STANDING IN THE GAP

Ezekiel 22:29-31

Morning Meditation 2/14/2014

Ezekiel 22:29-31, "The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD."

Walls were built around Jerusalem to protect them from potential enemies. This was normal in those cities. The gap is a hole in the wall through which the enemy could access the city and those within.

While this is literally true, I want us to look at this from a spiritual standpoint. The implications of our text is that if God could find a man that would fill the gap, God would save Israel from hostile nations.

We also have walls that protect us as Christians. God has given us a means of protection just like those of ancient times.

Paul writes to the Church of Ephesus in Ephesians 6:10-18, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

These instruments of protection in our spiritual warfare are weapons through which the enemies cannot break through. Just to take a statement in our text: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Now with this in mind we should,

STAND IN THE GAP WITH THE RIGHT MESSAGE

Satan can get to us as Christians if we do not watch and keep his access places well guarded.

Paul had this in mind in 1 Corinthians 16:13, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." The words "watch ye" mean, "to take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one." Many a Christian has fallen because they became sloppy in their obedience and lack of vigilance in their christian walk.

There is only one message of salvation and that is the gospel of the grace of God. The early church had to meet the tactic of Satan to pervert this message in Acts 15:1, "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." This would pervert the message of the gospel. So the church at Jerusalem took the matter into hand and made the following judgment:, "And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Acts 15:7-11).

The church at Jerusalem stood in the gap and the Lord used them to help make clear the definition of our faith.

We need to stand in the gap with the right message. Then,

WE NEED TO STAND IN THE GAP WITH THE RIGHT EXAMPLE

It is easy to determine how others should live and let ourselves off with a lifestyle that does not demonstrate the Christian faith. Let's not only declare our faith let's live out our faith. Paul brought this out in Titus 3:8, "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men."

There is a gap in the wall of professing Christianity and people are coming through that gap by the hundreds. There are those professing Christianity whose lifestyle does not have the slightest resemblance of the true faith of Christ. Church offices are filled many times with men of means whose faith would not stand the test of a Scriptural examination. Hireling pastors are not interested in ones faith, they are interested in ones pocket book.

I believe the pulpit should make it so hot on those who profess faith with their mouth and deny it by their lifestyle that they would head for the exits in a dead run. This is what happened in John 6:63-66, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."

How did Jesus respond to this exodus? He said in John 6:67-69, "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

We do not only need to profess faith in Christ but we also should follow His example. A professed faith that does not radically change our lives is empty formalism that will not get one an inch off the ground when the rapture takes place. Next,

WE SHOULD STAND IN THE GAP AGAINST SIN

It would be good for all of us to read the context of our text. Ezekiel 22:27-28 says, "Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken."

Sin is almost a forgotten word. The Church has retreated from an authoritative message against sin. The message of Christ on the subject of sin is found in Luke 13:1-5, "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.."

The Church in Corinth had in its membership a man who was fornicating with his father's wife. Some in the church were making light of it. So Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:1-6, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" Next,

WE SHOULD STAND IN THE GAP WITH THE RIGHT AUTHORITY

Do we have a right to turn people from judgment? The answer is in Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

The words "All power" translates "exousia" which means, "All authority." These disciples were sent by the Lord with the authority to represent Him on earth. The task was to take the gospel to every person on this earth. The words, "Go ye therefore," state a conclusion that is borne out of the statement Jesus made that He had been given all authority in heaven and in earth and as a result He commissions the church to take the gospel to all people on earth. The disciples did not misunderstand the Lord. And no intellectually honest person can deny that authority is involved.

The Word of God is to be preached with authority. What we preach is not just man's opinion. We find the proof of this in Paul's word to the church at Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 2:13, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." God's Word never needs to be changed to conform to national cultures. It is never to be changed to make "acceptable sins" ok. Psalms 119:89 says, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." The words "is settled" means that the Word of God has been established and that forever. There will never be a change in it.

Jesus replied to Satan in the wilderness temptation in Matthew 4:3-4, "And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

We have the authority of the Word of God and we must insist that the one we read is the Word of God and the one speaking to us is using the Word of God. I believe that the King James Version is God's Word for the English speaking people today.

May God bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White