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day
is near [this age of darkness is about to be replaced by the Day
of Light]. [Since this is the reality,] Let us then lay aside
the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
We are to rub the spiritual sleep out of our eyes and live now
in the light of the coming day.
Eph 5:13-14 (NIV) [Paul has been emphasizing the need
to live as 'children of light' (v 8)] But everything exposed by
the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything
visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise
from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
It is in this light that we can consider Christ's warning to the
Church in "Sardis", where compromise with its pagan
environment had so eroded its witness and works that it was a
Christian church in name only. Revival and repentance were urgently
required.
Rev 3:1-3 (NRSV) And to the angel of the church in Sardis
write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of
God and the seven stars: "I know your works [as He always
does]; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake
up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point
of death [so much has drifted away through neglect that there's
little left!], for I have not found your works perfect in the
sight of my God [Christ is actually telling that Church that He
has found no works of theirs that might be acceptable to
God; it's a sobering warning of the perils of spiritual neglect
that remains unaddressed]."
NEGLECTING AND FORGETTING, REMEMBERING AND HEEDING
Notice where Christ then puts the emphasis in His call for this
Church to wake up:
3 "Remember then what you received and heard [NKJV:
"how you have received and heard"—were you awake
or asleep?]; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will
come [suddenly, in judgment] like a thief, and you will not know
at what hour I will come to you."
This warning of sudden impending judgment for those spiritually-asleep
was especially apt in view of the history of Sardis, which had
been captured suddenly more than once when its steep citadel was
scaled at points where such access was thought impossible.
Dt 4:9 (NIV) Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely
so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let
them slip from your heart [a drifting away] as long as
you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after
them.
This malady of spiritual lethargy can be very subtle. It can set
in almost imperceptibly, even amidst periods of growth and perseverance,
as the example of the Church characterised by Ephesus illustrates.
In contrast to Sardis, there is praise for their good works and
patient endurance, and even for the fact that they have not grown
weary:
Rev 2:2-3 (NRSV) "I know your works, your toil and
your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers;
you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and
have found them to be false. 3 I also know that you are enduring
patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you
have not grown weary."
Yet the Son of God was able to penetrate the deepest recesses
of the heart and give them a true diagnosis of their spiritual
condition:
Rev 2:4-5 "Nevertheless I have this against you,
that you have left your first love."
Their first love, their initial zeal, was starting to wane—and
this despite their doctrinal purity! Were they aware of this,
do you think? The solution? A call to remember—a call relevant
to all of us today:
5 "Remember [be mindful of] therefore from where you have
fallen [consider your spiritual lapses; wake up!]; repent and
do [immediately] the first works [the original works of love and
faith that so demonstrated their zeal for their calling], or else
I will come to you quickly [again, the imminence of judgment is
an incentive for them, as it is for us, to shake off this lethargy
beginning to set in] and remove your lampstand from its place;
unless you repent."
The onset of spiritual lethargy, this drifting away from God,
characterised by indifference, forgetfulness and by a negligence
of one's spiritual responsibilities, needs to be arrested by diligently
listening to and heeding the Word of God and the admonition of
God:
Heb 2:1-3 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed
to the things we have heard [so we are individually responsible
to take in and apply in our lives the Word of God as we hear it],
lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels
proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received
a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great
a salvation [so here the writer likens spiritual negligence in
Christians today to the sins of the Israelites of old], which
at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
to us by those who heard Him.
It's a life-or-death matter!
2Pe 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word [that is, the
testimony of Scripture] confirmed [as we all have], which you
do well to heed as a light [that keeps us awake and alert]
that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning
star rises in your hearts.
So perhaps we can each ask ourselves: From what heights have I
perhaps fallen? What have I been neglecting?
Please don't misunderstand. We all very often get fatigued, exhausted
by the anxieties and stresses of this age, by bad news from within
and from without, by the struggle for daily survival, by ill-health,
and by the battle to live godly lives. And it's getting harder,
not easier, isn't it? This has been the lot of all the faithful
in the Bible. David was worn out seeking God's deliverance from
his enemies (Ps 69:3). Elijah fled for his life and in the wilderness
prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord!",
was his prayer (1Kg 19:1-4, NIV). However, he rested, was refreshed
by God, and was invested with renewed zeal to carry on (vv 5-21)—for
such is the purpose of Christian suffering. This was also the
apostle Paul's experience. What can we learn from it?
