God is love and the state of the modern church in America
I want to share with you my pain and agony. let me start with this quote, "They then reduce the gospel to the least common denominator, 'God is love,' in this way they banish from the moral discussion not only the natural law, but the divine (revealed) law as well" Reverend Langlais Ph.D. Speaking about postmodernist, Dr. Langlais holds that some Christians have become confused in their understanding of the relationship between the Law and the Gospel. Failing to distinguish between moral laws, and ethnic (ceremonial) laws within the bible. In Dr. Langlais' words, "As a result, they throw the moral baby out with the ceremonial bathwater." Dr. Langlais is speaking on moral relativism of the modern church. While those who abide by the law, such as observant Jews, are extreme, so to, those who take the words, "God is love" are extreme, throwing out moral absolutes and opening the church to things not before allowed. Below are four examples of the use of these three simple words, "God is love," taken from various denominations. We must ask ourselves, are we aiding in perpetuating a moral decline in our churches by throwing out the moral baby with the legalistic bathwater?
1) This is the Good News taught by Yeshua of Nazareth, Jesus the Christ. God is the Father, not just the Source of all that is, but the loving Source of all that is. Or as St. John even more succinctly put it, God is love There is the idea that God is love, but will also torment all who "do not accept Jesus" (itself a gross misunderstanding of the gospel) forever. The resulting image is not only monstrous, but an impossible contradiction
2) Does Salvation Mean "Knowing Jesus?" No. The teaching that Jesus is the only path to salvation, contradicts the teachings of Jesus himself. In the three earlier Synoptic gospels, Jesus never suggests "believing in him" is the criterion for salvation. In fact, Jesus warns that it is not those who call him "Lord," who will enter heaven, but those who live the Kingdom life of love! (Mt. 7.21)
3) There is NO burning hell of torture where billions of souls who "sinned too much" or "chose the wrong religion" will suffer forever. Contrary to what most Christians today believe, such a horrible idea was not taught by Jesus and is not found anywhere in the original Hebrew Old Testament or Greek New Testament. Yes, people do "reap what they sow" (Gal. 6:7). But Jesus Christ will "draw all people" to himself (Jn. 12:32) until "in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22). That's because "God is love"
4) Taken form a Universalist website: Are you searching for a faith that is based on the premise that in the end there will be no one left behind -- a faith that through this blessed hope can truly break down barriers and bring people together in a spirit of joy and "good tidings to all"? There is such a faith, and you have found it! It is called Christian Universalism. We are here to proclaim this Good News of the all-loving, all-saving God who was revealed through the grace-filled ministry of Jesus
It pains me greatly to see God used and abused in this fashion to further current postmodern cultural paradigms, not spiritual ones. In the 1920s, the U.S. began a sexual and cultural revolution. However, it was snubbed out because of the depression of the 1930s and followed by WWII. This same revolution picked up again in the 1960s and was this time successful. We switched from a nation of absolute morals, that is knowing what is right and what is wrong, to a nation of relative moral values. Sayings like, If it feels good, do it. God is dead. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Make love, not war. Drop acid not bombs and "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls" Joseph Campbell.
I have to always ask, what effect did the baby boomers love fest have on our churches? What effect has the me, me generation, generation X had on our churches? If we are a product of these past eras what pressures have we, and subsequently our children, put on the church to change the church to reflect not a biblical standing but our culture, our postmodern, moral relativistic culture? If we are less of a moral people even as Christians, then does it not stand to reason so too are our churches?
What do you now tolerate and accept in your church vs. that which was not tolerated 50 years ago or acceptable to see in a Church? What do you see today, look around. How did the era of free love effect us? Did we change God into a hippy God? A god of only love? How does this god of love compare and contrast to the god in the OT who killed thousands, got angry, ordered the death of women, children, and their animals? In the bible, you can find seven things God hates. Did he change or have we changed him?
Notwithstanding the bending the church to the ways of the world so as to be acceptable to the world, take in consideration the following survey results.
State of the Church
George Barna has released his extensive survey of the well being of the church. He has looked at 14 items across geography, gender, generations, and racial lines. In general here is some of his findings.
• Bible study outside of church has dropped by 5%. Of those who attend church about 40% study their bible outside of church.
• Church volunteerism has dropped to just an average of 19% of church goers volunteering.
• Adult Sunday school attendance has dropped to just 15% of church goers attending Sunday school.
• Church attendance has dropped by 9%.
• Unchurched has risen by the same amount.
• Belief that the bible is God's word has falling from 46% to 38% believing the bible is the word of God.
• Among women, attendance is down 16%, bible reading down 10%, attending Sunday school down 7%, and volunteerism, down 9%.
In other studies,
• 40% of pastors drink
• 54 % of Pastors admitted to viewing porn within the past year
• 50% of professed Christian men vied porn within the week prior to attending a promise keepers event.
• 50% of professed Christian men viewed porn at least once a week
Today we are seeing thousands of people who call themselves Christians jump onto the Unitarian Universalist bandwagon, the Universalist bandwagon, or the Emergent Church bandwagon and now thanks to some evangelical pastors, the Social Justice bandwagon (Socialist utopia). The last three are effecting and infecting the Evangelical church as well as other mainstream protestant churches. The main question is, have we moved too far in the opposite direction from a strict legalistic church to one that almost knows no bounds, has no rules, no moral values save one, love? And if so, has this move injured the church? Consider the survey results, it appears churched people are no different than unchurched people, still giving into the way of the world. People need boundaries, this is why the bible is full of them. We really must take in consideration how our worldly desires force us to reshape the bible and Gods words. If we don't, after 2000 years of Christendom, and thousands of years of Judaism, God may die in the hearts and minds of men.
