THE CHURCH, THE GOSPEL AND CULTURAL RELEVANCE

I know I can be a hypocrite at times but I'd rather stand up for the truth than dwell in falsehood. My allegiance is to my Father not to men. I'd rather be called a judgmental, hypocritical evil incarnate by men than be called an unfaithful servant by God. For what are words of men compared to the Words of God? IS there any comparison between the two?

Ah, once again, I am compelled to speak of those brick buildings that claim to bear the Name of Christ. Why indeed do we want to make the Church relevant to men when the Bible teaches that it is not and that's the way it should be? Isn't separateness from the world one of the marks of the true Church? The Bride of Christ is the Bride of Christ. She is not everyone's property. Neither is she called to please men. She answers to one Person alone and that Person is Jesus Christ. As believers who also happen to be part of her, we should protect her from the taunts of the crowd through intense prayer and sound preaching.

Jesus dresses His bride with His fabric. He laid down His life for her. He purchased her with His blood of the Cross. Who gives you the right to conform her to the world so that she'll have more suitors when she only needs Christ to sustain her? Do we have such a low view of the Church of God that we have to give a cheap prosperity invitation so that men would walk down the aisle and say a prayer? Or are we just afraid that the mob might kill us if we preach the true Gospel that truly glorifies Jesus and satisfies His sheep?

Dear Christian, even if you do not see the results, even if your Church is half empty, please do not lose heart and preach the Gospel faithfully. Do not be swindled by the crafts of Satan. Lest Scriptures says so, do not bring forth a teaching that feeds goats. Feed the lambs of God with wine, meat and honey. Disregarding doctrine, upholding prosperity teachings, introducing pop culture and removing the offense of the cross interest the carnal and wicked mind because such acts are carnal and wicked! Such pursuits bring no glory to God and are forms of betrayal to Christ and His teachings. They are signs of spiritual prostitution and lack of faith in the hand of God to operate in the life of a sinner.

The message of Christ is for the pleasure of Christ even though it gives life to dying men. It is not relevant to men because it is intentionally not meant for men. It is for the glory of God. The salvation of man is just a by product of the preaching of the Gospel. Are we not like like those foolish and bewitched Galatians who loved a watered-down teaching when we disregard doctrine, embrace pop culture and make the Gospel more relevant to men than God? In fact, we are worse than them. At least they understood the holiness of God even though they combined faith and works in terms of salvation.

The Gospel is the Gospel. It needs no enhancement, packaging, reduction or addition. Of course, we can use different approaches and methods of sharing as long as we remain faithful to the teaching, preaching Christ crucified, the depravity of men, the regeneration of the saints and the grace of God that gives no room for works.