It is no secret that the spiritual environment in the world is undergoing a radical change. A great gulf is beginning to divide those who reject absolute truth and those who see what is happening and respond by renewing their commitment to the faith.
The winds of change are blowing, separating the wheat from the chaff.
Even identifying who is “wheat” and who is “chaff” can become a point of contention, depending on the group to which one belongs. Unfortunately, what we currently see and feel is only the beginning of the rift that is developing within the church world. Unless a major revival occurs, this rift will only grow deeper and wider. If repentance doesn’t melt the hearts of people throughout the church world, it will eventually seem like there are three churches:
- A church who holds fast to the truth and faces the brunt of opposition because it refuses to bend.
- A church in the middle trying to “ride the fence” through accommodation or compromise in order to avoid persecution and societal rejection (see Rev. 2:12-17).
- A lukewarm, “Laodicean-like” church (see Rev. 3:14-22) who has allowed compromise to run its full course, stripping it completely of the power of God and leaving Jesus standing on the outside.
It is not too late for the body of Christ to make a full recovery. In fact, it is never too late as long as there are believers who are willing to hear and hearken to what the Spirit is saying to the church. However, in order for the church to receive the divine power it needs for correction, change and restoration, it must undergo a transformation from the highest to its lowest levels.
The Holy Spirit is prophetically warning His people that the only way they can thwart this impending dark spiritual season is to heed Christ’s warning and apply His prescribed solutions found in His Word. Christ’s words to all seven churches in the book of Revelation are vital for this top-to-bottom transformation.
However, this is especially true regarding Christ’s message to the angel and congregation of Pergamum, who were under assault in the very area being discussed.
The cross is always the path for believers who have decided to walk the straight path with Jesus. The cross is never enjoyable, but it always results in resurrection. Therefore, believers today must be willing to face the cross and believe for resurrection power to flow through them—even if it means they have to suffer the brunt of a changing society that has no tolerance for people who hold to an exclusionary faith or to fixed moral absolutes. If the church has no fixed, non-negotiable biblical truths to stand on, it will simply become a spiritually weak humanitarian organization with a “Christian” philosophy that lacks the power of God.
