September 7, 1992
When
we become used to the evils surrounding a good thing, it
can be hard to discern the legitimacy of the good thing
that has been polluted. Such is the case with
understanding the "motherhood of the saints.”
Because
of the takeover by jezebellic powers that has polluted
and crippled the truth behind that motherhood, it has
been difficult for sonship saints to acknowledge the
possibility that some what characterizes churches
differently than sons might indeed be from the Lord.
Those things might be part of the nature He intended the
mothering church to have—such as temporal distinctions
in certain limited customs, some limited labels that
distinguish offices and functions, and emphases on
certain truths at certain seasons.
To
a "son-natured" saint, all the above things listed are
an anathema. And they are--if
we are talking only in a sonship context. But mothers
are not sons, and mothers do have a legitimate place. In fact, without mothers, there can be no
sons.
Within
the motherhood, there are legitimate limited
distinctions and customs that God Himself establishes
within the framework of bodies. The foretype of these
distinctions is seen in Israel with its distinctions in
tribes and their abilities (for instance, the sons of
Issachar were gifted in discernment of times).
So
in the mothering church of the New Testament, we see
similar spiritual distinctions. For Israel was a
prototype of the spiritual realities to be found in the
church. This is why we see that different churches were
governed by different "apostolic traditions" depending
on who the apostle was that helped lay that church's
foundation (II Cor. 11:2, II Th. 2:15).
Now
Christ Himself was not marked by the limitations of
Israel from whom He came forth. He was the full
embodiment of each of the little differences that marked
various tribes and were represented by their traditions.
Even so, the sons of
God in this age are not marked by any of the limitations
of any one church or group of churches.
Sons
keep outgrowing these limitations while learning from
all of them and having all the qualities made part of
their whole being. Yet each of those
limited qualities as found in each church and
“tribe” of churches is from the Lord in its season
and generation of church history.
If
we want to move into mature sonship, we must come to the
place of recognizing these legitimate distinctions that
characterize the various aspects of the true motherhood.
We need discernment from God so that we do not condemn
the things God has indeed temporarily established along
with the evil exercised behind them.
We
must not condemn the true motherhood with her unique
qualities. We must learn to honor her if we want it to
go well with us, and our days to be long and prosperous
(Ex. 20:12). This is why God has desert saints go back
and mend relationships with churches who have otherwise
wronged them. This is God's opportunity to purify the
discernment of His sons, and for them to make right in
their own hearts things they may have falsely judged
while trying to bring true correction to the church.
Heed,
sons, heed the word!
If we want to come to full sonship, then we
must overcome all past jezebellic offense that we may be
able to share the heart of Christ toward the church
portrayed in Eph. 5:25. Can we, sons, truly give
ourselves for the church as did Christ, our model and
champion?
[ back to Part
1 ]