Blood Bath
6 min read
19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
Revelation 2:19-20
The kingdom of God is filled with churches that believe in Jesus and love Him. They serve the Lord faithfully in worship and in good works and persevere through trials. And yet, they are susceptible to charismatic leaders whose teachings corrupt the purity of their faith.
Probably “Jezebel” was not the actual name of the woman, but a reference to the “Jezebel” of the Old Testament who was the wife of King Ahab of the Northern Kingdom (1 Kings 16:31). She was not an Israelite, and she led King Ahab to compromise his faith and worship Baal. In many ways, she may have been the ruler of Israel during Ahab’s reign.
But even for someone like that, Jesus desires to lead them to repentance. And so it is with us. Jesus is so patient and kind to us. God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
But if a person is unwilling to acknowledge their sin, God is not willing to just let it go. God disciplines those He loves (Proverbs 3:12). When it came to disciplining my own kids, I used to say to them, “We can do this the hard way or the easy way.” It was amazing that they would ever choose the hard way.
If we do not acknowledge our sin, we will continue in our sin. If we acknowledge our sin, there is hope for repentance, and God is patient with us. That does not mean that God does not discipline us. Rather, His discipline is more gentle.
We must not take our sin lightly. At the same time, we must not be paralyzed by guilt and shame over our sin. When we become paralyzed by guilt and shame over our sin, we will continue in our sin. Also, some people feel that they cannot serve God at all unless they are pure and holy. Those people never end up serving the Lord. They never grow in their faith. Through prayer and obedience to God’s purpose for our lives, we should trust in the power of God to sanctify us as we serve Christ.
We must not take our sin lightly. At the same time, we must show patience and mercy toward others. If we focus on other people’s sins, we become blinded to our own sins. That doesn’t mean that we should not keep each other accountable. But accountability requires love, gentleness, patience, and an attitude of redemption rather than an attitude of punishment. Through prayer and obedience to God’s royal law, we should trust in the power of God to sanctify them, as well.
When it comes to dealing with sin—whether our own or someone else’s—we must not trust in our own strength, but lean into God’s promise.
Father, You know all my sins. I thank You for Your patience with me, and I ask for Your continued patience. I pray that You would continue to transform me with the power of the blood of Christ, the power of Your love, and the power of Your Spirit. You have washed my spirit clean. Help me to be clean inside and out. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
