This is taken from today's "Witness Wednesday."
Quote:
|
What must be done to the grapes to make them wine? They must be pressed. To make God and others happy, you must be pressed. You rejoice to learn that Christ is the barley, the resurrected Christ within you, and that He is enough to meet every situation. You say Hallelujah! But do not say Hallelujah too easily, for immediately following the barley is the vine. The grapes must be pressed to bring cheer to God and man. You too must be pressed. The more you drink the wine of Christ, the more you will realize that you must be pressed. You must be broken in order to produce something in the house of the Lord to make others happy.
|
When reading this the first time I thought, "Well that's not too far off." But after reading it again a few times, I began to be uncomfortable with it. My sense is that this wanders too far into the judgmental side of things and here are my streaming thoughts about it - just wanted to air thoughts and see what others might say.
One thing many of us picked-up in the LC under WL was regarding judgment. The Bema Seat teaching was held over us in a fearful way. That is, we might not measure up in God's eternal purpose, and He would have to then deal very harshly with us. And if we tried to escape His judgment, especially by leaving the LC, He would really come down on us and maybe even take our life. The thought was God eternal must get His purpose regardless. This is a fearful thing planted in the hearts of many exposed to this teaching.
But then - praise God - He showed me the foundation of all He does with man is out of His incredible love for us - while we were yet sinners way off the mark, He died for us! His purpose is all about His love and saving poor, lost sheep. And not just initially, but He who began a good work in us is loving us faithfully to complete that work. Yes, those whom He loves he disciplines, but it is 100% out of love and toward setting us free in a continual sense, because Jesus took all the wrath of God toward us. We are now His children who have been brought into the fellowship of the Son and are being ushered into His glory! Hallelujah!!!
So this quote by WL is a little troubling in that it seems to make it sound like it is God's good pleasure to crush us (see bolded in quote above). Mature Christians know the Lord will use everything to set us free and gain more of our hearts. And oftentimes the medicine is not that tasty to us, but the goal is always good, and needed, and done in agape love. "Perfect love casts out all fear, because fear involves torment."
Yesterday the Lord gave me a small appreciation for how He has set me free. "It is for freedom that Christ has set you free!" (Gal 5:1) His burden is easy, His yoke is light.
Anything that feels heavy and onerous and burdensome and condemning and discouraging - this is not the freedom He has brought us into!