8/28/07 - Life Journal - Ephesians and Nicolaitans
Revelation 2:2-4
Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Revelation 2:6
In His message to the church at Ephesus, Jesus praised their steadfastness in testing anyone that comes in the name of the Lord and that they have indeed flushed out some false prophets. That's awesome, but then He chastises them for leaving their first love. In browbeating anyone and everyone proclaiming their allegiance to Christ they have lost the joy they had themselves when they first came to believe and were now bordering on a Pharisaical self-righteousness.
Jesus then goes on to mention the Nicolaitans in what at first seems to be a verse of no consequence. The thing is, this small nugget has as much weight as vs.2-4 when applied to todays church. The Nicolaitans were a heretical sect that taught that spiritual liberty gave them sufficient leeway to practice idolatry and immorality. This sounds like a lot of people today that grasp a hold of the "once saved, always saved" mindset and never stop to think about the stumbling blocks they are placing in front of new Christ followers or the hypocritical image they are presenting to the community.
So it looks like Ephesus had it's very own Apprising Ministries and Emergent Village!
For some reason I believe God wants us somewhere in the middle. We need to live as it is outlined for us in the bible without becoming legalistic in our missional life, while at the same time not losing ourselves in the sub-cultures we are trying to reach.
Lord, I pray that I'll be faithful in study and prayer so I'll know how to be a better follower of your Son and a shepherd to His flock.