2Co 4:8-10 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not
crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair ['confused but not
confounded', as one author puts it]; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the
body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also
may be manifested in our body.
Just feeling confused and hard-pressed—long before any persecution
or striking down has taken place—has been sufficient for some
to opt to drop out of the race. A few quickly give up when the
going gets even a little rough. For most of us, however, the wearing
down is much more gradual. Again, Paul explains the purpose for
the rough times that so often assail us:
2Co 1:8-9 (NIV) We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers,
about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were
under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that
we despaired even of life [but not of God's ultimate deliverance
of him (2Co 4:8, above)]. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the
sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on
ourselves but on God [so, if correctly handled, hardship and trials
should bring us closer to God, not cause us to develop
spiritual lethargy which, over time, will distance us from Him],
who raises the dead.
We need to rest, even have "time out" at times, to be
sure, but let us not allow the wrong kind of fatigue—spiritual
lethargy—to set in. Christ promises us rest and respite from such
trials and stresses, does He not? Do we constantly seek this respite
in order to ward off spiritual weariness?
Mt 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are
heavy laden [from the burdens and trials of life], and I will
give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for
I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Paul then offers us these conclusions and this help from his earlier
description of his trials and sufferings:
2Co 4:16-17 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though
our outward man is perishing [helped along by our trials and tribulations],
yet the inward man is being renewed day by day [a daily reinvigorating
of the spirit]. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for
a moment [when viewed from the perspective of eternal glory],
is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
We likewise can take comfort amidst our trials. If the "inward
man" is indeed being renewed daily, then we can be assured
that we are not afflicted by this malady of spiritual lethargy.
So are we daily renewing the inner man—through prayer, study,
fellowship, contemplation—even amidst the madnesses of this present
evil age?
We have been called to run the race of eternal life, a contention
for the faith once delivered (Jude 3). Now in this race we do
not need to come first, but we do need to cross the line. If we
are afflicted with the malady of spiritual lethargy, we will be
tempted to slow down, even to give up and lose the crown promised
us. What can we each learn from the metaphor of the Christian
runner as portrayed in the Scriptures to help us to stay firmly
in the race?
Php 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended
[to have taken hold of perfection (vv 11-12)]; but one thing I
do, forgetting [there are things we can legitimately forget] those
things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which
are ahead, 14 I press toward [Gk: stretching myself out towards:
a metaphor of an athlete leaning forward as he runs, urging every
ounce of energy into this one task] the goal [Jesus Christ, as
we will see momentarily (Heb 12:2)] for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus.
The athlete keeps his eye on the track, the boxer on his opponent.
Every stride must be purposeful, every blow must count. The call
is for complete dedication and for re-dedication: every trace
of spiritual lethargy, of waning zeal, must be tackled and overcome.
So what is slowing us down?
1Co 9:24-27 (NIV) Do you not know that in a race [the
reference is again to the athletic games] all the runners run,
but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize
[that is, run with purpose, run to win, even if you don't
need to come first; have a strategy for spiritual success]. 25
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training
[NRSV: self-control is exercised; 2Ti 2:5 (NIV) '…if anyone
competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown
unless he competes according to the rules.'; Christians should
know what the rules of the race are: Ps 119:32
'I will run the course [the road, the path, the course of life]
of Your commandments…']. They do it to get a crown that will
not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do
not fight [the imagery now switches to that of a boxer] like a
man beating the air [shadow-boxing]. 27 No, I beat my body [the
lusts of the flesh, of the mind are constantly suppressed—because
in this race of life we are our chief enemy; distractions and
hindrances arise mainly from within] and make it my slave
so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize.
Heb 12:1-3 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded
by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight
[every encumbrance that threatens to slow us down or cause us
to abandon the course, like fear, doubt, lethargy], and the sin
[sins of drifting, dullness, lack of spiritual exercise and zeal,
spiritual immaturity] which so easily ensnares us, and let us
run [Gk: "let us keep on running"] with endurance [perseverance]
the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus [He is the
goal of our race, He who has been a participant just as we are],
the author and finisher of our faith [this should be our greatest
encouragement], who for the joy that was set before Him endured
the cross [His sufferings and trials far exceeded ours], despising
the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God. 3 For consider Him [so here is a solution to combat weariness:
look at Christ's example of steadfast endurance] who endured such
hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary
and discouraged in your souls.
