The Anti-Family Church, pt. 5- Family

I hope you've gleaned some kind of wisdom from the previous installments of The Anti-Family Church. If you were unable to tell, I am very passionate about this topic, as I see it as a failing of the Church today. I look back on the early church and see how they were structured, and lament over the position of the Church in today's world, in the hearts of her members. God's people have been continually adulterous throughout history, and we are no different, worshiping ourselves and our secular ideals that have been instilled by society today. Yet contrary to breaking free of the bonds of sin, we have become comfortable in our wayward ways and embraced a life of selfish desires instead of biblical wisdom.

This departure from the scriptures is evident when we look at the Church today. It is especially evident when we see how the Church values the family. The former articles give a good picture of the neglect of the individuals in churches, but it is the summation of all those things that leads to the dismal reality of the decline of the family. We no longer look toward the future, putting our focus on raising up generations of faithful Christ followers. Instead, we focus on ourselves, making sure we feel that we are right with God. What we often do not see is the reality that in order to be right with God, we must actually care about others.

The blame lies in every follower of Christ who, in their lukewarm states, have neglected basic biblical principles within their churches and families. We are each of us at fault, and it will take every one of us to correct it. I tend, though, to hold those in positions of authority to a higher standard than your basic church layman. Why are our pastors and elders not up in arms about how their parishioners are living? Why do we not see outrage at sin within the church, and preaching and teaching from the pulpit that drives sinners to repentance and strengthens the faithful?

It is a sad day when these issues go seemingly unnoticed, and absolutely appalling that- if the authority figures in churches do know- they are doing nothing about it. Please, do something! I know so many concerned Christians who are tired of hearing their pastors say they are working on the problem, without seeing any effort toward it.

It is not enough to mention a scripture about biblical living and leave the people to go forth in their week. Discipleship was never focused on a single day, a single sermon, a single class to attend. It is an ongoing process that must be entwined in our daily lives, just as God should be the focus of everything that we do.

What we are doing is not working, and as such we need to change what we are doing. Break away from the world and stop being of it. We are to be shining examples of Christ's love and saving grace, but how are we to do that when we cannot even disciple our own families? Where are those mentors, those who are wiser than us, who will guide us in our walks, pray with and for us, support us, and love us? Where are our brothers and sisters in Christ who are willing to gather together in fellowship to worship and learn together? Where is the love for the brethren?

Christians, be bold in the truth! Encourage your leaders to take on these issues and make a difference in the Church. If they do not listen, pray for them, because those who reject the truth of scripture need so badly to hear it. We should be righteously angry when we see God's Word twisted and warped to please the masses, and we should demand that it stop.

My desire is to glorify God in all that I do, to be faithful to Him, to grow in holiness and be closer to Him. I want to stand before Him on the day of judgment and know that I have brought him glory and honor, to hear that I have been a good and faithful servant. I want to be blameless before him because of the saving blood of Jesus Christ, who died that I might live, that I might spend eternity with Him. To do that, I must follow His instruction, fulfill the Great Commission, and disciple. How better to do that than to start at home, with my family, with my church family?

Is that your desire, and will you step up and be bold enough, trust in God enough, to go against the current and stand fast with the Lord? My prayer is that your answer is "yes".

"A church that does not exist to reclaim heathenism, to fight with evil, to destroy
error, to put down falsehood, a church that does not exist to take the side of the poor,
to denounce injustice and to hold up righteousness, is a church that has no right to
be."
-- C.H. Spurgeon