We are fortunate to live in a country which retains the greater part of a legal system, morality and ethical code which has been developed over many centuries with great influence from the Church, maintaining a moral base-line independent of the political turmoil which has often shaken the land. Some of the statements coming from those in "authority" within the Church of England in recent years have been blatantly in opposition to Scripture and therefore have been rejected by many bible-believing Christians. If the church will not stand up for what it believes in, what will it stand for? And if those teachings of the church are dispensable, what of the others? It is small wonder that C of E congregations are dwindling. If she has stopped believing, why should those seeking God go to her to find Him?
David Elliott, a former Anglican minister in Reading, has left the church of England this week, accusing it of "...surrendering its birthright by craving the Zeitgeist" (Zeitgeist is a word of German origin which can be rendered "spirit of the age" and refers to the moral, social and political trends and fashions of the current time). While I fear he may have only swapped one set of unsatisfactory doctrinal standpoints for another by joining himself to the Roman Catholic Ordinariate, I believe he has put his finger on an issue which should be of great concern to the Church in the West today. Are many congregations from all denominations diminishing their witness by attempting to conform to the fashions and persuasions of the world? Do we dilute the fullness of the gospel message that's been given to us, so as not to offend and in the process we win men for a wholesome social club rather than for Christ? If we arrange our musicians and polish our performances as if for a concert, are we worshipping Christ or entertaining men? Are we, in whatever measure, craving the Zeitgeist? John wrote in his first epistle "Do not love the world, or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Or do we imagine that the word of God needs our editing and annotation to be acceptable? Take this thought from A.W. Tozer, here leaning on another, earlier preacher:
Here is the authoritative voice that needs no editing, no explaining; it only needs to be released. Charles H. Spurgeon, the preacher from London, was invited to come to the United States to give a series of ten lectures in defense of the Bible. He wired back, "I will not come. The Bible needs no defense." Turn it loose and, like a lion, it will defend itself. I believe that and I believe the Word of God needs no defense. We only need to preach it.
Not everyone who hears will receive it. Some will hate us and of those the Lord said "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." (John 15:18)
No comments:
Post a Comment