A Laodician America!

I am often asked how I can be so pragmatic concerning human behavior in my writings and teachings. My pragmatism is steeped in an understanding of GOD’s WORD as TRUTH. It is not based upon my personal acceptance of it as truth but the fact that whether I receive it as such or not, it remains GOD’s TRUTH.

In our society which is overrun with a spirit of relativity, many churches and Christians have allowed this spirit to flow into their belief structure. In so doing, GOD’s Words of truth have been watered-down often making it subservient to their own personal belief system rather than accepting it as GOD’s truth irregardless of any individual’s personal beliefs.

Rather than accepting truth as truth and making personal life changes to come into line with that truth, many churches have taken the Biblical concepts of holiness, purity and Christlikeness and replaced them with messages laced with a ‘feel-good, everything’s gonna be alright cuz GOD wants you happy” type of theology that is anti-Scripture and anti-Holy GOD.   

Michael Brown said it right: “Holiness is not an option. We are called to live holy lives, and that means it is a divine requirement. Anything else is disobedience. That is why the Word is so strong on this subject.” GOD’s Word speaks clearly about this: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). We are commanded to “make every effort to be holy.” Why? Because “without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

Interesting how anti-relative those statements are—not based upon one’s understanding of what makes me holy versus what makes you holy. It is simply being holy according to GOD’s standard of holiness. Perhaps it helps for us to understand holiness according to the character of Christ. Christian means “little Christ.” The WWJD campaign was based upon a great idea but came to be too heavily influenced by man’s perception of what Jesus would do rather than accepting the truth of what Jesus did—again a watered-down version of the actions of Christ.

I have often found people will lambaste solid Scriptural teaching rather than taking a look at their own life in the mirror of GOD’s Word and accepting the fact that change is possibly necessary. The finer details are often attacked rather than simply admitting that one’s lifestyle and life choices don’t line up with GOD’s truth therefore necessitating a personal lifestyle change.

I am in no wise perfect nor have I ever claimed to be (I’m a long way from it). When I preach and teach, I am speaking to myself as well as others. It is the presentation of the Word of GOD that convicts and attempts to draw us into Christlikeness. Paul spoke about this subject in Romans 6 and 7. He tells us that the “old man” continues to struggle against man becoming Christlike. When an individual yields to the desires of the “old man,” he will buck-up against the truth of the Word and either disregard the Word of GOD or find a church whose pastor will tip-toe around the subject and water it down so his conscience allows him to continue living “in the flesh” rather than seeking to “live in the Spirit.”

The affluence of those churches across America proclaiming watered-down messages indicates the calloused, hard-hearted condition American so-called “Christians” are in. America has become Laodicia. We have become a nation of fence-riders accepting a relative gospel message rather than the truth of GOD’s Word. GOD is about to spew this nation out of His mouth. We must get right before GOD while a window of opportunity still exists, if it does? Repent and turn from your wickedness, seek holiness in all your ways!