Rev. Dr. V.K. Nuh
We live in a very crucial time in the history of humankind. We have to conclude with what the book of Ecclesiastes teaches us: “This is all that I have learned. God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated” (7:29).
We discuss much about liberalism, secularism, materialism, traditionalism, radicalism, modernism, and Spiritualism. There are some values in all of them, but “nominalism” is the most ineffective system in religion. It brings stagnation, whatever be the form.
In the book of Revelation, seven churches characterized the morality of the generation. Among them, Laodicea was unsparingly condemned. They confessed Christian liberty with unchristian license. To maintain neutrality in faith was an obstacle to Jesus Christ.
Barkley commented, “The whole deed of Laodicea Church is summed up in the accusation ‘You are neither cold nor hot’ (Rev 3:15). Cold water refreshes, hot water heals. But lukewarm water is useless for either purposes.” Laodicea was the lukewarm church. They professed Christ without real faith.
According to Leon Morris, “The Sardis Church was untroubled by any attack from outside.” It was neither heathen attack not persecution. A true vital Church will always be under attack. When the church loses its vital force, it no longer worthy of attack. It becomes ineffectual and ceased to matter in the life of community. Moffat translates it as, “Though they keep up a form of religion they will have nothing to do force” (2 Timothy 2:5).
As we look at our church today, we replicate characters of the church of Laodicea and Sardis the book of Revelation talked about. Our churches no longer have the power to resist evil force. Our churches have compromised so much with institutionalized system. There is no more steam to light the darkness in the society. Our churches have no more vitality to produce Christian flavor. We crave for vain and senseless reputation. Inner conviction and vivacity has evaded us.
We boast for our 3000 strong churches. We claim ourselves to be 90% Christians. We produce 10,000 theological graduates. But we have failed to impact the society. Our beautiful churches on the hilltops are, but mere exterior beauty. The “invisible church” within us has come to bankrupt state. Perhaps, God is absent in our churches today just as the sacrificial worship of Israelites was an abomination to him. In spite of our prayer and fasting, series of revival meetings, and enormous mission funds, we are not pleasing to God. God did not answer our prayers although our cry for peace is louder than ever!
The churches at Laodicea and Sardis did not hold fast to the true gospel. They did not give Jesus his rightful office and place. Therefore, their candlesticks were taken way from them (Rev 2:5).
The true church is Christ’s body, and not one bone in that mystical body shall ever be broken. The true church is Christ’s Bride. Where do we belong, to invisible church or visible institutionalized church?
Heresy is always the product of the searching and seeking mind. Heresy is in fact the sign of a church that is vitally alive. The presence of heresy shows that men had at least tried to think out for themselves. It is usually an unbalance stressing of human side of the truth. Barkely says, “If we stress the divinity of Christ, we run into docetism in which Jesus Christ is a divine figure disguised in what is only a seeming man hood. If we over stress the humanity of Jesus Christ become nothing more than a heroic figure, the beat of good man. If we over stress law, we run into legalism which kill antinomianism which believe that grace is so great that sin does not matter.”
Jesus said, “take heed and beware of leaven of Pharisees of the Sadducees” false doctrines. “Leaven” means swelling in size. False doctrine does not come in broad daylight and summons the hearer to surrender. It approaches secretly and quietly, in such a way to disarm suspicion. It comes with a sweet attitude of compromise.
It does not follow for a person formerly to deny God in order to be in Idolatry. The feast in honor of the calf was kept as feast unto the Lord (Jehovah) (Exod. 32:4-5). Jeroboam pretended to ask the ten tribes to cast off their allegiance to the God of David and Solomon, when he erected the golden at Dan and Bethel. He said, “It is too much for you to go to Jerusalem, behold thy God! Oh Israel (thy Elohim) which brought thee out of the land of Egypt” (1 King 12:28). Both the idols were not set up as rivals to God, but under the pretence of convenience. The majesty of Jehovah was offended.
There is unmistakable proof that Scripture’s warnings and predictions were spelled out with a cause. Idolatry has actually arisen in the visible church of Christ, and does still exist in Naga churches today. The spiritual idolatry of persons who love money more than God is a literal bowing down to a graven image.
J.C. Ryle says, “Inside the church, Satan in ever laboring to sow heresies to propagate errors to foster departure from faith. If he cannot prevent the water flowing from the fountain of life, he tries to poison them. If he cannot destroy the medicine of the gospel, he strives to adulterate and corrupt.”
What was the origin of the greatest apostasy? How did the Church first depart from the simplicity of the gospel? By conforming to the practices of paganism - to facilitate the acceptance of Christianity by the heathen.
John Wesley said, “Alas, to what fearful extent is that friendship of the world, which is enmity with God, cherish among the professed followers of Christ! How widely have the popular Churches thought that Christendom departed from the biblical standard of humanity of self-denial, simplicity and godliness.”
A profession of religion has become popular with the world. Rulers, politicians, lawyers, doctors, merchants go to the church to secure the respect and confidence of society and to advance their own worldly interests. Thus, they seek to cover all their unrighteous transaction under the guise of Christianity. The various religious bodies are lavishly gifted with splendid structures and heavy coffers. The churches’ holdings have exceeded that of the Government. The apparent worshipers continue to array themselves in senseless and fashionable attires. Talented ministers draw hefty salaries, but their sermons have only entertainment components. These sermons are smooth and pleasing to the ears, but, unfortunately, they do not address popular sins. Thus, these exercises are under the pretense of godliness, and devoid of truth.
Churches of the present time have become a cultural apparatus to legitimize the existing exploitative system. The meaning of spiritual life also has been reduced to a bourgeoisie system of denomination and exploitation. In the theological debate, God-image have been minimize to a philosophical idea. The idea of God’s truth has lost its counteractive force. Moreover, rampant spirituality that propagates “prophecy” as the ultimate has reduced the meaning and function of faith in the reign of God. As a corrective measure, prophecy in the Israelite tradition is not futurology. It was an expression that demanded faith to radically reconstruct the present into the image of the reign of God. Prophecy was the tool of God to negate evil forms of life. Unfortunately, our pulpits do not have prophetic message anymore!
