POINT OF VIEW
By Pastor Jim May
As we step into the New Year there are many questions that come to mind. The whole of mankind is seeking for answers to their questions. They are looking through what Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13:12 as a dark glass, as though we are trying to see into the future by looking through a cloudy, dirty and blackened window pane. Our vision of what lies ahead, if it is seen only through eyes of flesh, is very limited indeed.
Even for those of us who would look through that dark glass with “spiritual eyes” the future is dimmed and obscured greatly and we cannot quite understand all that is coming or how that God will bring about the fulfillment of His prophetic Word. Certainly our vision is far better than those who walk in the blindness of sin for they are completely unable to understand what is coming. While we know the final results of all that will transpire, we do not know each step that we must take to get there. The world knows nothing, and understands nothing of spiritual things and so the only thing they have is a false hope that mankind can somehow, on his own, manage to build a better world tomorrow.
In the final analysis, what you see through that dark glass depends completely on your point of view. I believe that there are really only two ways to look at the future. One is through the eyes of the flesh, and the other is through the eyes of the Spirit. Those who are unsaved can only use eyes of the flesh for their spiritual eyes are blind. Those who are born again by the Blood of Jesus Christ have a different point of view because they not only are able to see what the unsaved see, but their vision is enlightened and enhanced by the understanding of God’s Word and they are able to see much more.
What is your point of view this morning? What do you see ahead? Are you trying to see the future, and what the New Year will hold, only through the eyes of flesh; or can you see more through the eyes of the Holy Spirit within you? I know a lot of Christians who seem to have the wrong point of view.
Let me compare what I am trying to say to what you would see if you were in the mountains. If you are living in the dark valley between high mountains, all you can see is the valley. All you can see is what comes over the top of the mountain, and by the time you see the storm coming, it is too late to get prepared. All you can do, at best, is seek shelter quickly. Those in the valley can only hear the rumblings of a distant storm. Those in the valley can only wonder how bad the rain will be, or how hard the wind will blow and they cannot see enough to be fully prepared.
It is far different for those who live on the mountaintop. These folks can see the storm coming from many miles away. They can see it easily as they look from mountaintop to mountaintop, across the range of mountains. They can see it as it is only beginning to form and they can watch it grow in intensity. They have plenty of warning, and plenty of time to prepare. They aren’t too concerned about how much rain will fall because of their high place, they know that the floods will go down into the valley and not gather upon the mountains. They aren’t too concerned about the winds even though they are fully exposed to it because they have learned through experience to build strong houses that are founded upon solid rock. I’ve never seen a solid stone castle on a mountaintop crumble in the winds.
Those who are Born Again should be able to see with a much clearer vision, provided they will use their spiritual eyes and powers to discern what is happening around them. The Holy Spirit will enlighten their understanding and open their view to see what is coming.
Ephesians 1:18-23, "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."
So, as we begin this New Year, what do you see ahead? What’s out there in the days, weeks, months or years to come? What kind of future do you see?
First, let me tell you what the world sees out there. As mankind looks through the dark glass, he can only hope that what he wants to see is really there. He doesn’t know how the end will come so he hopes to create his own end.
There is no doubt that man is capable of doing some great and wonderful things. When you look at all of the achievements that mankind has created in the fields of medicine, computer science, engineering, literature, the sciences and fields of education, who can doubt that God gave us the power to create and discover. Giant cities are a wonder to behold. The beauty of the architecture and the wonder of the man-made gardens are truly grand.
But what lies beneath all the exterior beauty? What do you see when you get past the stained glass and the green gardens? What you see there is the true condition of the heart of mankind. It is dirty, depraved, sinful and dark. The streets of those magnificent cities are unsafe to walk upon. The parks are dangerous to visit. The buildings are subject to fall in earthquakes or because of the attack of an enemy.
If mankind chooses to look only upon his achievements and not upon the reality of what is in their heart, they will truly have a limited point of view. There are many who look at the world through what we would call “Rose Colored Glasses”, simply because they refuse to see what the reality is. They don’t want to confess the sin in their own heart and they don’t want to believe that mankind is truly degenerate in all his ways. They want to use their “powers of a positive confession” to talk their way into a Utopian society. They refuse to believe that mankind is blind and instead they talk of being “enlightened by knowledge”.
By in large, most of mankind refuses to look into the dark glass to try to see the future very much because all it does is remind them of how blind they truly are, and they don’t like the vision of darkness and destruction that they can see. They simply live in a state of ignorant bliss, not giving tomorrow much though at all. They hope for the best, plan for the worst as best they can, and then let fate take over.
From the point of view of most of mankind, there simply is nothing that they can do other than live from day to day in a state of hopeful anxiety, hoping for a better tomorrow but anxious of what will really happen.
There are a few unsaved men who will try to peer deeper into the dark glass of the future. You can hear them and know who they are if you will only listen. These are the people who can see the destruction coming. They can see that mankind is headed for disaster. They can see that something dreadful and deadly is coming, but they just don’t understand enough to have the right point of view.
Open your newspaper or turn on the daily newscast and you will heart their voices. They cry out for mankind to conserve energy, for we are about to use up our supply of fuel.
They cry out against the creation of alternative energy sources because, through the dark glass, they can see that mankind will use those alternative energy sources to kill other men and not better the human race.
They cry out against the harvesting of trees because they see the possibility that mankind will bring about his own demise through the loss of the heat resisting layer of ozone in the atmosphere.
They cry out against those who would try to bring justice for some people because they also see the possibility that the conflict will only spread into the Armageddon battle that they know can happen.
While I understand their concerns and I know that the problems they see are very real, I cannot maintain their point of view that mankind can solve his problems through conservation and science. Mankind cannot overcome the will of God no matter how hard he tries. They are placing their hope on their own power and not upon the power of God. Their only hope is to save the planet, or to build a better mousetrap. That kind of hope may create better gadgets but it will never create a brighter tomorrow.
