In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus says that if a man has a hundred sheep and loses one, he will leave the ninety-nine behind to go search for the one until he has found it and he brings it home. Same thing with a lost coin. If a person has ten coins and they lose one, they’re going to sweep the corners, look for it high and low, until they find it; and then, they will rejoice over that lost coin that they found.
That’s fine for things like sheep and coins. Sheep usually don’t make the decision to rebel. Coins don’t make a decision to rebel. But children are a different story altogether! Children have a mind of their own. So, then He tells a story about a prodigal son. You know that story. He wanted his father’s inheritance. His father gave it to him. The son left home and had a great time with his father’s money until he spent it all. Then he ended up in the pigsty. Then, while he was in the pigsty it says that “he came to himself” and he realized that he would have been better off to stay with his father and live with him than stay with the pigs. So, he decided he would go back to his father and would be like one of the hired people. But his father received him as the long-lost son of his love, and he gave him honor. Of course, the older brother was offended by this.
You can read that story in Luke 15; but I think it gives us some stages to indicate God’s purpose in bringing mankind, the children of Adam, home again – and that’s what we’re concerned with right now. These judgments are happening upon the earth, upon those who are worshipping the beast, because they’ve been deceived by the devil. Let’s talk about the journey of man back to God.
(1) Rebellion
It starts with rebellion. It’s the reason why there has to be a journey of reconciliation – and the ultimate end is reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5 says that God has given us “the ministry of reconciliation.”[1] So our gospel, our good news, our message to all people, is to be reconciled to God. This is how that reconciliation occurs. Here is how it happens. It starts with the realization that there has been a rebellion against God. And what is the nature of that rebellion? Again, going back to the illustration of the lost sheep, Isaiah 53:6 says that “all of us like sheep have gone astray. Each one of us has turned aside to their own way.” This is why we say that part of the purpose of taking up the cross of Jesus is to deny yourself – because the self-centered life, the self-centered existence that you and I are born into, is the self-centeredness of the lost sheep who forsakes the way of the shepherd and turns to his own way. Isaiah says that all of us like sheep have gone astray. So, it all begins there. I don’t care who you are, where you come from, what you have done: All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, it says.[2] “There is none that is righteous, no not one!”[3] So all of us are included in this journey of mankind back to the Lord. Just because you and I may be farther along in this journey back to the Lord does not mean others are not going to follow along behind us, or that we are superior because we think we stayed behind with the Father while everyone else in the world went out and had a good time. Actually, all of us have sinned. All of us are the prodigal son. Isaiah says that all of us like sheep have gone astray. Each one has turned aside to his own way – and that’s what sin is. Sin is basically living for self. Indulging self. Going your own way, independently of the Lord. That’s rebellion. That’s where it starts. Adam, and all the children of Adam, decided they wanted to go their own way. So here we are. Like sheep we have gone astray and turned aside – every man, every woman – to their own way.
The whole process here is to get us to recognize that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof leads to death”[4] – and that Jesus is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.[5] We all start in that rebellion. Ephesians 2 talks about how we were all once “children of wrath,” “sons of disobedience.”[6] All of us like sheep have gone astray. None are righteous, no not one.
(2) Realization
But you see, the next step is Realization. Realization. Realizing it. Recognizing it. You can be in rebellion against God and not recognize it. Why? Because you’re deceived. That’s why in Acts 26:18, when Paul is giving his testimony of meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus, part of what God told him is that He is sending Paul to preach the gospel so that he would “turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God.” To turn them from darkness to light, from the power of satan to God.
Now, what is the “power of satan” here? Because I’m someone who doesn’t believe the devil has a whole lot of power. But he does have the power to do one thing very well – and that is, the power that we give him to deceive. We give him that power. Because we don’t love the truth, we open ourselves up to the deception of the devil. All of this leading us astray, seducing God’s servants, leading them away from the simplicity of Christ, it all has to do with deception. So, in order for someone to begin this process, to get out of their rebellion, they have to realize. There has to be a realization that they are in rebellion. That’s why it is necessary that they be turned from darkness to light.
That’s the same thing that happened to you and me. It says that He has called us “out of darkness and into His marvelous light.”[7] But all of us at one time, Paul says, walked “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience.”[8] That’s what Paul’s mission is. He said God has called me to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of satan to God.
