Thursday, August 4, 2011

Anemic Christianity of Laodicea

Most conservative Christians decry political correctness....except when it comes to issues related to the church. Then they get all touchy-feely and become just like their more liberal political counterparts. They love to throw around words like "tolerance" and "unity", which they only practice towards those who think just like they do or to the unsaved. But a fellow-believer who disagrees with their self-styled magnanimous approach to sin and error is treated with much less regard than to a hardened reprobate.
But, think about it. Many Christians---or those who claim to be--use versions of the Bible that are watered down and weak when it comes to sin, the deity of Christ, His blood, and cornerstone doctrines that deal with salvation, sanctification, redemption, and so forth.
In fact, even bringing up the Bible version debate can get you the evil eye....or, horrors of horrors, even "de-friended" on Facebook! This topic is a huge one, and I won't be going into it here, except to say, that even if I didn't know much about this issue, the fact that these new versions make changes that affect important doctrines such as Christ's deity and salvation, would be enough for me. But there is much more.....
My point is, that the new Bibles are politically correct....and are producing Christians who behave in this manner when it comes to difficult issues. They are helping to propagate the Laodicean mentality and attitude.  There is definitely a wishy-washy trend within Christianity today. If you read the sermons of the great preachers such as D.L. Moody, C.H. Spurgeon and others, you will find that Christians in another time were much hardier people spiritually. They could take hard preaching....and the churches were filled, souls were being saved, and Christians edified. I think they would be appalled to see what our churches have become today.
Christians mistakenly believe that Jesus was not offensive in his methods of ministry.  That He was all love and validation.  That somehow, He met their standards and criteria of what a Christian should be like.  Jesus, Who was a Jew, clashed with the religious leaders of His day.  He not only gave them severe tongue-lashings to their faces, but admonished His disciples not to be like them nor to employ their methods!  The idea that we should only talk sweetly to or about those who pervert G-d's Word and use G-d's flock to build their own followings and kingdoms, no matter how popular they are,  is in great contrast to how Jesus dealt with that very thing in His day.
Those of us who follow Jesus' example somehow fall outside the parameters of being among the privileged group who get to be treated with sweetness and light.  More like hateful sarcasm and taunting.
The Apostle Paul, who followed our L-rd Jesus Christ, was not shy about facing off with an unruly brother.  He was not hesitant to name names when it came to exposing heresy.  He had flocks to protect, and as an under-shepherd, protect them, he did!  He instructed Titus and Timothy to do the same.  Should we do less?