Of Chisels and Temple Courts
Hi. This may shed a tiny bit of light on your question... Write me back if it doesn’t? :)
This is an excerpt from a note to someone else about the difference between “weaker vessels” to be covered, and those that the Father has not “given” us (Jn. 17; Heb. 13:17).
Does this help? (Good question by the way...)
That passage (“covering weaker vessels”), as well as others about “bearing with the weaknesses of others” are very important to understanding daily life in the church. Karol and Ricky are two different scenarios. There are other scenarios that illustrate other angles of this also...
As for the two that you mentioned, Karol is simply not (according to those that have lived with her for quite a long time) exhibiting any characteristics of one who has been born a second time (“Behold! all things are new,” etc.). She has been sincere it seems, which is of course commendable. However, the House of God is for those that are building on the Rock of a testimony of the Son of God that flesh and blood cannot reveal. In other words, there must be something of heaven in a person’s life, regardless of social skills that may be lacking or failures that recur—something that no one could have told them, that they wear on the inside, that cannot be moved since it came “born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
If Eternal Life is not in any way evident in a person’s life, then it is difficult to believe that “the Father has given” them to us (Jn. 17) to be accountable for their souls (Heb. 13:17). The gates of hell WILL prevail if there is not a revelation that flesh and blood did not reveal! (Mat. 16.) So, she is not being “disfellowshipped,” but rather we are not taking responsibility for one that the Father seemingly has not given us, and is still in a state of Life that speaks of something in her heart and life that she has not surrendered to Jesus that He could touch her supernaturally.
Ricky, on the other hand is even simpler to understand. He does not love the Light, and therefore cannot be saved. (2Thes. 2). He does not love or recognize the Light (Jn. 3) or the Shepherd’s Voice (Jn. 10). Since we are not a social welfare organization, we are only FREE to extend the Life of Jesus to those that He is, and in the way and timing that He is. It’s not our call. If He vomits the lukewarm, we would be making ourselves gods to not do the same, as an example. Therefore, if the “rich young ruler” wants to be ruler of his own life, we are not free to extend the blessing and protection of Christ to one that Jesus is not willing to chase down.
That’s a quick synopsis. Feel free to ask more or circulate this as you see fit.
Love,
3/30/1994
