Back in 2013 I sent an email to one of my pastors asking for his perspective on online teaching I came across and was leery of due to its hyper-focus on justification as the be-all-end-all of the gospel. I quoted to him two men in particular who had relatively public ministries and made the following two statements (respectively) with respect to a believer’s response to the finished work of Jesus:
“So, what are you going to do now that you don’t have to do anything…”
“So you can relax now.”
These statements concerned me because in the context they were made they were pretty much unqualified.
Two years later both men had been disqualified from the pastorate due to sexual immorality (probably among other things). As soon as I found out about it, this verse came to my mind:
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. (Galatians 6:7, ESV)
After hearing about James MacDonald recently being fired from Harvest, I was reminded of Mark Driscoll’s removal from Mars Hill and the somewhat arrogant posture of both Driscoll and MacDonald in the video above. And it occurred to me that Galatians 6:7 happened again.
God is not mocked.
Though we see some reaping happening in this life (as seems to be happening in these cases), we know that the ultimate expression of it will happen when Jesus returns.
So let this be for us all an encouragement to persevere in faithfulness when we don’t see the fullness of the reform that we long and pray for—and possibly never will in this life.
And let it be a warning to any of us who might need to repent today because we are currently walking as though we think God is mocked.
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12, ESV)
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”(Luke 18:14, ESV)
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5, ESV)