But I do have to give them some credit for at least trying to look deeper into the dark glass of the future and do something to make things better. If I had their point of view I would probably be doing the same thing.
It’s better to make an effort to better the future, even if it isn’t very good, than to sit around and take a fatalistic point of view and say, like one old song by Doris Day, “Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be. The future’s not ours to see. Que sera, sera.
This is the point of view like those who live in the valley. They can hear the thunder in the distance, but they can’t see over the mountain. That mountain is the daily life that they live, filled with its demands and troubles. Most people can’t see past today and they don’t want to because they have enough trouble for now. Don’t load anymore on them!
Now let’s look at the Point of View for those who use the “eyes of the Spirit”. What do they see for the coming New Year and for the future of mankind?
The point of view of a Born Again Christian is two-fold. We look into that same dark glass that the rest of mankind sees and we see pretty much the same thing that they do through the eyes of the flesh.
We see the calamities that are just ahead. We see the storms arising and we can hear the thunder roll. We are in the same world as the rest of mankind and we can feel the uneasiness of a shaky peace between warring nations. We can sense the foreboding of the unknown future that doesn’t carry much hope for the survival of mankind from self-destruction. We know that mankind faces some much darker days just ahead, and like most of mankind, we know that there is little that we can do to change the future because we know that in the end, that’s exactly what the Word of God says will happen.
Our point of view is not one that denies the depravity of mankind. We do not subscribe to the opinion that mankind can build a better world tomorrow and create a Utopian society. We do not believe that life will get better and become easier. In fact, we, of all people, are absolutely convinced that there is no hope for this world or for mankind that dwells in it. We know that the only true hope for mankind is to get prepared to leave this world and meet God for not one man will survive in the end. If all we had was that single part of our vision, then we would be as fatalistic and hopeless as the rest of mankind.
The big difference is that our point of view comes from a two-fold vision. Not only do we see through the eyes of the flesh what all other men see, but we also see through the eyes of the Spirit to view upon things that no one else can see.
It’s that second Point of View that really makes the difference. It’s that Point of View that gives us hope and helps us look forward to a better tomorrow, both in this life and especially in the one to come.
What can you see through your Spiritual eyes this morning? Does your Point of View allow you to see past the storms of life into the realm of the Spirit? Does your Point of View allow you to see not just the dark days ahead, but the brightness of His coming?
2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming…"
The whole of humanity can see the iniquity at work though they may not want to confess it. The effects of sin upon the world are unmistakable. God never intended for the world to be destroyed either by water, or by fire. God never wanted mankind to fall into sin and become the depraved creature that he has become. God never wanted to see mankind suffer and die. That’s the “mystery of iniquity” at work in the world and in the human race, and it’s all the result of a very real Devil at work.
But we, through the eyes of the Spirit, are able to see his handiwork. We are able to recognize the work of Satan for what it is. We are able to see and know his plans in advance, and we are able to see his eventual destruction, all through the view point of God’s Word.
The “mystery of iniquity” is no mystery to those who are Born Again. We know what’s going on in the world. We know what will come shortly; maybe not in detail, but in general we know what the future holds. More importantly, we know who holds the future, and our trust is in Him.
We know that soon and very soon, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth to take his church, his bride, away to be with Him forever. I’m looking for the rapture of the church in 2006. I’ve looked for it ever since my eyes were opened to understand that such a thing was going to happen. Since I was old enough to know right from wrong, back in the 1950’s, when I was Born Again, I have looked for the rapture of the church. I thought it would happen all through the 60’s, the 70’s, the 80’s, the 90’s and I have looked for it to happen in 2005 but only the Father in Heaven knows when it will come. Now I’m getting ready for Jesus to come in this New Year, perhaps even today.
Until that day comes, I have a duty to perform. If you are of the same Point of View, then your duty is the same. Our duty is to not “let” the devil have free reign in the hearts of men. Our duty is to limit his power, limit his activity and take back from him every soul that he has stolen from God by introducing them to the Lord Jesus Christ.
You and I, and the rest of the true church of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Ghost within us, are the only limiting factor upon the devil.
From our Point of View there is truly a brighter and better tomorrow, not on this planet in its present state of deterioration, but in a new Heaven and a New Earth, created and rebuilt by the power of God into a perfect world once again. Our hope is in Jesus, not in the intelligence and creative power of man. Our hope is in the second coming of Jesus Christ to make all things right once again. Our hope is in the brightness of His coming, to destroy once and for all, the powers of hell and the Devil; to wipe away sin from existence; and to bring to justice every man for the last time.
On this first day of the New Year, what do you see ahead? What is your Point of View?
Do you see only troubles, pain, suffering, and hopelessness of the present situation? Or do you see a brighter tomorrow based upon the promises of God’s Holy Word?
What you see is what you will get! I’ve heard that said many times, but never has it made a better impact than right now.
If all you see from your Point of View is what this world sees, then you aren’t looking through the eyes of the Spirit, and your faith is dead. You will get what you see.
But if you see through the eyes of the Spirit, you must look at the future in faith, trusting and believing that Jesus has it all in His hand and that He will see you through to victory in the end. You will get the victory that you see.
Make sure that you have the right Point of View. The only way to have the right Point of View is by surrendering your life and heart to Jesus Christ and allowing him to be your Lord and Savior. When you do, then the eyes of your understanding will be opened and you will see things through the eyes of the Spirit.
Don’t wait until the storm comes over the mountain and strikes suddenly. Get prepared right now so you can be ready when Jesus comes again. This could be the day, this could be hour, and this could definitely be the year that Jesus comes again, in all of his brightness and glory.
