Honor Thy Father and Mother

Excerpt from book, New Creation Spirituality:

There is a tension in our corporate spiritual maturation process. This tension exists between the known and the unknown, between what is already understood and what is yet to be revealed. We know that the destiny of the Body of Christ is a “fullness,” a “unity in the faith,” and a “perfect” knowledge of Jesus Christ (See Ephesians 4:12-13). For now we see and know God’s fullness in part, but when the perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ comes, we shall know fully, just as we are fully known by Him. 

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away...For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:9,12 (NASB)  

The “perfect” is not some sort of sudden, time-ending apocalyptic event, but the culmination of maturity in the body of Christ. This is achieved through the work of the prophets and apostles in the Body of Christ, who carefully build on the understanding of what has come before. The foundation of understanding, the cornerstone of all genuine revelation, is Jesus Christ and His life, death, and resurrection. For two thousand years, the Body has been growing in wisdom and stature, striving to attain to the whole fullness of what was accomplished on the cross.

The major issue in the Body of Christ is the belief that we are meant to stand still in our understanding of the Messiah’s work. Deep fear and intellectual idolatry prevent us from moving forward. Therefore, we become stagnant and religionism gains a foothold in our hearts and minds. Our relationship with God bends toward the intellectual rather than the intuitive. With an intellectual faith comes pride and legalistic thinking patterns. With pride and legalistic thinking patterns come sin. With sin comes eventual death. Our understanding of the finished work of the cross and Jesus Christ must be in constant development. If we aren’t growing, we are perishing.

A good analogy for this is a volcano that has just erupted. As lava flows down the side of the mountain, it destroys everything in its path. There is great power and transformation at the front of the lava flow. The fresh lava violently and dramatically transforms the landscape. However, lava eventually cools and hardens. When it does, it no longer holds any sort of power to enact change in its environment. It can then be approached, studied, and “understood.” 

This is exactly how revelation works. The eruption is the gospel of Christ. The front of the lava flow is the fresh, spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit, who reveals the fullness of Christ. The path of the lava is hard to discern and no one is really sure where it is going (See John 3:8). It can be absolutely terrifying because it is spontaneous, uncontrollable, and unstoppable. Apostles and prophets aim to live in step with this raw flow of power. When the lava hardens, it becomes religion and theology. Religionists prefer lava that is cooled and hardened. To them, the lava is finally approachable and therefore safe. The problem is when we believe the hardened lava is more powerful than flowing lava. It becomes an idol because we feel we can touch it, study it, and understand it. If we feel we can understand it, we have a false sense of control over it. This is religionism.

Any careful student of the Bible will tell you that there is a developing revelation of the cross throughout the New Testament epistles. This is where the spotlight falls on Paul. Although an apostle of Christ, his convictions and revelation put him in conflict with the established Christian church in Jerusalem. His revelation of spiritual freedom often stood at odds with the other Jews such as James and Peter, who still adhered to some legalistic paradigms of Judaism (for more information, read Galatians). At the end of the day, they were all still “Christians” in the sense that they enjoyed a vibrant relationship with the living Messiah, even though they had different revelations of what the cross meant. 

Revelation of the finished work of the cross continues to develop over time. God sends apostles and prophets to the Body in order to mature our understanding of what has already been accomplished. Apostles and prophets illuminate new dimensions of the gospel in order to combat the darkness of their respective ages. They bring revelation. This is where fear can creep in - how do we know what is from God and not from God? Isn’t it easier to stay with what is known? Will we be deceived?

Genuine revelation is centered on Christ crucified and will not go beyond what is written in the scriptures. Deception goes beyond what is written in order to feel unique and novel. We have some insight on this issue in the Bible. “Honor your father and mother,” the scriptures instruct us, “that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). Authentic revelation honors what has already been established by our forefathers in the faith (our “fathers” and “mothers”), and proceeds to build on this established revelation. By honoring what has come before, God promises to give spiritual life to what is fresh and forthcoming. A tree grows upward through the support of what is below.  

There will always be a tension between those who feel strongly about what has already been established and those who press onward into new understandings with faith and trust. There will always be “Pharisees” (those zealous for the establishment) and there will always be “Christs” (reformers and prophets who bring the new). Old meets new is always a formula for conflict. As a Body, we must embrace this tension with love for each other. There can be no growth without growing pains. The Father will work through this tension to bring forth what He desires for His people. 

Fresh revelation is thrilling and exciting. For those blessed with revelatory gifts, there can be a strong temptation to leave the flock and press quickly onward into strange and unfamiliar spiritual territory. This is unwise. Delusion waits for those who abandon the flock and press on ahead without caution. Spiritual pioneers would do well to remember that the ultimate mandate is to love, and this means bearing with the Body of Christ in its current level of understanding and experience. Revelation must serve the way of love, which is the way of Christ. If one can fathom all mysteries and yet not love, they are nothing. Revelation is a meal that must be served in the name of love. Without love, it is not digestible and therefore useless. Unless the Lord builds the understanding of His  fullness precept upon precept, line upon line, revelation will be in vain.