Israel’s continued failure to learn God’s oft-repeated lessons cost her dearly. Each time He tested her, endured her whining, supplied her needs then retested her she would come down with an acute case of the Egypt Syndrome–she could only remember the “good” things about her years of enslavement–food and drink. With each test the terrible hardships she had suffered seemed to flee from her collective mind. Her modern counterpart commits the same sin, though in a different manner. When tested by God, the Institutional Church remembers the “good” things about church affiliation–acceptance and fellowship–and therefore fails the test. So, one may ask, how does God test the church today? How does she reject the direction He wants her to go? What is the outcome of the failed tests? Let us look at today’s religious situation for answers to the questions.

Since the establishment of the Church of God on the Day of Pentecost, 31 A.D billions of church people have been tested by the Lord. The vast majority (approx. 99.99%) have done what their religious ancestors did–they fail the test due to having the Egypt Syndrome. The testing-remembering-failing system follows this pattern:

At some point(s) in time everyone who claims to belong to the Biblical God is exposed to His Truth in its pure form. This usually happens by “accident” in that church leaders go to great lengths to insulate parishioners from those Scriptures that condemn their religion. However, God, not being a respecter of persons, arranges for all believers to be exposed to His Truth at various times during their lives. It is at that point that the believer is forced to make an important decision–whether to turn from the familiar, comfortable path offered by the church, or to abandon it and go with God, knowing that if he chooses to follow the Lord he will be ostracized and rejected by his former churchmates, family, friends, etc. However, if he remains in Egypt life will continue to be smooth and relatively free of problems relative to religion. The decision is a very hard one for most people. In Egypt there is acceptance by family, friends and churchmates. The pull to remain therein is overwhelming for most people. For the vast majority the choice to remain in Egypt is easy and the decision is made quickly.

Now let us consider the minutely few who decide to count the cost, put their hand to the plow and follow the Lord. Is the fix in for them? Is salvation guaranteed? No. Unfortunately, in some cases they, like their Israelite ancestors who had escaped enslavement but yearned to return, they find the Lord’s way of persecution and rejection too difficult and therefore lose the will to continue. Instead of girding their loins and fighting through the hardships, they choose to return to Egypt–the Counterfeit Church system. These well-meaning souls put their hands to the plow then lose their grip as the ground becomes harder and harder to plow. Like Lot’s wife, they “look back” and, like her, pay a terrible price. Only a few, God tells us, will enter His kingdom. Those who do enter will have counted the cost, taken hold of the plow and maintained their grip even when the ground becomes like concrete. They will have endured to the end with their righteousness intact. Forsaking all others–often those most precious to them–they will have clung to their “Husband”–the Lord Jesus Christ–in spite of church opposition. As did the five wise virgins, they will have maintained their lamps and will be ready when the call comes to join Him at the wedding feast. There they will sit down at the table and be served by Him. Though the journey will have been arduous, the rewards will make the trek most worthwhile. L.J.