The experiences, trials and sufferings of Jesus Christ are our
incentive to persevere. "Fight the good fight of faith",
Paul urges Timothy in 1Ti 6:12, again taking up this metaphor
from the games.
Psalm 84 is a beautiful testimony of the spiritual joy and devotion
of the pilgrim as he wends his way along the road to the Temple
in Jerusalem to worship his God at the season of the autumn feast.
You may like to read the entire psalm of his confession, of his
longing for the living God who so richly dwells in his heart.
It is a call for the weary, and for the spiritually lethargic,
to renew their strength and zeal for God:
Ps 84:5-7 [NIV] 5 Blessed are those whose strength is
in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage [NEB: (their)
"hearts are set on the pilgrim ways"; lit: "in
whose hearts are the highways (the routes taken by the
Israelites to the Feast of Tabernacles)"; 'the highway of
the upright' (Pr 16:17); the highway of the righteous remnant
(Isa 11:16); 'the highway for God' (Isa 40:3)].
Are our hearts so set on the highway, the way, of God?
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they [in their hearts]
make it a place of springs; the autumn rains [the gentle, soothing
early rains that revive and restore the dry earth] also cover
it with pools [their spiritual thirst is quenched; the Hebrew
can also mean "blessings"].
So as the pilgrim draws near his journey's end, no matter how
far he has come, instead of feeling weary, his strength is renewed:
7 They go from strength to strength [cf: Php 4:13: I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me], till each appears before
God in Zion.
This is the spiritual vitality with which the righteous are invested
by God:
Isa 40:28-31 (NIV) Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the
earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding
no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases
the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and
young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD
[even under duress] will renew their strength. They will soar
on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will
walk and not be faint.
What was Christ's warning to the lukewarm Church of Laodicea,
a church ignorant of its spiritual poverty?
Ps 92:12-14 [NRSV] The righteous flourish like the palm
tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in
the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green
and full of sap.
Pr 4:18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam
of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Rev 3:19 …be zealous [and "keep on being zealous"]
and repent—"Replace this complacency, this spiritual lethargy,
with zeal for the ways and the people of God."
It is a warning also for us!
Ro 12:11 (NRSV) Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
SOME CAUSES OF AND CURES FOR SPIRITUAL LETHARGY
Tit 2:14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem
us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special
people, zealous for good works [are we?] (cf. 3:1).
Having noted some of the warnings against spiritual lethargy,
some of the admonitions in Scripture for Christians to be alert,
awake to their spiritual state, and the need for zeal, let us
briefly consider some specific causes of this malady outlined
in the Scriptures and the remedies offered in the light of what
has already been examined.
Lk 21:34-36 (NRSV) "Be on guard [NIV: "Be always
on the watch"], so that your hearts are not weighed down
with dissipation and drunkenness [overt sins] and the worries
[the anxieties—including the pressures of this age, common to
us all] of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35
like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of
the whole earth.
What does Christ provide as one solution to this state of spiritual
dullness?
36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the
[spiritual] strength to escape all these things that
will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
This theme of discipline, of alertness, in prayer toward this
end is extant throughout the Scriptures:
Ro 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing
steadfastly in prayer.
As has been mentioned, we get tired of the constant struggle to
live godly in an ungodly world, yet as we focus on Christ's example,
we are encouraged:
Eph 6:18 (NRSV) Pray in the Spirit at all times in every
prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always
persevere in supplication for all the saints.
Col 4:2 (NRSV) Devote yourselves to prayer [it's a dedication,
not a haphazard practice], keeping alert in it with thanksgiving
[how many of us consider it only as a chore?].
1Pe 4:7 (NRSV) The end of all things is near; therefore
be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.
1Pe 4:7 (NIV) ….Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled
so that you can pray.
Heb 12:4 (NIV) 4 In your struggle against sin, you have
not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
We need to press on and finish the race even when weariness may
tempt us to give up and quit. This is a call for steadfast endurance,
isn't it, for a consideration of the path of suffering of the
Son of God, who suffered much more than we ever will? And we all
need to encourage each other in the battle:
Heb 3:13 (NIV) But encourage one another daily, as long
as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by
sin's deceitfulness.
