Modern Christianity is very different from the Christianity of the early Church and the Middle Ages. Modern Christianity has become a weak, pacified religion that is full of the fear of people, and scared of confronting people.
Instead of challenging and defying the world on its wicked evil ways, it seeks to conceal its righteous ways out of fear of what the unsaved think, and fails to speak what God says on their wicked ways in a plain and simple ways. Rather, they seek to pander to their sympathies, trying to convince them of righteousness by appealing to moral arguments from the world itself. For example, it seeks to convince people that abortion is wrong because it "hurts" women, rather than because it is murder and a sin in the eyes of God. It seeks to convince people that homosexual marriage is wrong because it leaves children and women vulnerable, rather than because homosexuality itself is sin in the eyes of God.
The modern Church in the west calls sin anything but sin, minimising sin for what it is. To minimise or compromise with sin is itself to forsake the law. Proverbs 28:4 says: "They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them." You may say that the Church does not support sins like homosexuality, pornography or abortion. Keeping the Law of God is not simply about rejecting and not practicing sin. To keep the Law of God also requires one to disapprove of all sins, which means to hate sin practiced by anyone, rather than simply refrain from committing sin oneself.
Apostle Paul says that not only are those who commit the sins he mentioned in Romans 1:29-31 are guilty before God of such sins. He says those who approve of them are also equally guilty: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them (Romans 1:32).
Many in the modern Church are too focused on how to understand the Law of God in ways that do not come as so harsh or hard for them. For example, they are always trying to soften or twist what Jesus said money, what the Word says about not loving pleasure, or living for oneself. Yet, many of these very same people create their own rules which are not ordained by God, and push them onto people, as if their rules are the Laws of God itself.
Examples include the rules made up by many evangelicals in America that people must marry and have children, that people who are not married must work in ministry full-time, and not have other non-sinful pursuits (while married people can have other pursuits), that people must home-school their children, and that a pastor must never meet up with a woman alone, even in a public place. Such rules are not found in the Bible, and following such rules as rules do not make people holy.
As a result of such false legalistic teaching impose by many evangelicals on people, they have produced sons and daughters that are twice the sons and daughters of Hell as they are, who think they are holy because they follow certain man-made rules, but are not. The problem with the modern Church in the west is not that people do not have rules or are scared to follow rules. Rather, it is that they lack of fear of God, when they should fear God, and are full of the fear of people, when they should not fear people at all.
The Word of God never tells us to fear any other human being, including those in authority over us. Never! While God vests authority in certain people over certain other people, such as a father over his children, a husband over his wife, employer over employee, or governing authorities over the governed, and they must be respected as such, such authority figures only derive their authority from God. They do not derive it from themselves, such that they ultimately have the final say over everything one does.
Some God-ordained authorities can be wicked, and so, must you listen to such an authority when he imposes something wicked? No, my friend. As Apostle Peter said to authorities to questioned why they were preaching Jesus Christ, "we ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:27-29):
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
This example clearly shows that it is God's commands that are always ultimate above all other human authorities. For who are mere human beings to overthrow the authority of God, or to dictate the Laws of God? Human authorities are themselves subject to the Law of God, for the purpose of giving them authority is to ensure that those they exercise authority over act righteously in the eyes of the Lord.
If even human authorities are subject to the Law of God, and that God must be obeyed rather than such authorities, how much more should we not fear mere human beings, particularly those who are evil? For they have no right to dictate the Law of God, and despised by God in all their ways, "But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?" (Psalm 50:16).
The irony of many professing Christians is that as they do not fear God and submit to Jesus in all things, they submit to the world, and its ways, fearing to offend or be scored by it. "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:15) because fearing people will lead one to forsake the Law of God, including by approving the sins of others, which is itself sin. Sin lead to destruction. When one fears God, however, one will always be safe, as God is the only One that any person should fear.
The Word of God never tells us to fear anyone other than God. It never tells us to fear the government, a pastor, employer, parent or husband. It only ever explicitly commands people to fear God with reverent fear, for reverence is due only to God and God alone. So, why should we followers of Christ fear anyone else who is not a God-ordained authority, and what they think?
The first reason why so many in the modern Church have a fear of people is that they do not fear God. They seek the approval of others owing to this fear. The second reason is that they think that loving people is to give them what they want, or speak what they want to hear to assure them that they are right, good or justified. Confronting people, even gently, is beyond question.
Causing others to feel uncomfortable because of one contending for that which is right is deemed to be even more wrong, because right or wrong in how one treats people is determined by whether one makes them feel comfortable or uncomfortable. As long as one makes someone uncomfortable, one has committed some kind of sin, in the minds of many in the modern Church.
It is this very erroneous mindset itself that has pacified the Church. It is a mindset based on misconceptions of what love, and holiness are and are not.
The modern Church needs to be free from the false mindset that love is to speak nice words to people, or be concerned about making people uncomfortable when dealing with sin, or confronting evil.
Love is not weak, submissive, quiet, nor holds back on righteous anger. No, love is strong, bold, loud when it has to be, and unleashes righteous anger in righteous ways. Love is militant in fighting for righteousness, and fighting all manner of evil. Love tolerates no evil, nor anything that hinders it from defying, and fighting evil. Love ruthlessly condemns and contends with all manner of wickedness. Love does not fear fighting against evil and wickedness because it loves only good and righteousness.
Christianity is not a pacificist religion. It is a religion that uncompromisingly defies the wicked ways of the world, as well as boldly, actively, aggressively and ruthlessly contends with the wicked. For that is the heart of love, and what it means to truly love God and be united with God.
