I have not written for some time for multiple reasons, but mainly because the Lord has been “learning” me some things. Specifically, he has been “learning” me His grace. When he’s teaching me, the blow is soft enough in my Spirit that I can process and communicate with my mind. However, there have been a handful of seasons in my life where the Lord has been adamant about “learning me” in the depths of who I am about a particular subject. At these times the shifts that are happening, and the growth that is being experienced are too great and too integral to my person to express clearly in words. However, as I come out of this season of the extermination of many religious spirits and attitudes in my life, and begin to walk with the revelation of the fullness of the grace and work of Christ, I find myself being gently taught once again.
This morning I want to discuss the correlation between two particular verses that might not be linked in most people’s minds. I was reading the first yesterday morning and the Lord subsequently began to speak to me about the second. The first comes in the first chapter of First Kings. King David is sick and infirm, and lying on his death bed he is unable to stay warm. Thus, it is decided that a virgin should be sought out to come to lay with the king in order to keep him warm. A young girl named Abishag is chosen and the Bible says about her, “The girl was exceedingly beautiful; she served the king and ministered to him, but the king did not know her.” (1 Kings 1:4) As I read this verse the Lord began to unveil my eyes to Matthew 7:21-23 which reads, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you, away from me, you evildoers!’”
There will be individuals at the end of time of whom it will be said as it’s been said of Abishag, “They were exceedingly beautiful; they served the king and ministered to him, but the king did not know her.” And to those, the king will say, “Away from me, you evildoers!” There are very few Christian people that have not asserted something similar to the fact that all their good works are as filthy rags. However, there are also very few that live in the complete freedom of such a statement. If by nothing else, this is demonstrated by the typical understanding of this passage in Matthew 7. Typically, I believe the average Christians response to these words is to assume one of two things. Some have used this verse to illustrate the dangers of the supernatural of walking in the prophetic, in healing or in casting out demons. These individuals have basically used this verse as an excuse not to get uncomfortable in their natural mindsets. Others I have heard, have gotten closer to the point as they question the motivation of these individuals whom Christ is speaking of. It is assumed that they must have done these acts out of a wrong spirit or without love, or something of the sort. The truth of the matter however is that they believed their works were what qualified them for the kingdom. They did not fully understand the grace of God. Here’s a question for anyone reading this. How would you respond if I told you that you weren’t going to heaven? Would you immediately think of your own faithfulness, they ways in which you have been devoted, or believed well, or worked hard, or performed miracles? Or could you with security look me in the eyes and say, “I know Christ Jesus my Lord and I am righteous because of his righteousness. We will dwell forever in unity.”
It is also helpful perhaps to ask think about what we envision or understand when Jesus says, “only those who do the will of my father will enter heaven.” Do we immediately begin to think about loving people and activity of our own, or do we understand the will of the God as Jesus defined it. Jesus said, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40) Notice here that the will of the Father is not associated with our works, but with the work of Jesus. It is that Jesus would lose no one, and that Jesus would raise us up at the last day. The only thing that defines us in that statement is that we would look to the son and believe in him. However, that is not necessarily even giving us something to do, or commanding activity. Rather, it is listing the characteristics of those who Jesus will raise up. Scripture says the same thing elsewhere when it reads, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) What is our job? To fix our eyes. We don’t even have to believe. Jesus will author and perfect your faith if you behold him. As you behold him you will begin to understand some things about who he is and faith and work will come. You will begin to be filled with the same joy that drove Jesus to the cross. More than that you will understand that you were the joy that drove him to that cross! You will see that he is SEATED at the right hand of God, which means his work is done, which means the Father’s will is fulfilled, and Jesus will not lose any of those who have been given to him.
Let’s draw back toward 1 Kings and Abishag as I wrap up here. I want to focus on those words, “given me” that Jesus spoke. Even in our present tradition, wives are given away to their husbands to be their brides. We have been given to Christ as his bride. Abishag was not given to David as a bride, and the description of her as beautiful, serving and ministering was not a bad thing. If you are serving an infirm king, it is appropriate not to “know” him. However, when you are given to a king as a bride, that is all that matters! The church must get the revelation that as the Bride of Christ nothing is asked from us, but intimate beholding. No husband would be overjoyed at receiving a sandwich and a clean home from his wife on his wedding night. He wants her, yet somehow Satan has polluted the minds of Christians to make them think that their groom is more interested in their works than he is in them. Remember that Jesus declared that he would say those whom he didn’t know, “away from me, you evildoers.” Jesus is only interested in the fruit of his loins, because everything else is tainted with the sin of the first Adam, rather than covered with His own blood as the second Adam. Jesus abhors bastard fruit that is birthed outside of intimacy with Him. In ourselves we can produce nothing valuable. Listen to the intimate language of Jesus, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” (John 15:5b-6) Does this sound at all familiar to our Matthew 7 text? By grace we have been invited into the bedchamber of the groom. In fact, we have even been made the bedchamber and dwelling place of God. However, our groom has invited us in because he wants to know us. He wants us, not our works, and so I ask with Paul, “But now that you KNOW God – OR RATHER ARE KNOWN BY GOD – how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” (Gal. 4:9) He goes on to say, “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” (Gal. 5:4) As brides of Christ all service, ministry, and beauty must come from the intimacy of being known. When we were still sinners we were invited into the bedchambers of the Lord by grace. However, as soon as we try to earn our standing in that bedchamber we will find ourselves fallen from grace, and standing on the outside of the chamber. Blessed be the God who calls us and qualifies us as His Beloved!
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