Have we considered the dynamics of the process by which mutual
encouragement keeps us alert to sin's deceitfulness?
As strange as it may sound, God's correction of us can cause us
to become spiritually lethargic if we fail to learn from it:
Heb 12:5-12 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement
that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of
the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart [don't be spiritually
overwhelmed by its severity] when he rebukes you, 6 because the
Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts
as a son." 7 Endure hardship as discipline [because some
people can simply endure, sit out, trials and learn nothing from
them]; God is treating you as sons [which should be tremendously
encouraging for each of us, even under pressure]. For what son
is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined
(and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate
children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human
fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much
more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10
Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought
best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in
his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but
painful [but it should never feel so painful as to cause us to
consider throwing in the towel: God promises to give us no more
than we can handle (1Co 10:13)]. Later on, however, it produces
a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained
by it [those who have learnt the lesson].
The discipline of God should then, as an impetus, go on to help
us to produce self-discipline. We need to pick up our enfeebled
members and strengthen them anew:
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees [the
minds spiritually-dulled by too much slumber and lack of spiritual
exercise]. 13 "Make level paths for your feet", so
that the lame [he who is wavering] may not be disabled, but rather
healed.
Gal 6:9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good [NRSV:
"what is right"], for at the proper time we will reap
a harvest if we do not give up.
And what is the cure for this type of spiritual weariness?
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
And even more specifically:
2Th 3:13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in
doing good.
Heb 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope
without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let
us consider [give some thought to] one another in order to stir
up love and good works [in each other], 25 not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together [the assemblage of the collective
body of believers provides a tremendous opportunity for each of
us to recharge our spiritual batteries], as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another [what do we talk most about with each
other—the things of God or the things of man?], and so much the
more as you see the Day approaching.
Can we by so doing help others of our brethren suffering from
spiritual lethargy?
Heb 5:11-13 (NRSV) About this [specifically, the priesthood
of Christ] we have much to say that is hard to explain, since
you have become dull in understanding [NKJV: "dull of hearing".
Why had they become like this?]. 12 (NKJV) For though by this
time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again
the first principles of the oracles [Gk: logion—the elementary
truths of the Word; they had lapsed so far as to even forget first
principles of the faith!] of God; and you have come to need milk
and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk
is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
This Church could not be taught the deeper principles of godliness
because it was—by choice—slow to learn and infantile in its understanding
of matters that had to do with righteousness. They first had to
be stirred out of their lethargy, their inactivity, their failure
to persevere. It was a problem of dullness and spiritual immaturity.
We are told this in the next chapter, at the conclusion of the
this theme, where the solution is again offered:
Heb 6:11-12 (NRSV) And we want each one of you to show
the same diligence [that you had at the start] so as to realise
the full assurance of hope to the very end, 12 so that you may
not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith
and patience inherit the promises [that their example might arouse
them out of spiritual dullness and spur them on].
This type of spiritual lethargy, this lack of spiritual activity
which prevents a deeper exploration and understanding of the things
of God can cause us to drift away, to become indifferent; unless
reversed, it can completely stunt our growth.
Some people stumble over doctrine and either lapse into spiritual
inactivity, or give up the cause altogether, as did some of the
followers of Christ:
Jn 6:56-60 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood
abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me,
and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live
because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven;
not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this
bread will live forever." 59 These things He said in the
synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 60 Therefore many of His
disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying
[a difficult teaching]; who can understand it [—or perhaps, "Who
can accept it"]?"
What do we do when confronted with new teaching that clearly contradicts
what we may have received in the past?
Heb 5:14 (NRSV) But solid food belongs to those who are
of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses
exercised to discern both good and evil.
To be able to appreciate and absorb the type of solid spiritual
food that will arrest this downward spiral into spiritual lethargy
requires constant training and setting of the mind to develop
mature spiritual habits. Spiritual lethargy will lead us to become
less attuned to evil; our powers of discernment will be inhibited.
The apostle Paul tells us that the full stature of Jesus Christ
is the end or purpose of our spiritual growth (Eph 4:13), so:
Eph 4:14 that we should no longer be children [spiritual
novices], tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind
of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness
of deceitful plotting.