Jesus is the Light of the World,[9] but so many are walking in darkness because they are blind. Jesus says…
The spirit of the Lord is upon Me. He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are bruised and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Lk. 4:18,19)
Now, I know that Jesus had a great healing ministry. I know that Jesus healed people’s bodies. But Luke 4:18,19 isn’t so much referring to Him being able to open the eyes of the physically blind. It’s talking about the spiritual blindness He came to heal. Being the Light of the World is not about getting your physical eyesight so that you can see. It’s about getting your spiritual eyes opened. The eyes of your heart being enlightened, Paul says in Ephesians.[10] That’s the realization that has to come: That you’re in rebellion. The realization that the way you’re heading leads to death.[11]
They have to be turned from the power of satan to God. They have to be set free. They have to be delivered. They have to have their eyes opened before they can get to the next step which is…
(3) Repentance
That’s why they haven’t repented – because they’re still under bondage to the devil. Why doesn’t the world get saved? Because they are deceived by the devil. How does the devil deceive? It could be that part of this deception in the Book of Revelation has to do with religion. Religion robs us of the freedom and joy of a Christ-centered faith. Religion complicates our walk with God. Religion is done for the benefit of man, to please man more so than to please the Lord. Religion gives a false assurance of salvation and blessing and favor from God based on works and not based on grace; based on a legalistic system of rules and regulations and traditions and commandments of men, rather than people who are born again by the Spirit of Jesus and filled with the Spirit of Jesus.
God desires that none should perish but that all should come to repentance.[12] Now, there’s not going to be any reconciliation without repentance on the part of man. There’s got to be repentance – but I’m trying to explain to you why they haven’t repented here just based on the judgment. They’re in rebellion, but they don’t realize that they’re in darkness. All they know is that they’re in pain. They know that they’re suffering, but they don’t realize what they have done. It brings to mind Jesus on the cross. As He is being crucified, He says, “Father forgive them, because they don’t know what they’re doing.”[13] Does anyone doubt that God would forgive those whom Jesus says, “Father forgive them?” Did God answer that prayer, or did God ignore that prayer? God heard that prayer, and Jesus prayed that prayer, because He recognized they didn’t know what they were doing – and they still don’t know what they are doing.
“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”[14] – but they don’t realize it, and therefore, they haven’t repented. Repentance happens once you realize it! That’s when the prodigal son there in the pigsty “came to himself.” It’s like he woke up one day. He had a flash of insight, a flash of revelation, and he realized, “I have sinned against heaven and against you and I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.” I’ve sinned against heaven and against you! He had that realization.
Now repentance doesn’t just mean saying, “God, forgive me!” and then you go on about your business. Repentance is a change of heart, a change of mind, a change of behavior. It’s turning around and going in the opposite direction from what you were going in. Is that God’s purpose – for just some people to repent? Or is it God’s purpose for all people to repent? That’s what 2 Peter 3:9 is all about: “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” It says in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 to “pray for all men” – for all mankind. “For God desires for all to be saved and come to the full knowledge of the truth” – the full realization of the truth, so they can be saved, so they can repent, so they can stop living the way they’re living. So they can be like the ones in Revelation 15 who have the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name. They’re singing a song of victory because, as I’ve said before, when the devil loses the ability to deceive you, the devil loses the ability to defeat you.
In God’s judgment we feel His wrath and His anger upon our rebellion. Why? Not to harden us and turn us against Him, but so we will stop the behavior that’s leading to the broken relationship. If He didn’t care, He would let us do whatever; but His goal is to restore and reconcile the relationship.
(4) Return
Then there is the return. I’m giving you the prodigal journey of man. All of us have left on our own way. That’s rebellion. At some point there’s realization, where our eyes are opened to see the truth. That has to be the Holy Spirit that does that. Once our eyes are opened to see the truth then we can repent and truly have a change of heart, and a change of mind, and a change of behavior. Then there is the return. That son there in the pigsty says, “You know what? I’m going to go back! I’m going to go back to where my father is. I’d rather be with him and be a servant than live in this pigsty anymore.”
That was a hard lesson to learn, but that’s the purpose of judgment. I’m not just talking about individual people getting saved. That same process is at work in all the nations, all the world, and all the peoples of the world. You may not be able to wrap your brain around it, but try to expand beyond just thinking about your personal way you came to Jesus, or the testimony of some other person. I’m trying to get you to look at the big picture, the prophetic significance of what God is doing with these judgments affecting the whole earth.
Psalm 22:27 says, “All the nations will remember and return to the Lord, and all the families of the earth will worship Him.” That is such a precious, precious promise – but nobody ever talks about it! Nobody ever preaches it. Nobody ever explains it. But that’s the fulfillment; and its right there in Psalm 22, where we have the Messianic Psalm of Christ on the Cross. Why is He submitting to crucifixion? So that “all the ends of the world will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the earth will worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.” That’s exactly what we see coming to pass in the Book of Revelation. They’re going to remember and turn to the Lord.
