Beyond the contemporary smog

"Their fear of me is because of commandment taught by men".

Isaiah 29:13.

One of the worst things that can happen to a church is when it places itself beneath an erroneous rendering of scripture, which allows for an interpretation (and thereby, view) that stifles proper examination and correction.

There are numerous examples of how this has way-laid believers across the centuries - from the impositions of the Papacy, all the way through to the 'new' revelations of charismatic teachers, but here's a good example of just how easily error slips into the ear and thereby into the acceptance of those who do not prove (test) what's taught, as the helpful presenter on this video shows us.

This may appear to be a fairly small thing - 'we' have teachers who keep us in the boundaries of what is deemed 'true', comes the response, but the 'bearings' taken in such estimation say something extremely dangerous has been occurring amongst evangelicals for some time. One of the most important of the telling examinations of the trouble came in the 1980s from the pen of Dr Francis Schaeffer. Coming towards the end of his life and following lengthy studies of contemporary culture and theology, Dr Schaeffer showed just how distant mainstream evangelical teachings and practices had taken believers from the genuine roots of the faith.

What was shown in this and other studies is imperative to correctly examine the malady which has allowed contemporary Christianity to 'sleep walk' into the malaise of our current situation in respect to overbearing control and oversight. This 'guidance' makes little or no meaningful reference to the authority of God's word and therefore, cannot recognise the real impact of these troubles.

Authority here does not 'grow' by merely quoting popular biblical passages, but genuinely exegeting these to reprove, rebuke, correct and teach God's people.

Here are a few of the key insights missing in the modern evangelical church.

"The Reformation not only brought clear declaring of the Gospel, it also gave shape to society as a whole, including governance and a shared world-view covering the full spectrum of life and culture. The increase of understanding this supplied cascaded into every level of society" (Schaeffer - What really matters).

What happens to Christianity when this manner of active engagement is gone? Society 'de-faults' back to a manner of belief and action defined by self-determinism and fulfilment, meaning that other lives (i.e. unwanted pregnancies) are disposed of in favour of individual wants and needs (sexual preference/diversion). The old norms are entirely demolished before the single 'purity' of self- referentialism.

Schaeffer rightly identifies the reason such evil has murdered the life of faith in the West - the ascension of Biblcial Liberalism is such that, even amongst evangelicals, the "authority" of scripture has become a privatised affair - the only point of public declaration being the few occasions in a week where believers congregate. Such paralysis in culture is almost absolute, as Christians find themselves bent entirely to the demands of woke culture.

"Thus we must state with weeping, that "accommodation" is the 'wisdom' of the day".

Christianity, then, has in reality become a 'religion' set against the two vital commands of God - loving the Lord wholly, expressed in loving our neighbour well.

Expression of faith is not something confined to our 'small corner' enclaves on Sundays and at mid-week studies, but in a faith which troubles the supposedly settled life of a the world around us by expressing a love that is uncompromising. Christianity is marked by the joy and richness of significance that it uniquely reveals. Aching for those we know, cherishing the fallen the way our Saviour does (John 3:16) will mark our imperative.

The reason's behind this week's dreadful events in Afghanistan, as Paul Kingsworth notes in his piece, is the failure of the church.

"When a culture", he notes, "built around a sacred order dies, there will be lasting upheaval at every level of society, from the political to the level of the soul. The shape of everything - family, work, the existence of morals, sexual mores, perspectives on everything from money to work to the nature of the body to kin and duty - all of this dissolves".

The authority that Biblical truth provided was rejected by the rise of anti-christian autonomy in the 1700's, and this concluded with the disposal of now empty moral taboos in the sixties. Slowly, the new 'correctness', rooted in its own vile notions of modified socialism, has come to the fore.

The story we have come to believe is that we belong to a reductionist society where value is measured by what is arbitrarily determined to count "in the moment', because any other "religion" is anathema to that single truth. We respond to the requirements of those who wield power to provide this 'wealth' - there is no longer any other over-arching currency.

The innovation necessary now is for saints! Those who can exude genuine love, wisdom, truth and life because they are so deeply rooted in the truth that they can stand amidst the maelstrom, providing an embodiment of what is crucial to take us beyond this present madness.

Saints are not merely 'cloistered' in their strange, post-modernist cells, but those recognising the need to engage with the reality of the moment and dispense 'salt and light' to bear upon it.

The challenge such moments as now brings to us is to ask who is it we truly love? Where is our heart and soul when it comes to truth, for if our faith does not drive us to genuine desire to see others rescued entirely, then all our "orthodoxy" is woefully redundant.