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A Worthy Education

Teaching the Teacher

Is Evangelicalism Losing Its Soul?

A serious growing trend is happening today within the Evangelical Church.  Under the guise of correcting perceived “wrongs”, far too many leaders in the Church today are calling for repentance, changes, and re-alignments with theology and practices that are little more than 1960s Liberation Theology re-warmed.

We are seeing the Christian feminists demanding greater access to the “old boys club” (at least that’s how they perceive it) of denominational leadership.

We are seeing whole conferences devoted to racial reconciliation and even some form of “spiritual reparations.”

We are seeing hand-wringing over the need to reach out further and become more “woke” (read – relevant) to Millennials in order to get them to want to come to church.

And, more examples could be given.

But, the point is – the Church today is becoming far more fractious that it has been in decades because of these “self-improvement” efforts.

As someone who lived through this similar period in the main line Protestant Church in the 1960s and 70s, it is strikingly similar.  As Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

The results in the main line Church from these disparate groups demanding “equal” (read – privileged) status were a further slide from orthodoxy in theology and a church structure and function that became a lame attempt at being social welfare agencies.

The main line Church is theologically ridiculous today.  It has also hemorrhaged members by the millions since then.  Political correctness has all but destroyed the Gospel message and the rumble of feet leaving the church buildings has been deafening.

So, what is happening in the modern Evangelical Church?  Perhaps Paul’s warning in Romans 12:2 is no longer being heeded.  The Church is being conformed to the world instead of being transformed by minds that are renewed by the Holy Spirit.

Every group with perceived grievances is now coming forward to attack a basically weak, compromised leadership. Power abhors a vacuum and we are seeing those more than willing to fill it.

Whether it is the feminists demanding to become denominational heads; whether it is minority advocates demanding national days of repentance for past sins; and whether it is non-experienced Millennial spokesmen demanding the Church soften positions on traditional marriage, transgender psychosis, and irrational crushes on socialism, all of these groups want a bigger piece of the pie and bigger seats at the table.

Tragically, the end result will be no different than it was in the 60s and 70s – the Evangelical Church will lose its “salt” and “light” and simply become another trendy hashtag movement with no real transformative power.

Let’s be blunt here.  The Bible only talks about two “groups” as far as humanity goes.

The first group is “All.”  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)  That’s right, all people, regardless of background, family, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic stature, or education, are “All” fallen, sinful beings in need of a Savior.

There is no such thing as “group privilege” that excuses anyone from this fallen designation.  Everyone is accountable for their own personal behavior before a Holy God.

This first comprehensive designation destroys all of the “aggrieved group“ arguments of those advocating for special relief and special privileges based on group identity.

The second group is “Whosoever.”  “Whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)  This truth also states that all people, regardless of background, family, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic stature, or education, can indeed find salvation from fallen, sinful natures via faith in the world’s only Savior – Jesus Christ.

Once again, there is no group designation of privilege here.  Every individual human who wants to be saved by Jesus is welcome to come and receive His forgiveness and eternal life.

God is not a respecter of persons or of groups when it comes to salvation.  Jesus made that very clear in John 14:6.  He is THE only way to God.  Anyone who wants His salvation is welcome to it if they repent and believe.

I once heard an old preacher say one time, “God has no grandchildren.”  That is absolutely true.  Salvation is graciously given to anyone who wants it.  But, it will not be given on behalf of anyone else or be based on the external circumstances of the sinner.

What it comes down to today is that far too many in the Evangelical Church have departed from this simple Gospel message.  This Marxist-inspired tribalism that seeks to divide us into sub-groups within the Church, all clamoring for power and attention, is nothing short of a plot from Satan to keep us weak and ineffective.

We have mega churches today with high tech production values, yet we are losing our culture to atheistic, perverse, death-loving, narcissists.  We have federal judges who are making laws from the bench that defy reality and create more and more cultural confusion.

We have prosperity preachers praying for $45 million dollar jets and, at the same time, have young, scared single mothers leaving their babies in garbage dumpsters and in forests; if they don’t just abort them.

It is high time the Church abandon its insecurities of past perceived slights and get back to focusing on what the Lord has already commanded us to be – Jesus’ voice, hands, and feet in the world.

It is only God’s Word that should dictate our faith, not some sociological constructs created by 60s radicals in liberal universities.

Our children are being radicalized by the perverse in schools.  Those in power flaunt their abuse of women by promising to abort their babies for free.  An ever-growing government is continuing to shrink our basic, God-given freedoms.  And, the “tolerance police” are destroying lives and businesses by the scores in their less than subtle tyranny efforts.

So, how do we recover our place in society as the voice of conscience, morality, and forgiveness?  We crucify our “group flesh” and focus on the Lordship of Jesus first and foremost.  We preach His simple, Biblical Gospel for all to hear.

We return to the Biblical (and scientific) truth that we are all basically the same humanity.  (There is only one human species.)  Yes, we have cultural, ethnic, and worship differences (even some theological ones, as well), but we all fit into one of the two aforementioned “groups.” 

We are either in the “All” lost category.  Or, we are in the “Whosoever” category – belonging to Jesus as one of God’s children.

Demanding anything beyond that is selfish and sinful!