The Corruption of the Earth and the Church

The Corruption of the Earth and the Church
The Corruption of the Earth and the Church

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth (Genesis 6:12).

There are some principles we can learn from our text regarding the corruption of the earth and the church (Genesis 6:1-8):

1. God always views the places which He has created (v. 12).

The Earth and the Church are created by God to accomplish His purposes. That’s why He always views the places He has created, whether they are in accordance with the purpose or has deviated from its original purpose. As He views the Earth and so He views the Church. The Church has never escaped from His supervision.

This is what should be continually recognized and evaluated by the Church: God’s eyes are constantly focused to the Church, He assesses the existence of the Church, whether it is still in His purpose or has started to deviate from its original purpose. The Church should not be run at random because God continues to assess the existence of the Church.

I’ve heard there was a math course that was licensed by the Japanese Kumon Method was closed because it did not run the course as determined by the Kumon Center. The problem is only trivial: The hours of operation were exceeded from the rule. Thus, the license was revoked, the place was closed.

Such was the Church. God has given the license to leaders to run the Church, but there are rules that God has set. If the Church does not run as the Lord has assigned, the license could be revoked. The place will be closed.

I also have heard of a motorcycle workshop that is licensed by Honda and did not run the workshop as requested by Honda, its license was revoked but the place is not closed. Because they already have a large capital and many customers, they can still run the workshop activities but had nothing to do with Honda.

Some churches are like that. Even if the license has been revoked, but because they have a large capital and many ‘customers’, the place is not closed. They can still run all church activities as before, but it has nothing to do with God.

2. Whether the church is right or not is determined by the people who live in it (v. 12).

The Bible says God saw the earth was corrupted because the people who live in it live a corrupted life. So the righteousness or holiness of a place is determined by the lives of people who live in it. The Earth will be righteous and holy when the people who live in it live a righteous and holy life. A house becomes righteous and holy when the people who live in the house are righteous and holy. So the one who needs to be sanctified is the person, not his house.

And so is the Church. Whether a church is righteous or not is seen or determined by the life of the majority of the congregation. If the majority of the congregation lives righteously, not gratuitous, then that church is the true church. But if the majority of the congregation lives a life that is corrupted, then that church is a corrupted church.

3. The corruption of human life or God’s people is usually caused by a mixture between the divine and the humane (v. 2).

“That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”

Regardless of the various controversies in interpretation of this verse, I tried to see this verse as the Bible wrote or said. In my opinion, the sons of God are the ones who live a divine lifestyle and the sons of men are the ones who live with the humane lifestyle. After the mixture between the divine and the human happened, various deterioration began. This is what makes humans life became corrupted.

The Church is like that. When there is a mixture in a church between the divine and the humane, the deterioration is about to begin. When David moved the Ark of God by way of the Philistines, the result is death (II Sam. 6:1-23), no matter how many ‘chosen people’ in charge (v. 1), and no matter how strong and earnest they were in doing it (v. 5). We can not pull down the presence of God in a humane or worldly manner. No matter how serious and how great the people in charge, the result is death!

4. The corruption of human life or God’s people are also usually caused because they do what they like, not what God wants (v. 2).

When humans would rather do what they like rather than what God wants, it opens a space for the mixture and then the deterioration will begin in their life. The Church should not be run as it pleases without paying attention to what God’s will for His church. The Church should rather do the will of God. Doing the will of God must be the daily food for the Church.

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work (John 4:34).

5. God will destroy humans and God’s people who have corrupted, which can not be used again to accomplish His purpose (v. 6-7).

The Earth and the Church which have strayed from God’s purpose are very disappointing to God. That’s why God would ‘litigate’ with the people who live in it. The Church should not retain leaders, workers, or congregation whose lives are corrupted and don’t want to change because the Lord will scatter and annihilate them. They are the ones who make the Church becomes corrupted.

6. There is always someone or a group of people who get the grace of God to give birth to a new generation (v. 8).

Every time God wants to destroy a generation that is corrupted, there is a person or group of people who will receive the grace of God to give birth to a new generation. A generation who is righteous, a holy generation, which will not be polluted by this world. A generation who lives only to fulfill the Father’s will.

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen. 6:8).

“And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof” (Isaiah 6:12-13).

Those are the principles regarding the corruption of the earth and the church.

Also read: Principals of the Spirit of Cain.

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