As I considered what was about to take place in the world, I saw the image of someone pulling back the cover on what had been concealed. As they pulled back the cover, what was revealed was not just something hidden on the surface. It revealed a deep stairway descending into a very dark place.

What will be revealed was not imagined by those who were called to initiate the first tug on the covering. It went much deeper. To rightly discern what is hidden in the world, one must first see and understand what has been within the Church.

Redemption for the world only happens after redemption has happened first in the Church. The redemption of a culture follows that order of revelation. The Lord does this so that the Church will live in purity as an example of what the Lord can do when we become His healed healers, offering redemption to those who have fallen victim to hell’s deceptive practices and live in secrecy with their sin.

Peter wrote, “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (I Peter 4:17).

The Lord is on a mission to change dark outcomes. Exposure is a necessary part of His redemptive plan. His plan can only happen if the Church understands His plan and lives as examples of His redeeming power.

Some who have descended deeper on the steps of a dark and hidden staircase will cry out for help when the light of God illuminates them in their place of hiding.

The judgment of God has a purpose – to redeem, not destroy. Our answer to those who cry out for help in that dark and exposed place will reveal the condition of our hearts by our response to their plea. It will reveal who the Lord will be able to use in the redeeming process of the Great Commission.