he Present Condition
he Present Condition
Anyone with a pulse is aware of problems in the evangelical church today. We see disunity, as evidenced by legions of contrasting confessions and denominations. We see immorality, as displayed in the downfall of prominent church members, their sins being shadows of the multitudes of sins which are manifest right at home, away from the public eye. We also see ineffectiveness, as displayed particularly in the political, scholarly, and artistic arenas where Christians are forced to surrender their biblical presuppositions in order to gain admittance. But once admitted, what little influence we gain is quickly compromised.
Background
Around the turn of the nineteenth century, many pious Christian men abandoned a biblical understanding of church, state, and family, and began to proclaim God as Lord over salvation and morality alone. They held that some areas of life were genuinely "secular," God being indifferent to them. By the turn of the twentieth century, obedience had finally been reduced to "a matter of the heart" and nothing more. "I meant well" became an admirable justification for sin, and "love" turned into a romantic sentiment.
By this time, the Lord had become less in their understanding than a Lord, even over salvation. Sinners who had once been urged to unconditionally surrender to a just, terrifying, and holy God were now taught that they held God at bay, a tame, congenial "God" who desperately sought the sinner's acceptance.
The outcome is a church filled with sinners who think that God submits to them. They obey God only when His commandments submit to their desires. Worship is God's offering to man for the purpose of man's pleasure, not the other way around. People attend the church which "meets their needs" rather than the one that encourages a humble confrontation with the Almighty.
We shouldn't be surprised that few people take Christians seriously any more.
Failure of Non-Biblical Solutions
Spending a little time in a typical Christian bookstore can be very instructive. I recommend you check one out, if you have the stomach for it. The latest books say that the Church is in a heap of trouble. We need unity, we need diversity, we need revival, we need livelier music, we need to be more charismatic, we need to be less charismatic, we need more doctrine, we need less doctrine, we need to know more about Israel, we need a twelve-step recovery program for adult nephews of codependent uncles, and we need to evangelize the unreached Latin ballroom scene with Christian marimba.
Often the proposed remedies are themselves causes of worse problems. Are we losing our children to rebellion? We give them self esteem and Christian rock so that their rebellion doesn't look as serious. Are husbands losing their marriages to divorce? We tell them to be "nice" to their wives so that their disastrous marriages remain under one roof. Are there hopeless sinners in the world? We tell them that they are so good that even Christ approves of them. Are there sex, drugs and evolution in the schools? We say that the government should do something about it.
Whatever happened to the Word of God?
Biblical Solutions
When Israel played the harlot, God demanded that she repent lest her nakedness be exposed for all to see. Because of the corporate nature of the Church, we all need to repent. When some evangelicals cohabitate with unbelieving "wisdom" by asking the secular magistrate to do something about morality in education and "family values," we all need to repent. When evangelicals prostitute themselves with foreign gods by teaching that sin is to be dealt with by boosting self-esteem and eradicating codependency, then we all need to repent. When evangelicals seek a consort in the world by preaching a message that lifts man up in his sin and declares him to be in charge of his salvation, then we all need to repent. Repentance is the first solution.
Secondly, the Church must faithfully carry out her most important duty: the proclamation of the Word of God in its entirety. While the Church of Jesus Christ must not assume jurisdiction over the household or the state, her calling is to proclaim what God commands of the husband and magistrate. When sin is in the land, the Church must speak out against it. Most importantly, the Church must proclaim the crown rights of Him who is sovereign over Church, State, and Household. He demands obedience and offers the Gospel as provision for sinful men who fall short of perfect obedience to Him. This Gospel must be central to the Church's proclamation.
Thirdly, the Church must worship her Lord in a manner that pleases Him. Music, prayer, and teaching whose purpose is to attract people is not worship. In true worship, the attributes of God are magnified, and His people respond in humility and contrition.
Lastly, the Church must proclaim and worship in unison. Disputes over doctrine and practice must be discussed and resolved. The unity of the saints is not to be understood as a province of the hereafter, but an urgent necessity here and now. Debates over soteriology, hermeneutics, baptism, church government, and eschatology should be carried on openly and charitably. And the Word of God must shine forth as the final adjudicator.