Instead of challenging and defying the world on its wicked evil ways, it seeks to conceal its righteous ways out of fear of what the unsaved think, and fails to speak what God says on their wicked ways in a plain and simple ways. Rather, they seek to pander to their sympathies, trying to convince them of righteousness by appealing to moral arguments from the world itself. For example, it seeks to convince people that abortion is wrong because it "hurts" women, rather than because it is murder and a sin in the eyes of God. It seeks to convince people that homosexual marriage is wrong because it leaves children and women vulnerable, rather than because homosexuality itself is sin in the eyes of God.
The modern Church in the west calls sin anything but sin, minimising sin for what it is. To minimise or compromise with sin is itself to forsake the law. Proverbs 28:4 says: "They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them." You may say that the Church does not support sins like homosexuality, pornography or abortion. Keeping the Law of God is not simply about rejecting and not practicing sin. To keep the Law of God also requires one to disapprove of all sins, which means to hate sin practiced by anyone, rather than simply refrain from committing sin oneself.
Apostle Paul says that not only are those who commit the sins he mentioned in Romans 1:29-31 are guilty before God of such sins. He says those who approve of them are also equally guilty: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them (Romans 1:32).
Many in the modern Church are too focused on how to understand the Law of God in ways that do not come as so harsh or hard for them. For example, they are always trying to soften or twist what Jesus said money, what the Word says about not loving pleasure, or living for oneself. Yet, many of these very same people create their own rules which are not ordained by God, and push them onto people, as if their rules are the Laws of God itself.
Examples include the rules made up by many evangelicals in America that people must marry and have children, that people who are not married must work in ministry full-time, and not have other non-sinful pursuits (while married people can have other pursuits), that people must home-school their children, and that a pastor must never meet up with a woman alone, even in a public place. Such rules are not found in the Bible, and following such rules as rules do not make people holy.
As a result of such false legalistic teaching impose by many evangelicals on people, they have produced sons and daughters that are twice the sons and daughters of Hell as they are, who think they are holy because they follow certain man-made rules, but are not. The problem with the modern Church in the west is not that people do not have rules or are scared to follow rules. Rather, it is that they lack of fear of God, when they should fear God, and are full of the fear of people, when they should not fear people at all.
The Word of God never tells us to fear any other human being, including those in authority over us. Never! While God vests authority in certain people over certain other people, such as a father over his children, a husband over his wife, employer over employee, or governing authorities over the governed, and they must be respected as such, such authority figures only derive their authority from God. They do not derive it from themselves, such that they ultimately have the final say over everything one does.
Some God-ordained authorities can be wicked, and so, must you listen to such an authority when he imposes something wicked? No, my friend. As Apostle Peter said to authorities to questioned why they were preaching Jesus Christ, "we ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:27-29):
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
This example clearly shows that it is God's commands that are always ultimate above all other human authorities. For who are mere human beings to overthrow the authority of God, or to dictate the Laws of God? Human authorities are themselves subject to the Law of God, for the purpose of giving them authority is to ensure that those they exercise authority over act righteously in the eyes of the Lord.
If even human authorities are subject to the Law of God, and that God must be obeyed rather than such authorities, how much more should we not fear mere human beings, particularly those who are evil? For they have no right to dictate the Law of God, and despised by God in all their ways, "But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?" (Psalm 50:16).
The irony of many professing Christians is that as they do not fear God and submit to Jesus in all things, they submit to the world, and its ways, fearing to offend or be scored by it. "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:15) because fearing people will lead one to forsake the Law of God, including by approving the sins of others, which is itself sin. Sin lead to destruction. When one fears God, however, one will always be safe, as God is the only One that any person should fear.
The Word of God never tells us to fear anyone other than God. It never tells us to fear the government, a pastor, employer, parent or husband. It only ever explicitly commands people to fear God with reverent fear, for reverence is due only to God and God alone. So, why should we followers of Christ fear anyone else who is not a God-ordained authority, and what they think?
The first reason why so many in the modern Church have a fear of people is that they do not fear God. They seek the approval of others owing to this fear. The second reason is that they think that loving people is to give them what they want, or speak what they want to hear to assure them that they are right, good or justified. Confronting people, even gently, is beyond question.
Causing others to feel uncomfortable because of one contending for that which is right is deemed to be even more wrong, because right or wrong in how one treats people is determined by whether one makes them feel comfortable or uncomfortable. As long as one makes someone uncomfortable, one has committed some kind of sin, in the minds of many in the modern Church.
It is this very erroneous mindset itself that has pacified the Church. It is a mindset based on misconceptions of what love, and holiness are and are not.
The modern Church needs to be free from the false mindset that love is to speak nice words to people, or be concerned about making people uncomfortable when dealing with sin, or confronting evil.
Love is not weak, submissive, quiet, nor holds back on righteous anger. No, love is strong, bold, loud when it has to be, and unleashes righteous anger in righteous ways. Love is militant in fighting for righteousness, and fighting all manner of evil. Love tolerates no evil, nor anything that hinders it from defying, and fighting evil. Love ruthlessly condemns and contends with all manner of wickedness. Love does not fear fighting against evil and wickedness because it loves only good and righteousness.
Christianity is not a pacificist religion. It is a religion that uncompromisingly defies the wicked ways of the world, as well as boldly, actively, aggressively and ruthlessly contends with the wicked. For that is the heart of love, and what it means to truly love God and be united with God.
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