What about us? Is it possible that, if we are not careful, we
could be caught in such a spiritual rut?
One aspect of spiritual immaturity is not living "wisely",
which the apostle Paul defines as failing to "redeem"
the time—neglecting to make the most of all the opportunities
for spiritual growth afforded us:
Eph 5:15-17 (NRSV) [Recall that Paul has been discussing
light and darkness, sleeping and being alert] Be careful then
how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the
most of [NKJV: "redeeming"—attempting to buy back,
as it were] the time [allotted to us; Ro 13:11: the time to "to
awake out of sleep"], because the days are evil. 17 So do
not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Do we have a strategy for our spiritual life, or are we just swimming
with the tide?
Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming
the time [NIV: "make the most of every opportunity"].
The dangers of this type of spiritual negligence are soberly encapsulated
in Christ's parable of the ten virgins:
Mt 25:1-13 (NRSV) "Then the kingdom of heaven will
be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet
the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise
[or prudent, cautious; the saints here described
were "wise" or "foolish" in respect to their
conduct and their attitude towards the need for
the oil]. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil
[no reserves at all were taken by them on the journey to face
the Son of God; do you think they were aware of this lack?] with
them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5
As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy
[the drowsiness of carelessness, of spiritual neglect can afflict
us all] and slept [the deep sleep of unconsciousness to their
dangerous predicament]. 6 But at midnight there was a shout,
'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then
all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps [by removing
the burnt parts of the torch, so that they would burn clearly
and dipping them into oil again]. 8 The foolish said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out [they suddenly
realised their lack of oil].' 9 But the wise replied, 'No! there
will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the
dealers and buy some for yourselves [there can be a time when
even our co-runners in the race can be of no further help to us!].'
10 And while they went to buy it [will we be able to 'redeem',
in a time of emergency, quality time given us that has not been
used to build upon our spiritual foundation?], the bridegroom
came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding
banquet; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other bridesmaids
came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he replied,
'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' 13 Keep awake therefore,
for you know neither the day nor the hour [this very fact is the
reason to always be spiritually prepared]."
THE NEED FOR REVIVAL
The closer we come to the end of this age, the tougher it's going
to get, and the greater will be our need to be spiritually alert,
to be resilient. What will we do when the pressure's really on,
or as God said to Jeremiah, "If you have raced with foot-runners
and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And
if in a safe land you fall down, how will you fare in the thickets
of the Jordan?" (Jer 12:5, NRSV).
Our growing in grace and knowledge (2 Pet 3:18), always attached
to Jesus Christ, the true Vine (Jn 15:4-6), should be an on-going
process that, upsets notwithstanding, must never be allowed to
go into reverse through the onset of spiritual lethargy. Here,
instead, is a call for spiritual revival in the light of the glory
which is promised to us:
Isa 52:1 Awake, awake [cf. Mt 26:41 (NRSV) "Stay
awake and pray!"]! Put on your strength, O Zion [what is
this strength that enables the saints to combat every weakness?];
put on your beautiful garments [the robes of righteousness], O
Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean
shall no longer come to you.
It's a call for effort to retain what we have worked for:
Rev 19:7-8 "Let us rejoice and exult and give him
the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride
has made herself ready; 8 to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure"—for the fine linen is the
righteous deeds of the saints.
Rev 3:11 "Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast
what you have, that no one may take your crown."
A call for alertness and courage:
1Co 16:13 (NRSV) Keep alert, stand firm in your faith,
be courageous, be strong.
A call for discipline:
1Pe 1:13 Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline
yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ
will bring you when he is revealed.
A call for perseverance:
1Co 15:58 (NRSV) Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable,
always excelling in [always give yourselves fully to] the work
of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not
in vain. (cf. 2Th 1:3-4)
Let us conclude with 2Pe 1:9-11, where we are challenged by the
apostle to be zealous:
2Pe 1:9-11 For he who lacks these things [vv 5-8: a list
of Christian virtues and gifts of the Spirit that can be ours
through diligent effort in co-operation with God] is shortsighted,
even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed
from his old sins [it is lethargy at its most extreme—such an
individual would have to be spiritually comatose!]. 10 Therefore,
brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election
sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble [it's
a promise]; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is the antidote for spiritual lethargy.