The church today is in a place of being shaken so that only that which is of God remains. Heb. 12:25-29 The obvious question is, how do many no longer remain? Do they become bitter and hard and thus leave due to unrealized prayers that are more in keeping with their desires than the will of God? Do they fall into disbelief, skepticism and doubt resulting in atheism? Are they led away by weird and strange teachings? Do some get caught in deception and follow after a lie? The answer is all the above and more not mentioned. 2Thess. 2:3 speaks of falling away. The apostasy of believers is occurring today in our time as the emphasis of self becomes more prevalent to reach the lost.
To move away from the cross to messages of self gratification or societal causes is leading many through a door that is wide for destruction. The narrow door of the gospel of Jesus Christ requires a life served for Him, our all. The focus of individualism rather than picking up the cross daily as we pursue Jesus is producing a people that do not know Him. Sadly they will be told to depart from Him because He never knew them.
In a perverse way man is saying, let us make God into our concept, vision and image” Truth is becoming relative and all encompassing in a vain attempt of appeasing and fearing man rather than God. Society is afraid of absolutes today. The fear of offending man is growing into a perverted tolerance of sin. Christians are exposing themselves to strange and twisted beliefs compromising their Christian walk, all in an effort to befriend or influence. There are those of the world whose position is, don’t try to change me, just love me where I am” but it is asking Christians to accept them in their sin rather than proclaiming a gospel of repentance and change. Those who do not participate in the religion of tolerance are condemned as unloving and judgmental.
The needs never justify the means, we are not commanded to meet needs or issue involvement as a substitute for the gospel. Yet so many become entangled in causes to change a world that only God can change with an act instituted only by Him. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation, it is not the wisdom and craftiness of mens words.
Unity that the world represents is now taking root in the church. Beliefs such as responsibility for the planet, uniting faiths, world citizenship, social justice and equality, good intentions not absolutes, values and truth is immoral to force upon another, right and wrong are subjective, offending another is wrong, environmental stewardship and many others.
How is it that all these issues are viewed differently by many Christians? Could it be some are led by the spirit and others by the visible or spoken need, the natural? That which is spiritual is spiritually appraised and the natural man cannot understand it. The hearts of those who walk by the spirit are judge as unloving since it is not visibly evident why an action to meet a need or involvement in issues is not acted upon. For them it is spiritually discerned. Those who walk according to that which is a natural action are confused by the inaction of those who sense not to act because of an unseen reason when the obvious need or issue is visible. Because for some the need is the determining factor any inaction is perceived as unloving, intolerant and uncaring.
We look to peoples actions or goodness to make decisions, their demeanor or accomplishments and draw conclusions. Good verses bad, applying the law. Not aware we make assumptions based in the natural and not the spirit.
Yet scripture tells us to discern spiritually. Sadly many Christians today walk in the knowledge of good and evil rather than through practice have their senses trained to “discern” an issue or need.
A call to unity around a need or issue is a false man-made unity based on compromise of the truth and superficial relationships. Only by holding fast to the Head, Jesus Christ and continuing in His word being led by the spirit will we avoid needless involvement with those not of the faith.
Michael
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