[This is the 125th article I have written over the past 125 weeks. I feel it is time for a short sabbatical. This article will be the last for about eight weeks and serve as an introduction for a series of articles beginning in September on the plight of the American church. Given the significant moral decline of America over the last half decade, it is necessary to examine the symptoms and root causes that have been present for well over a century. In this series of articles we shall briefly survey the history of the church since its inception two thousand years ago. Understanding the central themes of its history is important and will give insight and perspective to the issues faced by today’s Christian church. More importantly, we shall extensively examine the afflictions and failings of the modern American church that have led to its demise as a moral force necessary to stem the decline of American culture.]
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The modern American church is in great distress and suffering attack from within and without. The forces of attack include secular humanism and false religions. But the greatest threat to the church comes from within and can be described as nothing less than the diminution and for some the abandonment of biblical truth.
This series of articles focuses on the American church and its role in the nation’s moral decline. However, regardless of how dark the future may appear for the church, we must always know that God is still on His throne and born-again Christians are ultimately on the side of victory. I was reminded of this by a sermon preached this last Wednesday night by our associate pastor at the church I attend. The text for his sermon was taken from Isaiah.
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. [Isiah 60:1-2. RSV]
Matthew 5:14-15 tells us that, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” And even the “thick darkness” that covers the people of this age can be driven out by the light of God’s people. But if His people fail to be the light of the world and do not remember their first love, God will remove their lampstand unless they repent. [See: Revelation 2:4-5.] The lampstands of many American churches have been removed or are in danger of removal because they have let the light of God’s truth be dimmed if not completely extinguished which has resulted in the deterioration of American moral culture.
In his letter to the Ephesian church, the Apostle Paul described the nature of the enemy and the Christian’s preparation for battle.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. [Ephesians 6:10-18. KJV]
The church’s first essential in putting on the armor of God is girding its loins about with truth. To gird means to surround, enclose, and prepare oneself for action. Writing three hundred years ago, Matthew Henry describes the importance and centrality of biblical truth in the Christian’s armor.
The apostle specifies the particulars of this armour, both offensive and defensive. The military girdle or belt, the breastplate, the greaves (or soldier’s shoes), the shield, the helmet, and the sword. It is observable that, among them all, there is none for the back; if we turn our back upon the enemy, we are exposed. Truth is our girdle. This is the strength of our loins; and it girds on all other pieces of our amour, and therefore is the first mentioned. I know no religion without security.[1] [emphasis added]
It appears that the majority of modern American churches are failing to gird themselves with the truth of the Word of God. Through compromise, adding to, taking away, misinterpretation, disregard, ignorance, perversion, or complete abandonment of biblical truth, they have little or nothing on which to hang the other pieces of their armor. To varying degrees this diminution and/or abandonment of the teachings and prophecies of the Bible as the infallible and inerrant truth of God has occurred in substantially all Protestant denominations, fellowships, and associations and the Catholic Church as well.
Not only has the church diminished or abandoned biblical truth, it has turned its back on the enemy and lies exposed. The modern church has not stood against the onslaught of the enemy in the public arena but fled in silence all the while trading away America’s Christian heritage of virtue, morality, justice, and decency through accommodation, compromise, and even abject surrender. Unless there is repentance by the church for its apostasy and cowardice in its failure to stand against the wiles of the devil, the glory of God will depart America, and its shame shall be a byword unto the entire world as “Ichabod”[2] is written above the door of its house.
Although this series of articles focuses on the dire straits of the church in America, it is not a time for Christians to run and hide in a cave as Elijah did following death threats from Jezebel after he had the 450 prophets of Baal put to death. In great fear Elijah fled for his life into the wilderness and eventually to Mount Horeb where he hid in a cave. God asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?” Elijah complained to God that although he had been faithful to Him, “…the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” [1 Kings 19:13-14. RSV] But God told Elijah that He had seven thousand faithful servants in Israel who had not bowed to Baal.
Many in the church have the fearful mindset of Elijah. But faithful American Christians are not a small remnant that must cower in fear and silence in the face of enemy attacks. There are millions of God-fearing, born-again Christians in thousands of churches across America that unflinchingly stand for the truth of His word and who shine forth His glory. They are the hope of the church. But they must not be silent but speak the truth of God’s word so that their churches “…may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Larry G. Johnson
Sources:
[1] Larry G. Johnson, Ye shall be as gods – Humanism and Christianity – The Battle for Supremacy in the American Cultural Vision, (Owasso, Oklahoma: Anvil House Press, 2011), pp. 123-124.
[2] Ichabod was the grandson of Eli and son of Phineas. When Phineas’ pregnant wife heard the news that the Ark of the Covenant was taken during a battle with the Philistines and that her father-in-law and her husband were killed, her travail caused her to give birth to a son. “And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said. The glory is departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken.” [1 Samuel 4:21-22. KJV] Christ also portrayed the glory of God departing Israel as He left the Temple for the last time following his warnings to the Jewish religious establishment. “Behold your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” [Matthew 23: 38-39. KJV]