God does give us the choice does he not. after all, he could have easily foregone planting the tree of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. He could have kept us from being burden by sin. Instead, he gave Adam and Eve free choice to screw up and they did. Likewise, we too have the free choice to screw up. To be a church of relativistic moral values or to be a church who knows, understands and teaches absolute moral values.
1) This is the Good News taught by Yeshua of Nazareth, Jesus the Christ. God is the Father, not just the Source of all that is, but the loving Source of all that is. Or as St. John even more succinctly put it, God is love There is the idea that God is love, but will also torment all who "do not accept Jesus" (itself a gross misunderstanding of the gospel) forever. The resulting image is not only monstrous, but an impossible contradiction
2) Does Salvation Mean "Knowing Jesus?" No. The teaching that Jesus is the only path to salvation, contradicts the teachings of Jesus himself. In the three earlier Synoptic gospels, Jesus never suggests "believing in him" is the criterion for salvation. In fact, Jesus warns that it is not those who call him "Lord," who will enter heaven, but those who live the Kingdom life of love! (Mt. 7.21)
3) There is NO burning hell of torture where billions of souls who "sinned too much" or "chose the wrong religion" will suffer forever. Contrary to what most Christians today believe, such a horrible idea was not taught by Jesus and is not found anywhere in the original Hebrew Old Testament or Greek New Testament. Yes, people do "reap what they sow" (Gal. 6:7). But Jesus Christ will "draw all people" to himself (Jn. 12:32) until "in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22). That's because "God is love"
4) Taken form a Universalist website: Are you searching for a faith that is based on the premise that in the end there will be no one left behind -- a faith that through this blessed hope can truly break down barriers and bring people together in a spirit of joy and "good tidings to all"? There is such a faith, and you have found it! It is called Christian Universalism. We are here to proclaim this Good News of the all-loving, all-saving God who was revealed through the grace-filled ministry of Jesus
It pains me greatly to see God used and abused in this fashion to further current postmodern cultural paradigms, not spiritual ones. In the 1920s, the U.S. began a sexual and cultural revolution. However, it was snubbed out because of the depression of the 1930s and followed by WWII. This same revolution picked up again in the 1960s and was this time successful. We switched from a nation of absolute morals, that is knowing what is right and what is wrong, to a nation of relative moral values. Sayings like, If it feels good, do it. God is dead. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Make love, not war. Drop acid not bombs and "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls" Joseph Campbell.
I have to always ask, what effect did the baby boomers love fest have on our churches? What effect has the me, me generation, generation X had on our churches? If we are a product of these past eras what pressures have we, and subsequently our children, put on the church to change the church to reflect not a biblical standing but our culture, our postmodern, moral relativistic culture? If we are less of a moral people even as Christians, then does it not stand to reason so too are our churches?
What do you now tolerate and accept in your church vs. that which was not tolerated 50 years ago or acceptable to see in a Church? What do you see today, look around. How did the era of free love effect us? Did we change God into a hippy God? A god of only love? How does this god of love compare and contrast to the god in the OT who killed thousands, got angry, ordered the death of women, children, and their animals? In the bible, you can find seven things God hates. Did he change or have we changed him?
Notwithstanding the bending the church to the ways of the world so as to be acceptable to the world, take in consideration the following survey results.
State of the Church
George Barna has released his extensive survey of the well being of the church. He has looked at 14 items across geography, gender, generations, and racial lines. In general here is some of his findings.
• Bible study outside of church has dropped by 5%. Of those who attend church about 40% study their bible outside of church.
• Church volunteerism has dropped to just an average of 19% of church goers volunteering.
• Adult Sunday school attendance has dropped to just 15% of church goers attending Sunday school.
• Church attendance has dropped by 9%.
• Unchurched has risen by the same amount.
• Belief that the bible is God's word has falling from 46% to 38% believing the bible is the word of God.
• Among women, attendance is down 16%, bible reading down 10%, attending Sunday school down 7%, and volunteerism, down 9%.
In other studies,
• 40% of pastors drink
• 54 % of Pastors admitted to viewing porn within the past year
• 50% of professed Christian men vied porn within the week prior to attending a promise keepers event.
• 50% of professed Christian men viewed porn at least once a week
Today we are seeing thousands of people who call themselves Christians jump onto the Unitarian Universalist bandwagon, the Universalist bandwagon, or the Emergent Church bandwagon and now thanks to some evangelical pastors, the Social Justice bandwagon (Socialist utopia). The last three are effecting and infecting the Evangelical church as well as other mainstream protestant churches. The main question is, have we moved too far in the opposite direction from a strict legalistic church to one that almost knows no bounds, has no rules, no moral values save one, love? And if so, has this move injured the church? Consider the survey results, it appears churched people are no different than unchurched people, still giving into the way of the world. People need boundaries, this is why the bible is full of them. We really must take in consideration how our worldly desires force us to reshape the bible and Gods words. If we don't, after 2000 years of Christendom, and thousands of years of Judaism, God may die in the hearts and minds of men.
God does give us the choice does he not. after all, he could have easily foregone planting the tree of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. He could have kept us from being burden by sin. Instead, he gave Adam and Eve free choice to screw up and they did. Likewise, we too have the free choice to screw up. To be a church of relativistic moral values or to be a church who knows, understands and teaches absolute moral values.
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