But there’s something that’s in the way right now, and most of it is of a spiritual nature that they have no control over. It is we who claim to have the Testimony of Jesus. We do have power over that spiritual darkness. As God sent Paul, so He sends us: “To turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God.”[15] He says, “Behold, I give you authority to tread upon snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means harm you.”[16] But they don’t have the power to resist the beast. They don’t have the power to say, “No, I’m not going to take the mark of the beast.” They’re deceived. The whole world has been deceived by the Dragon. Who hasn’t been deceived by the Dragon? The Overcomers. The ones standing over the lake of glass mingled with fire. But the promise that we’re praying for, and interceding for, and that we’re witnessing and testifying of the truth concerning Jesus for, is not for ourselves, but for them.
See, here’s the thing. I’m not just satisfied with the fact that I know where I’m going to go when I die, that I’m going to go to heaven when I die. If that’s the extent of your faith then I would say it’s a very shallow understanding. That’s not much greater than what they give you in the religious system, because that’s based on self-centered reward and self-centered fear of punishment. It is not about just getting me to heaven. It’s about saving the world, saving the nations. “He is the Savior of all men,” it says, “especially those who believe.”[17] But He’s the Savior of all men whether they believe it or not. So, the point is we’ve got to give them this Good News. We’ve got to tell them that God in Christ has already reconciled the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses against them.[18] That brings us to the ultimate stage in this journey which is…
(5) Reconciliation
The reconciliation has already happened from God’s perspective. Reconciliation requires two parties. It takes both people to reconcile. Yet, in Colossians 1:20, from the perspective of God, He’s already reconciled everything to Himself. Colossians 1:19 says, “For it pleased the Father that in Him [in Christ] all the fullness should dwell and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself.” To reconcile all things to Himself. “By Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His Cross.” Now it says “all things” here but in the original Greek it just “all” – “to reconcile all to Himself.” All what? All the ones that He desires to have a relationship with. And who is that? He desires that all would be saved and come to the full knowledge of the truth;[19] He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.[20] So, “to reconcile all to Himself” is talking about everybody. Hallelujah! “Whether on earth or in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His Cross.” Peace with what? Not peace with nature. Not peace with the animals. It’s peace with man. “And you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh.”[21]
In 2 Corinthians 5:19 it says that God in Christ has already reconciled the world to Himself; because your sin doesn’t separate God from you, it separates you from God. Sin separates all of us from God, but it does not separate God from us. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.[22] Hallelujah! God has already reconciled Himself to the world. That was the easy part, because He loved the world. He gave His only Son. “How will He not with Him also freely give us all things?”[23] God so loved the world He sent Christ Jesus to be “the Savior of the world.”[24] “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”[25] It’s already happened from God’s perspective.
But the challenge, obviously when you look around, is you don’t see that everyone has reconciled themselves to God; and that’s why He’s given us “the ministry of reconciliation.”[26] We are proclaiming to people to be reconciled to God. Why? Because God has already reconciled Himself to them through Christ. And we are confident – Colossians 1:20 again – confident that God is going to reconcile all things to Himself. He has already reconciled Himself to all; but we believe in Christ He will reconcile all to Himself in due season, as we saw in 1 Corinthians 15, according to these three harvests. One comes soon. One comes in the middle, and one comes at the end; but eventually all the harvest is harvested.
[1] 2 Cor. 5:18.
[2] Rom. 3:23.
[3] Rom. 3:10.
[4] Pro. 14:12; 16:25.
[5] Jn. 14:6.
[6] Eph. 2:2,3.
[7] 1 Pet. 2:9.
[8] Eph. 2:2.
[9] Jn. 8:12; 9:5.
[10] Eph. 1:18.
[11] Some might wonder why I would not just call this step “Revelation” instead of “Realization.” To be sure, we cannot realize anything without revelation. However, people tend to think of revelation as some unique, spiritual experience only enjoyed by a few, and we tend to think that only “saved” people can have any revelation of spiritual things. I wish to emphasize that realization can happen to anyone, anytime, anyplace, whether they are saved or not. In actual experience, realization is virtually the same thing as revelation – but realization sounds more accessible to those most in need.
[12] 2 Pet. 3:9.
[13] Lk. 23:34.
[14] Rom. 3:23.
[15] Acts 26:18,
[16] Lk. 10:19.
[17] 1 Tim. 4:10.
[18] 2 Cor. 5:19.
[19] 1 Tim 2:4.
[20] 2 Pet. 3:9.
[21] Col. 1:21ff.
[22] Jn. 3:16.
[23] Rom. 8:32.
[24] Jn. 4:42; 1 Jn. 4:14.
[25] Jn. 1:29.
[26] 2 Cor. 5:18.
