Greetings in God's holy name.
My mind has been dwelling on the propriety of calling some religious gathering "Babylon", etc, because of the unholy practices among. Of a truth, any gathering that is not founded on the pure revelation of Christ Jesus which makes holy living visible among the members can rightly be described as a house of confusion. However, if the hypocrisy and ungodliness that characterise such a system is also witnessed among so called "true churches", would it be proper to differentiate them from the ones we disparage? Would we be right to call others "Babylon" and see ourselves as "Zion" when we are more or less like them? If the insincere are found in Babylon, should they be found acceptable in Zion also? How then would Zion retain her purity?
When I thought about these things, I was confronted with the words of Christ, "Let both grow together until the harvest..." Mt 13:30. Another thought that developed in my mind was the saying that "many are called but few are chosen" Mt 22:14. So, I, kind of, looked upon the visible church as a bit different from the invisible church, where only God "knoweth them that are His" 2Ti 2:19. But that was where I had the problem of sincerity. How I can make excuse for the "unsaved" and "hypocrites" in Zion, and condemn Babylon for having such characters?
I thank God for answering that question today through the tract by CE Orr: "Having a Spiritual Congregation by Bro Charles E Orr"
I've now known that the difference lies in the overseer placed over the congregation by the Holy Ghost. His job is to look out for the spiritual well being of the souls committed to his care. He's endowed with the graces of Christ, most especially the Spirit of discernment so that he will never let a soul up from the altar until he knows that soul has been forgiven of God. According to the tract:
"...a pastor must have such spiritual discernment that none can profess in the congregation that he is overseeing who are not saved without his knowing it. What is he to do with those who he knows not to be saved? He is to deal with them just as Jesus would deal with them. Christ will give him wisdom to know how to deal with them. We cannot tell you, for no two perhaps should be dealt with alike. But one thing is certain, they must at no great distant day be brought to an experience of salvation or take their place among the non-professors. The old leaven must be purged out or it will leaven the entire lump. Certainly we believe in showing mercy, longsuffering, and gentleness, but God will lead each pastor in this matter who lives under the direct leading of the Holy Spirit. There are pastors right among us who to a great extent have left off judgment. It is all mercy and toleration and no judgment. Worldliness is getting in, division, strife, contention—and no man to lift a voice against it. Pastors have become so easy that they allow those to profess in the congregation who are proud, covetous, worldly, and are living for the dollar more than living for God. The preacher must be true to his nearest and dearest friend, even to those of his own household. Some are so indifferent that they allow young women who are dressed like the world, and who bear no fruit of the Spirit in their life, to teach a class of children in the Sunday School. All they do is profess to be a Christian, but there is no evidence of spiritual life. All is cold and dead, and their teaching is merely mental theory. We all wonder why there is not more of the power of God among His people. We have given some of the reasons. The judgments of God in the power of the Holy Spirit are not being rendered. Too many pastors are suffering that woman Jezebel to profess among them in her pride and worldliness (Revelation 2:20). God is love, certainly, but love is severe. Tolerating worldliness, formalism, pride, covetousness, and unholiness is not love. Love will keep the Church pure."
The question now is, do the servants of God in Zion live up to this responsibility of making the visible church identical with the invisible one. The real difference between the church and Babylon is the disinction between their visible temple and the holy one in Heaven.
Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eric Winters
Eric Winters
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