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Editor:
Recently, many citizens [of Carroll County MD] expressed outrage
over a local video store selling and renting pornographic material. This newspaper [Carroll County
Times] ran a Sunday front-page article entitled “Debate Over Decency”
describing how one church dealt with the manner. In my [former] church, however,
not even a whisper was heard from the pulpit. I wonder how many area churches have spoken out about
this?
Our churches have many important functions, but its primary
role remains unchanged since Christ issued His Great Commission: to
faithfully present the Gospel in all the world. If each of our churches would decide, “We’re going to
be absolutely faithful to the Bible; we’re going to preach the whole
counsel of God; we’re going to proclaim the Gospel of grace; we’re also
going to proclaim the fact of judgment and hell, even as the Bible
presents it,” then we would find our churches really making a tremendous
impact in our neighborhoods.
Sadly, this is not happening in many of our churches
today. I did not hear my
[former] church speak out against abortion, homosexuality or
pornography. It would not
even acknowledge that homosexuality is a sin. Too many churches today seem more intent on being
politically correct than biblically correct. They do not present the whole counsel of God, but only
those verses that are nice, that make its members feel good, that win
friends and influence people.
There is an increasing unwillingness to present those passages
that speak about judgment.
There is even a hesitation by some pastors to acknowledge the
biblical reality of hell and the preeminent role of Christ as mankind’s
only sin-bearer.
Too frequently, they do not believe that the Bible is the
divine Word – they simply believe the Bible contains some of the divine
Word.
When a church is not faithful to God’s Word, it has no
power; consequently, God does not bless His Word and the church is very
ineffective, not only in its own congregation but also in the city it
serves. I believe this is
what is happening in our communities. Our churches are no longer being as faithful as they
might in honoring God’s Word.
Is it any wonder then why they are not realizing their full
potential of restoring our cities and nation? The world will only be healed if it is given the cure
it desperately needs – and in a world dying of sin, what it needs more
than anything else is the true Gospel.
God is faithful and He will honor His Word. When our churches likewise are
faithful to the Gospel, it’s not just a horizontal activity where the pastors
are proclaiming the Gospel to groups of believers. There is also a vertical dynamic
to those churches, where God uses those churches in a much more powerful
way than what appears on the surface. God Himself will bless His Gospel.
This is where the changes occur.
I look forward to a day when our neighborhoods will be free
from businesses that cater to man’s lustful desires. However, in order for this to
happen, our hearts must be transformed. What is impossible for us is not impossible for God. He will work within His remaining
faithful churches and through their faithful pastors and congregations to
accomplish this miracle. May
God grant each of us the privilege of joyously serving in such a faithful
church!
Jeff Watkins
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