For the majority of people comfortably familiar with the setting of churches some three decades ago, the present-day scene brings little cheer. Watered-down sermons, loud music, and teachings from sources other than the Living Word account for an unwelcome norm. It has gone way beyond this pathetic state in very recent times. The serious consequences of sin and the need for repentance have been shoved to the sidelines if not totally hurled out of the window. All under the banner of inclusiveness!
“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Herein lies the heart of the matter – God has been progressively pushed out of these churches. Order has followed suit; a peaceful place of praise and worship has become a hotbed of much strife. It only gets much worse when sin is tolerated and even celebrated. There are some who enjoy this sort of revelry, but there would be quite a number who are upset by such practices. Dissension amidst strife permeates the otherwise tranquil landscape. Such a scenario only welcomes the malevolent forces of darkness – they will have more than a field day. It only takes a short while for this heinous rearrangement to cause a once Godly institution to be totally unrecognizable!
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The old things that have passed away have to do with the fallen nature – sin should be permanently out of the picture. The individual that has accepted Christ as his or her Lord and Savior has taken on a brand-new look. There is no turning back to the old mannerisms, only joyous acceptance and adherence to the full Counsel of God.
The call of an inclusive church is yet another vile practice from the pit of hell. These folks are not coming to Christ to be cleansed of all their unrighteousness. They are blatantly telling the Lord to accept their sinful state and perhaps pat them on the back for staying that way.
Never before has the Christian scene seen such a wicked form of repudiation where the grace and mercy of the Lord is concerned. It is literally an instance of spitting on His goodness and loving-kindness. Inclusiveness translates into a demand that sinful practices be accepted.
Such a demand has little opposition from the majority of mainstream pulpits. There is a wholehearted nod of approval from clergymen more interested in the coffers of their workplace. So we have it; cohabitating couples involved in adultery, if not fornication – everything under the LGBT classification in tow! They are more than welcome. They now become part of a big family. Question is, where is this big family going to spend eternity?
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
All smiles when the governing bodies consider sinful practices to be acceptable. But these are earthly institutions calling the shots. Not God! He certainly did not say yes. He certainly did not let them off the hook. On the contrary, He has taken all this into account so long as there is no repentance.
Of late, the absurdity connected with being inclusive has gone as far as blasphemy. There is talk of a non-binary and gender-neutral Creator. There is a diabolical move to do away with masculine references to the Almighty God!
When the pulpits are so engrossed with debates about issues that have no bearing on the spiritual well-being of those on the pews, it is plain daylight robbery!
Many souls are not presented with the genuine Good News when talk about salvation is swept aside. There is only confusion amidst a flurry of false doctrines. At the end of the day, a lot of pew warmers become impotent where coming to terms with the challenges of the times matter. This wrong focus, which places undue emphasis on false teachings out of nowhere, only draws them ever closer to the gates of hell!
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
I will say this loudly and clearly. There are high-sounding individuals waving their man-made credentials; are these folks above the Heavenly Father?
No way, because the common factor that makes them all the same is their fallen nature. They are doing the bidding for the minions of the evil one while in the midst of inflating their egos. The eternal destiny of their listeners is really of little significance to them.
“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9).
Being accursed sounds very much like a serious indictment. The reason for this is easy to understand. Those who peddle untruths do irreparable damage to the spiritual well-being of a myriad of pew sitters – they are also denying many souls a place in the Kingdom of God!
Yours in Christ
Edwin
Contact me at edwinuk13@gmail.com