Out
of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. -Psalm 50:2
We don’t have to look very far in our day to find
criticisms of the church. We need go no
further than our local Christian bookstore to read about all the ways the
church is “getting it wrong.” If we
aren’t feeling ambitious enough to go to the bookstore we can find this
attitude perpetrated on thousands of web sites.
If you type the question, “What’s wrong with the church today?” into
Google you will find 76,500,000 hits. A
lot of the criticism deals with the idea that we are too “narrow” when it comes
to doctrine, and that the church today is “judgmental” and “legalistic.” Everywhere we go we are told that doctrine
doesn’t matter anymore and we need to change course and focus entirely on the
mission of getting people to make a profession of faith, even at the expense of
compromising the Word of God. We call
that being “missional.” Is it possible
that in spite of all the criticism, maybe the church isn’t so wrong on some of
these things? I understand that there
are certainly issues in every congregation that need to be addressed, but as I
consider some of the things we claim to be wrong I find that I don’t think they
are all entirely bad. In fact, I have to
confess that I am grateful for some of them.
1) The Issue of Narrow Mindedness. We have all struggled with those who will not
open their mind to the truth God has to reveal to them, and I understand that
this is a problem. But some people in
our day seem to want us to be so open-minded that we will accept things that we
know to be wrong. We are expected to
ignore what the Bible says about divorce and holiness. We are considered narrow-minded if we make
the claim that God has called us to live above sin. I am thankful that there are some who are
willing to be true to God’s Word in spite of the unfounded accusations against
them. Some of the greatest influences on
my life and ministry are those who have been willing to stand firm in the truth
whether it’s popular or not, and for those faithful men and women I am
grateful.
2) The Issue of Legalism. Scripture teaches us that we are called to be
holy, but as he who called you is holy,
you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy,
for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16, 17).”
Don’t mistake this, I’m not condoning that we become tyrannical about
the way people dress or look. I don’t
believe that those things make us holy, but I do find a standard in Scripture
for God’s people. There are some things
that Christians just should not do. And
there are some things in Scripture that are very clear and should not be
compromised. This postmodern idea that
truth is different for everyone and each person should use the Bible as they
see fit has no basis in the revelation of God that we have in Scripture. Countless thousands are misled today by those
who teach that we can live however we want to live as long as we claim to be a
Christian. We have lost the glory of God
that comes through the transformed lives of those who are truly saved. I am grateful for those who will uphold and
teach the standard set for in Scripture of Christlikeness.
3) The Issue of Judgmentalism. I’m not saying that we are free to tell
everyone we meet everything they’re doing wrong. I am saying that I am grateful for those who
are close to me, and their willingness to tell me when I am off base. I am grateful that they will tell me when I
am not thinking clearly and can do so without fear of me telling them they are
“judging me.” We claim we want to be
submissive to God, but the fact is that, at times, we deceive ourselves and are
blinded to things in our lives that need to be pointed out.
4) The Issue of Truth. Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange
teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by
foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them (Hebrews 13:8, 9). We are told that everyone has a different
doctrine, so it is not worth our time to study it. In a world that does not recognize definite
truth I am thankful for direction and guidance from God’s Word. We do not have to stumble around in the
darkness trying to find direction. God
has called us to a life lived in His light!
This keeps us from being subject to the constantly changing whims of
man, the trends of the world, and the fads embraced by the church. It is truth, Jesus told us, that will set us free! When other search for some foundation in this
sin-cursed world, we build on the truth of Jesus Christ. What greater gift could God have given us
than Jesus, the embodiment of His truth and character? I do not claim to know every truth in all the
world, but we can stand firm on what God has revealed to us. It is unchanging, uncompromising, and
definite. I am thankful that we can sing
as we did in days past, “When the voice of heaven sounded warning all to flee,
from the darksome courts of Babel back to Zion free, Glad my heart to hear the
message and I hastened to obey, and I’m standing in the truth today.”
The
world around us teaches that the church is irrelevant to our modern culture,
and if God’s church is to survive “everything must change.” Despite the constant rhetoric, some of these
things are not wrong. In spite of the
difficulties we face today, the church is still God’s city. The church remains a place where God provides
for, and empowers His people. We talk a
lot about the things that aren’t going well in the church, but I remain
grateful. Grateful for the people God
has placed around me to share this journey of faith. Grateful for the truth of His Word and those
who have made it their life’s work to carry that truth, clergy and laity
alike. Maybe we would be better served
if we quit worrying so much about what we think is wrong, and spend our time
doing what God says is right. My
ministry has never been without trial.
There have been difficulties and frustrations, but as I reflect on the
church, I do so with a grateful heart.
Posts
Thank you Pastor Nick
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