Recently, I attended a tent revival meeting, and the evangelist made a statement that really surprised me. To paraphrase, he said that he doesn't concern himself about the contentious issues between the church and the world. The Bible is clear; God's Word on these topics is crystal clear, and God is not influenced by our opinion of His requirements. It's His game and His ball, and we need to follow His rules.

Society today is full of anything and everything. There are no boundaries or places that we cannot go; there is almost nothing that society will not accept. Unfortunately, this ungodliness is reflected in our churches as well, to some extent. Without mentioning specific issues, the churches are all struggling to walk the fine line between God and the world. They want to please God and yet not alienate the world. Good luck with that!

Here are some Scripture passages that are pure and transparent. They are straightforward, and there is no layering in any of them. They mean exactly what they say:

John 8:32 – Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (NIV)

John 14:6 – Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (NIV)

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

God has made His will known in the Scriptures, and above all, He wants our obedience, because it is proof to Him that we put Him first. All through the Old Testament, the Israelites were falling away from God, being influenced by worldly gods. After being disciplined by God, they seemed to get back on track for a while, only to follow the next wrong path. It sounds familiar, doesn't it?

To disobey His rules is to sin. Sin is a word rarely heard anymore, but although we like to pretend that it's old-fashioned, God definitely knows what it is, and He sees it in us. Our churches like to focus on preaching God's love, which is undeniable. However, they need to get back to teaching about the wages of sin. In 1947, Peter Marshall, a chaplain to the United States Senate, said, "Unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."

We are assuring eternal damnation if we continue to follow the way of the world. If preaching salvation is not the role of our churches, I wonder what is. Society is not our boss — God is! Let's get back on track in our corrupt western world, preach the way to salvation, and try to save a few souls in these latter days.

Prayer: Lord God Almighty, help us to realize the honour, glory, and power in Your name. Help us to remember that You are author of all that we know, and that we owe You our love and obedience. When we have to choose between You and the world, may we always choose You, the truth. Amen.

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About the author:

Karen Abbott <kkabbott47@gmail.com>
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
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