The Third Class

“Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.  John 12:42-43 (ESV)

Sometime back in the mid-1830’s a revivalist preacher named Charles G Finney stood in front of a group of people on a Friday night and gave a lecture in which described a class of professors of religion, who were moved to perform religious exercises by hope and fear. They were moved sometimes by self-love, and sometimes by selfishness and that their supreme object was not to glorify God, but to secure their own salvation. He said that it would only be by close observation that you could distinguish differences between them and the real friends of God. To actually quote him…

”In that way we can see their supreme object developed, and see that when they do the same things, outwardly, which those do whose supreme object is to glorify God, they do them from entirely different motives, and consequently the acts themselves are, in the sight of God, of an entirely different character.” Hmmm…I think that character could be that of a Pharisee. In Jesus’ time there were many of these character’s roaming the courts of Herod the Great’s temple and their motives were to let everyone know that they planned on securing their place in God’s kingdom with their outwardly acts of legalistic righteousness. And Jesus ran into them all the time.

Today I believe we still have these characters roaming around. Finney would have called them “the third class of professing Christians” back in his time but would this title have been fitting to Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea? You see we are living in a time where it is not fitting to have our Pastor’s preach on the consequences of sinful living and churches have become enclaves of undiscerned theology. These churches might have food pantry’s and outreach programs but they are geared towards feeling warm and fuzzy about doing good and keeping a healthy bank account. These acts of works and insuring proper tithing practices have eroded what Christ’s church should look like.

Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea would have done well with their maturity of faith in Yoshua had the fear of being booted out of synagogue been non-existing. So it still is today. It will be easier to go to church on Easter Sunday rather than on Resurrection Sunday. It will be easier to say “Happy Easter” rather than to greet each other with “He Has Risen!” Don’t get me wrong, we do have people in our churches that trust Jesus with a fervency and a candor that would make the Savior smile but there is a growing experience that some churches contain a leadership that demonstrates inadequate, irresolute and spurious faith…and it spreads to the congregation.

With Resurrection Sunday coming up I am sure it will be easy for people to take credit for their sins and perform acts of piety. It usually happens after the television bombards us with religious movies that tell the Hollywood version of “The Passion of The Christ” but come on guys let’s get real, your self-proclaimed acts of piety are only acts of hypocrisy and you know it. And if what you hear in church on Sunday makes the Easter Bunny blush well then it just might be time to go to where things get called what they need to be called and not have it rolled in coconut, covered in chocolate and placed in a basket with plastic grass. Sin is sin…not candy, Amen? – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and contributes regularly to our Freedom Fighter blog

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 8-9; 1 Corinthians 16

Quote of the day:  A gem cannot be polished without friction; the child of God cannot be perfected without adversity. Anonymous

Bible Memory: I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast live; teach me your statutes. Psalm 119:63-64