In this message we want to see how to be vitalized.
The cause to be vitalized is the compassions of God. This phrase the compassions of God is used in Romans 12:1 by the apostle Paul. He said, “I exhort you therefore, brothers, through the compassions of God....” Mercy is not as deep or as tender as compassions, so the word compassions picked up by the apostle is quite significant. It is something deeper in God’s heart and something deeper that touches our heart.
Paul used this word to refer to what he had written in the foregoing eleven chapters of Romans. In those chapters, we are unveiled concerning God’s choosing. God chose us in eternity past, and based upon this He called us in time. Then He justified us through the redemption of Christ and the forgiveness of sins. We were enemies of God, but He reconciled us to Himself and saved us through the divine life. We were regenerated to be God’s children and as God’s children, we enjoy His divine life. In this life we have been saved, we are being saved, and we are to be saved to the extent that we can even reign as kings in this life. What compassions these are! When I consider these items of God’s compassions I am fully inspired.
The church includes every member of the Body of Christ. Regretfully, it is a sad situation that most of the children of God, the members of the Body of Christ, have been divided and scattered into all kinds of Christian religions. The church, in general, has become degraded.
The church, generally speaking, has left her first love for the Lord (Rev. 2:4). The Greek word for first is the same as that translated best in Luke 15:22. Our first love toward the Lord must be our best love for Him. The church, in general, has left her best love for the Lord.
The degraded church has also married herself to the world, and the world is the satanic system of the evil one. Based upon this, the church spontaneously becomes satanic (Rev. 2:12-15). The degraded church is also full of hierarchical teachings. These teachings relate to a religious organization with positions and ranks. Such teachings annul the functions of the members of Christ and do not allow Christ to function as the Head of the Body.
The Catholic Church has become demonic. Revelation 2:24 says that the deep things of Satan are taught in the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church is full of fornication and idolatry (Rev. 2:20), both spiritual and physical.
In the Protestant churches the striking thing is the deadness. They have been deadened and are still dying (Rev. 3:1-2a).
Concerning the Protestant churches, the Lord said, “I have found none of your works completed before My God” (Rev. 3:2b). The Protestant churches are not complete in anything.
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