And he
brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said,
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your
household.” Acts 16:30-31 NKJV
As
I have watched what many conservative commentators have described as the
downfall of our country as a result of rampant liberalism, the thought occurred
to me that we could also make the case that the Church itself is on much the
same path. Although the movement away
from teaching about the need for repentance of sin and being born again as
Jesus taught has been going on for some time, it is only lately with the
appearance of churches which teach a “social gospel”, and the emergent church
movement which has attracted so many, has this difference become so apparent.
Let no
one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes
first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB
The
Greek word “apostasia” literally
means to fall away, or defect from something previously believed to be
true. When speaking to the Thessalonians’
about the rapture of the Church, Paul makes it clear that many will fall away and
defect from the truth of the gospel before the Church is taken away. Since so many who choose to study the
prophecies of the end of the Church Age believe we have arrived at that point
in time, and the rapture could occur at any moment, should we as believers be
surprised at the state of the Church in light of the apostasy Paul warned us
about?
Jesus
answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 NKJV
But as
many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to
those who believe in His name: John
1:12 NKJV
Although
I could accurately be called a child of the Evangelical, non-demoninational
movement, like many children I spent a few of my college years closely
examining my faith in light of many other religions and taking the proverbial “comparative
religions” course offered by most institutions of higher learning. What I emerged as was a believer totally
committed to the only faith which made any sense at all, the Gospel taught by
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As opposed
to the new “seeker friendly” churches which seek to attract followers by
avoiding words such as sin, repent, believe, and born again, Jesus taught clearly
the need to be born again by receiving Himself as the Son of God, and believing
in the sacrifice for our sin by His death on the cross.
In Him
you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit
of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 NKJV
What
you will find in many of these emerging churches is the avoidance of teaching
the Gospel as Jesus taught, and replacing it with what has been termed the
social gospel, which is simply the focus and emphasis on works done in the name
of Jesus. These churches choose to
describe their members as “followers” of Jesus, and place a great emphasis on “doing”
rather than “believing”. These churches
are filled with programs and service opportunities which satisfy the desire of
their members to be busy for God, yet ignore the teaching by Jesus that belief
comes before works.
Then
they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
Jesus answered and
said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:28-29
NKJV
If
you look closely at the Church today, and the majority of those which could be
described as subscribing to the emergent church model, is it any wonder that
the last church of this age revealed to us in the book of Revelation as the
Laodician church is also one in which Jesus appears standing on the outside
knocking to come in? The sad fact is
that as a result of not teaching the Gospel of Jesus as He taught it, with the
emphasis on being born again as a result of believing in His sacrifice for our
sin, these churches have many Christ followers, but very few believers.
“Many
will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name,
cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will
declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:22-23 NKJV
Doing
good works in Jesus’ name is what we are called to do, but Jesus made it clear
that choosing to believe in Him comes first, and the works come as a result of
our belief. The Word of God is clear that it is not enough just to follow, you
must believe. The title I gave this article today is in the form of a question,
and it is one in which I pray you can answer in the affirmative. Do you believe? Have you personally prayed to God and asked
for forgiveness of your sins by the power of the death and resurrection of His
Son Jesus Christ? If so, you are born
again as Jesus taught, and someone who can proudly say “I am a believer”.
“Most
assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do
also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 14:12
NKJV
And
truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are
not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:30-31
NKJV
that if
you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God
has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart
one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation. Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
And
this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in
His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son
of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that
you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:11-13 NKJV
“All
that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by
no means cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will,
but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of the Father who sent Me,
that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at
the last day. “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone
who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will
raise him up at the last day.” John
6:37-40 NKJV
Keep
watching.
