APPENDIX B
The Bible Basis for Corporate Repentance
VIII. JESUS CALLS LEADERSHIP OF LAODICEAN CHURCH
TO REPENTANCE
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"Angel"
of the church = leadership (Revelation 3:14; 1:20; AA 586; GW 13).
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Why?
Failure to recognize sin of others as our sin, that but for the
grace of Christ, our true guilt is that of the world itself.
Therefore their sin is our sin corporately (Romans 3:19, 23, NEB;
Revelation 3:16, 17).
-
Parallel
failure: to appreciate dimensions of "the righteousness of
One" that reverses the corporate "condemnation"
which came "upon all men" in Adam.
-
The
article ho in Greek = "you [of all the seven in
history] are the one wretched ...
-
Laodicean
pride is failure to appreciate total need of Christ’s
righteousness, the corporate nature of the justification
effected by His sacrifice.
-
Therefore,
sincerely unable to feel hunger and thirst for clearer
understanding of the gospel of righteousness by faith.
Laodicean pride: "We ‘have need of nothing;’ we have
received the message for a hundred years."
-
Because
Jesus knew corporate repentance personally, He had key to unlock
hearts. John 4:5-42, as one example.
-
Christ’s
call to Laodicea is for His people to have same experience He
had (7BC 960).
-
The
"Roundup" for legalism: it kills it at the root.
-
Two
outstanding examples of corporate guilt:
-
Crucifixion
of Christ (Acts 2:23, 36; 3:13-15; 4:10; Zechariah l2:lO; TM 38;
DA 745).
-
Realization
of corporate guilt made outpouring of Spirit at Pentecost
possible.
-
When
Gentiles saw their corporate involvement (although not
personally present at Calvary), they likewise received same Holy
Spirit (Acts 10:39-47; SR 289).
-
"Our"
rejection "in a great degree"of loud cry and initial
"showers ... of latter rain," though we were not
present personally (1SM 234, 235; 1893 GCB p. 184).
-
Sins of
"fathers" always repeated by each succeeding
generation unless corporate, national repentance welcomed and
experienced (Acts 7:51, 52; Leviticus 26:40; Daniel 9:8).
-
Adequate
understanding of and repentance for Calvary is an experience yet
future (Zechariah 12:10-13:1; RH Feb. 4, 1902).
-
Over
100 times Ellen White describes "our" 1888 rejection:
"just like the Jews.
The
Fruits of Corporate and Denominational Repentance |