How Jerusalem Becomes Babylon
Nov 24, 2014 1739
by Desmond Ford
Jerusalem becomes Babylon when it offers only rest instead of rest conjoined with battle. Babylon knows only a gospel of good advice and good views instead of the good news.
Babylon has a series of orthodox works and beliefs that bring artificial rest rather than the ecstatic gladness resulting from the knowledge that our sins have been dealt with and the decision (acquittal) of the Last Judgement is ours already.
Babylon has much to say about man while the true church points first to what God has done in the God-man. Babylon fears the second coming and finds witnessing a burden, but the true church, having accepted Christ’s atonement, longs for the advent, for it is ready today through His imputed merits. And it loves to witness to God’s other lost children, telling them they have already been redeemed. See Romans 5:14-19.
Redemption has been accomplished, the judgement in Christ has taken place while that to come is but an announcement of who have accepted the Saviour’s work in the Calvary Judgement.
A church is not a church when it ceases to bring forth the fruit of unselfish love-fruit of a living union with the Redeemer.
The false church preaches it self rather than its Lord and has forgotten that justification comes freely through the grace of God, meritoriously by the blood of Christ, instrumentally by faith, and evidentially by willing works of love.
Des Ford. Rom 8:27–32 (From “When is a Church Not a Church?)
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