More and more, I’ve noticed a tendency of Christians to try to blend into the world’s society. They are looking for ways to appeal to other people. They think that by changing their message or how it is presented will accomplish this.
It may bring more individuals to your church but, in the meantime, you will have strayed from the message that God has given to Christians to spread to the rest of the world. Your church may become more successful and you may be more popular, but at what cost?
This is something that more and more churches are doing as well. I’ve noticed it in my own church, which purports to preach a conservative theology while maintaining liberal love. To be honest, I don’t even understand that statement, but it is what the senior pastor has stated.
However, he is moving ever so slowly into a gray zone where what he is preaching is wrapped around what society calls social justice. As a pastor, he should know that the only true justice is from God.
We are to love one another and be kind to each other. What we are never supposed to do is to alter the words of God. We are never to interpret them to mean something more popular or to mean less than it actually says.
God’s world is eternal and it is the only real truth. He is the one to judge us. He has given us rules for society to live by and has given us the ability to mete earthly justice according to those rules. Adding more is to try to make his words less.
Who are we to do this to God?
He is watching and he knows what we do. He knows what we are thinking. He knows what is right and what is merely done for show.
None of us is immune to his judgement and each of us should be ready to face him. We are all filthy in his sight and we are guilty.
Christians who alter his words are treading a fine line. They say that they know Jesus and that they are following him. If they stray from the words and meanings of the Bible, it shows that they never really knew him at all.
The sad thing for those individuals is that they think something that is not true. They will face his judgement and he will tell them, “I never knew you.”
That doesn’t sound horrible, but it is the worst thing a so-called Christian can face. It means that you never truly accepted his gift of salvation and that you never followed in his footsteps.
Just calling yourself a Christian is not enough. Thinking that you grew up in a Christian home or a Christian society, is not enough.
You have to know Jesus, you have to have accepted him, you have to ask him into your heart and you need to learn to follow the example he has provided.
Turning away and, even worse, leading others astray is something that God condemns. It won’t matter on Judgement Day, if you try to say you knew Jesus. Even Satan and all his demons know Jesus as well.
If you believe that you are a Christian or that your church teaches correct theology, measure against the Bible and not against what society says is true. You can only serve one master, God or Satan. If you are not serving God, then you are following Satan and doing his bidding.
Think about that for a minute. No matter what good you think you are doing, it will only be used to serve your master. Goodness isn’t in the sight of the world, it is in the sight of God.
All your efforts will ultimately be futile. Look first at yourself and get right with God. Then you can look outwardly to help others.
If you are walking towards destruction, those that follow you will also be destroyed. If you are walking towards heaven, you can tells others about it and set them on path to meet God. He is the only one who can provide salvation through his son, Jesus.
That is the truth and justice we should tell others about.
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’