Ephesus (part two)

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent." (Rev. 2:5) Though the engine that drives the religious body--the church or synagogue you attend--would strongly disagree, I contend that maintaining individuality while remaining God dependent is the pathway to wisdom and knowledge of God. There is no such thing as corporate salvation, only fellowship with believers of the same mind. The body of believers is not a building that collects bodies and money once a week for the express purpose of giving one person a platform for generating his ideology. The body is one person gathered together with another person. Where two or more are gathered together there will God be with them.

God should be sufficient. However, religion of today supports a paradigm quite in opposition to the doctrines of Yeshua, who emphasized a quality relationship with God found outside of the synagogue. Works are generated in these environments because the payoff is self gratification. But works apart from God is not equal to faith apart from works. So called leaders in these environments get together behind closed doors to figure out what will work, what will grow their organization. Instead it should be how can we inspire people to love God? There are too many ideas and concepts, too many denominations; all of it inspired by pride and prejudice. Loving God is as natural as breathing and eating, not as complex as religion makes it out to be.

God will never leave us nor forsake us. We are betrothed to Him. That is a binding contract that can only be broken by the Groom. Are works the basis of our marriage, or is love the impetus for our relationships. I would hope you believe the latter. Why does our relationship with God differ then? It shouldn't! "For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one's garments with violence." (Malachi 2:16) That only can mean that it is within our power and choice to leave God, and that is exactly what we do when we act independently from God by imposing works over a relationship of love. A true and effective marriage is two becoming one, with the wife in submission to the husband, and the husband loving the wife the way God loves the body of believers as His Bride. Like any relationship, we become estranged from that person when we make works equivalent to love.

No matter if we try and work for salvation or work because we love God, it is no good if it isn't God, our Husband, who is directing our steps. If we choose to leave the marriage because we want to be in charge, then God has no alternative but to remove the source of our light. When this happens we fall from God's grace and separate ourselves from His presence. This needs correcting and God is telling the Ephesians they are dangerously close to losing their source of light if they continue placing works over love.

There is no room for compromise in our relationship with God. He is the Husband and we, as the Bride, are to be in submission to Him. He is a Jealous Husband who won't put up with spiritual adultery--serving ourselves or any god before Him. "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper." (Psalm 1:3) This is predicated upon our delight in God's instruction (Torah). God only leads those in the way they should go who obey Him. God compared John the Baptizer to a tree planted by the water when He said, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?" (Matt.11:7) A reed will not be uprooted, it compromises with the wind and lives. A tree stands firm, rooted and fed by the source, but falls against a greater force placed upon it. John was firmly planted in God's word, never compromised, and eventually was felled by Herod. Spiritual strength trumps physical strength in the economy of God. Our "work outs" should be implemented by internal love that promotes a large heart, and not external iron pumping that promotes a large head. Shalom.