Controversy within the Church

Controversy within the Church










Some people have believed controversy should always be avoided. There will always be a battle for the truth and it is actually a sin not to fight when the truth is under attack. You cannot and should not contend for unity in the church if it means giving up what you believe. Defending the faith requires warfare. When the gospel is being attacked, we should not be indifferent, timed or compromise.



Some people have attacked the authority and clarity of God’s word and may not be believers at all. Unless the Spirit of God moves upon the person and the mind is changed through the miracle of the new birth, our mind will lead us away from God.



The Emerging Church is a widespread movement of evangelicals. This movement is not black and white. It is hazy, indistinct, and uncertain. These people are not comfortable with any certainty about what the Bible means. The Emerging Church is especially attractive to the young who are caught up in worldly life styles, unholy mi9nds, and ungodly behavior. This movement is willing to adopt the Christian faith, the language of faith, and even the gospel itself to the ideas and rhetoric of postmodernism.



Postmodernism is marked by a tendency to dismiss the possibility of any sure and settled knowledge of the truth. Postmodernism does not speak with strong convictions about any point of truth or you will be judged arrogant and naïve. The word ‘evil’ does not fit in the their language. They despise truth claims and right or wrong have been redefined in terms of feelings and personal perspectives.



In a postmodern culture, dialogue is the preferred method of communication. Some have done away with pastors and replaced them with narrators. “Thus saith the Lord” is not welcomed. The narrow exclusivity of Christ is the only way of salvation does not sit well with postmodernism.



Great believers and Christians in the past have accepted torture or death rather than deny the truth. Today our mega churches cater to entertainment-hungry churchgoers who expect to be entertained with loud rock music with guitars and drums that sound nothing like the beautiful church music of our past. Some Christian lyrics are thrown in and repeated over and over again like a mantra. It’s called 9-11 music, as the same words are repeated 9 or 11 times. Many say they believe in the God of the Bible but want to interpret it their way and are uncertain about what is true.



So how is it, that well educated pastors and church leaders will fall into apostasy while the uneducated will have a understanding of God’s law. They have the new birth and God’s law is written in their hearts. It’s hard to image that a pastor of a large evangelical mega church would be involved in Yoga and not be afraid to talk about it. Yoga is Hinduism and taught in every YMCA, school, industries and churches. Yoga is designed to lead to the realization of one’s true godhead. In the East, where it originated is considered a way of dieing and would laugh at the concept of exercise. It is dangerous and can lead to demon possession and no Christian should have anything to do with this. When the pastor himself and the church leaders are involved in Yoga, you can know for certainty that sound doctrine has been badly compromised and doctrine is a non-issue. The church has already become a battleground and precious few in the church are prepared to fight. The apostle Paul was constantly engage in battles of lies and false apostles. Paul said to expect this as it is on one the favorite strategies of the evil one. Paul warned the church in Ephesus, “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock. Also from among your selves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for 3 years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Acts 20:29-31. Paul was concerned that these wolves would come from within the church – even elders.



Today there is a campaign to make Christianity contemporary and sophisticated. Today they have contemporary services and traditional. So what are Christians to do? Get into the battle. Fight for the truth. Contend for the faith. Apostasy is present in most Evangelical churches today and it is going to get worse. But we who believe in Jesus have nothing to fear. Today these Seeker Friendly churches hire consumer relations experts to appeal to worldly minds. Their goal is to bring big numbers as proof of success and divine blessing, and careful doctrinal teaching is an enemy of church growth. They customize the message to meet the needs of the audience, not caring about contending for the faith. The Pastors and leaders themselves have become like children tossed to and fro and follow whatever is the latest fad. /they try to package the message to make it sutle and more appealing to the world and the unchurched masses.



Paul wanted to make it clear that lives and hearts are renewed by means of the Word of God and nothing else.