I am constantly struggling with trying to mix being humble with learning to have discernment. My mind is constantly milling over the many observations I have of the imperfect Visible Church, the WCF defines the church this way:
CHAPTER 25
Of the Church
1. The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
2. The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.
3. Unto this catholic visible church Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth, by his own presence and Spirit, according to his promise, make them effectual thereunto.
4. This catholic church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.
5. The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated, as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there shall be always a church on earth, to worship God according to his will.
6. There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof.
You can see some pretty controversial statements in there.
I need to constantly remind myself I’m not called to solve all this and I need most fully to remember:
But it’s an area of great caution….
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
There are judgments that are reasonable. Paul does provide some clarity to this in 1 Corinthians 6 and other passages.
Mike Ratliff’s post I’m reading this morning outlines some of the observed problems in these imperfect churches. There is nothing new here, for the past 2,000 years we have struggled with various smaller or larger controversies. Maybe today it’s just more visible across the world.
Anyway if this sounds negative I’m sorry.
God is Sovereignly Sovereign and he knows what we are doing and has his hand in everything. In the meantime we tend to group into camps and tribes having our own preferences of what is right. Maybe being Rooted in the Word of God is the way out of this….
My observations of what the Bible says about being rooted in the word. These are just a few of the many.
2Ti 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God
2Ti 3:11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Paul had a heart for Timothy and the church in Ephesus, you can read more about that in Acts, his letter to The Ephesians and some of Jesus’ words to John written down in the Book of Revelation…
Like I said there is nothing new…but there are serious implications…
My comments are to long post on his site.
“The test is very simple. We must compare what they do and say with what an obedient servant of the Lord is supposed to do and say.
“If they are found saying and doing what Jesus would say and do then they pass the test. However, if they say the right things, but
“they do things contrary to Jesus’ teachings then they fail.
If they preach heresy they fail.
“If they are caught in gross sin they fail.
“If they are unrepentant about what they do and
say when confronted with the truth, they fail.
“Those who fail have built their “house” on the sand.
“Those who take the costly route and in obedience to Christ have built their house on the rock and even if they are persecuted, ostracized, or ridiculed by the majority, it does not matter because God is being glorified in their suffering and the second death has no power over
“As for those who fail, Jesus will tell them, “I never knew you; depart from ME, you who practice lawlessness.'”
I wish I had the bandwidth to comprehend all the ways the Visible Church is pulled away from the narrow way. Just to rename or add to your list…
There are those leaders who fall specifically into sexual sin. The flesh is very powerful….just check the news.
There are those who fall for the multitude of false theologies: Word of Faith, Prosperity Gospel, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), the Hyper-Charismatic ….etc.
There are those who follow the leaders into Progressive “Christianity”, via the Woke Church movements, and the classic “Social Gospel”.
There are those who follow the popular Conservative movements, like TP Faith, and many Podcasters.
Those influenced by the Media personalities, and the Music/Entertainment world.
There are those who desire bigger churches, bigger budgets, more paid staff. They appear in all other areas and can be seen as pragmatic, numbers oriented, and frequently post updates on where they are or take pride, in being or becoming like the mega-churches. Many of these in the evangelical world are influenced by the Leadership Networks, or the Peter Drucker, Willow Creek/Saddleback success stories.
There are those who are led to some of the old paths, falsely misunderstanding what is their true history: forms of Roman Catholism, Eastern Orthodoxy (one can see the names today of popular major personalities and influencers) who have gone that route.
Or those attracted to the Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Director realm.
Or even going deeper into methods to achieve the “Way”, being missional, or have an almost monk like discipline.
Of course there are those who profess a faith, but don’t really do anything.
There are those who say and preach that they have some new revelation. These can be individual and personally hearing messages directly from God outside of reading his Holy Word the Bible. Others are so great that whole religions are founded upon the revelations they receive. Two significant ones to note are Islam, and Mormonism.
There are those who deny God entirely deny any authority of the Bible. They can range from Agnostics who just don’t know, to full blown Atheists, totally disbelieving, or those who practice spiritualism or even Satan worship. One of their moots is:
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,”
I see that as being derived from the Serpent’s influence back at the beginning.
The Geneva Bible has this note: “This is Satan’s chiefest subtilty, to cause us not to fear God’s warnings.”
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Maybe finally, but I’m sure I could go on, I love the meme someone posted recently about, Ecumenical Syncretism, those who believe in the primacy of Unity, but ignore Unity in Doctrine. Or mostly subscribe in an extreme form of “Liberty in Non-Essentials”.
There is a lot of looseness in the term “Non-Essentials”
One final thought…on this tough topic…in the KJV text.
Direct Commands to Separate
- Romans 16:17: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them“.
- 2 John 1:10–11: “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds”.
- 1 Timothy 6:3–5: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words… from such withdraw thyself“.
- 2 Timothy 3:5: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away“.
- Titus 3:10: “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject“.
Warnings and Identification
- Matthew 7:15: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves”.
- 2 Peter 2:1–3: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies… And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you“.
- Galatians 1:8: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed“.
- 1 John 4:1: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world”.
Rainbow Trout 