Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

Bible Truth Behind the Quote:
This was a big problem with the church at Corinth. Many of the Christians there were still quite worldly (2 Corinthians 5:1). Scripture reveals that “the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17). It’s one or the other—the world or the will of God.

Ron Rhodes, 1001 Unforgettable Quotes about God, Faith, & the Bible (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2011).

At first glance, I thought this is certainly true in all aspects, but then I realized just as we must take in the Whole Counsel of God, we must also take time to dissect others’ comments (take in the whole matter) before commenting on a matter ourselves.

After thinking on it a while I asked myself this “Is the church today influenced by the world,” the simple answer is yes. Yet when I consider the Whole of the Matter, I realize that the church MUST in part, be influenced by the world, it has no choice.

I know that statement will rub some the wrong way, and it may even seem to go against some of our previous posts here so let me explain. The church, that is your (and my) local church, especially in Western culture, is made up of a variety of folks who all bring a little bit of the world (their culture and practices) with them to the group. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because that which binds groups of diverse people together in Christ Jesus, Galatians 3:28.

Obviously without personally knowing Spurgeon, but having read his works extensively I think he was implying that “Worldly Influence” had invaded the church. Here is a partial list of things commonly found in so-called “Christian” churches today from CARM:

1. Teaching that there is more than one way to God besides Jesus
   1. In this world of relativism, it is not popular to claim that Jesus is the only way to be saved.  But this is what the Bible says.  John 14:6, “Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” Also, Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” There is no other way to be saved.  The Muslims, the Buddhists, the Taoists, etc., cannot be saved without Jesus.
2. Being embarrassed to say that Jesus is the only way to salvation
   1. Like the issue above, Jesus is the only way (John 14:6).  Christians should never be ashamed (Rom. 1:16) to speak the truth of God’s saving work in Christ.  For some, to be timid and embarrassed means that one’s eyes are off of God and on people.
3. Teaching that there is no absolute right and wrong.
   1. As mentioned above, moral relativism is the norm of society.  We often hear, “It is true if it is true for you.”  The Bible tells us that there are moral absolutes independent of what we think is right.  Exodus 20:1-17 is a list of the ten commandments which are moral absolutes.  The Bible teaches us there is absolute right and wrong.  Without moral absolutes, no one can say anything is right or wrong.
4. Being careful to not offend anyone at the expense of biblical truth.
   1. Whether or not someone likes what the Bible says does not change the truth of the Bible.  We should not be offensive just to be offensive, but we should not be afraid to speak the truth of God when the need arises.  The gospel that offends no one is not the gospel of the Bible.
5. Pastors preaching moralism instead of Christ-centered messages
   1. Moralistic preaching is preaching that does not focus on the cross of Christ.  For example, we do not try and be good because being good is nice.  We try and be good because Jesus saved us from our sins and doing what is right glorifies Him.  Preaching that is not focused on the cross is not preaching.  It is a waste of time.
   2. Often you can detect moralistic preaching by asking if the exact same sermon could be preached in a Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness setting.  If so, then something is probably wrong.

What are signs that a church is becoming secular?

In the Great Commission — Jesus’ charge to his followers to spread the gospel throughout the world (Matt 28:18–20). Note Jesus commands (charge) His disciples (followers then and now) to go out and spread the Good News. Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to invite the world into the house of God. So we shutter our doors to non-believers, of course not that would be taking out of CONTEXT what Spurgeon, I, and countless others are saying. Do not open the doors of the house of the Lord to worldly influence. God’s Holy Word clearly defines how He is to be worshipped and that can never be compromised by the world. That is the point of the matter.

For anyone who is searching for a home church, here are four good principles for choosing the right one: 1) Choose a church where the Bible is taught rightly and thoroughly (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). 2) Choose a church where the people strive to love and serve one another. 3) Choose a church where the pastor is genuine and seems to love his people. 4) Seek God’s wisdom (James 1:5) and will in prayer for a church home, and choose the church of God’s leading.

Recommended Resources:

What Is the Church?, Sproul, R. C.

What Is the Great Commission? Sproul, R. C.