"The Episcopal Church was once a proud, clear, mainline and very Christian denomination. But beginning in the '50s we began to slide into moral ambiguity, watering down the marriage canons; then came the Pike affair (the theological challenges made by an Episcopal bishop that bordered on heresy), and then women's ordination, and then blessing same-sex unions, and then ordaining practicing homosexual males and a variety of other things."
It was also stated that the convention could not even pass a resolution that stated Jesus is Lord and Savior. What could possibly bring a denomination to a point that a church is more concerned about social ethics and moralisms (which are abandoned anyway) than with God's Law and the Gospel? Is homosexuality being recognized as legitimate really going to bring millions into God's Kingdom? Is making sure a woman is elected as a presiding Bishop and preaching sermons going to expand and grow churches? We know this simply isn't the case. Albert Mohler has demonstrated that liberal churches are bent on suicide with their liberal theology.
I have personally seen churches that have both theological conservatives and theological liberals under one roof. It seemed to me that the conservatives were not willing to destroy their membership by rejecting liberalism. Liberalism just expects conservatives to convert to their "let's all just get along" position. All the while the church is imploding and neither side can do anything about it.
Is it possible for Reformation to come to the Episcopal community? The Southern Baptists managed to "clean house". Perhaps churches I have witnessed personally in this struggle could also. But to what effect? Shall we just kick out the gays and lesbians and claim moral victory?
The Southern Baptists fought for the inerrancy of the Scriptures and rightly so. To what end I must ask? Will bringing "no drinking alcohol resolutions" save a denomination while rejecting resolutions that deal with the heart of church discipline and a regenerated membership as in recording numbers at a Billy Graham crusade?
We do not need a social Gospel. We do not need moralisms. We do not need Fundamentalism or King James Onlyism or Legalism. May God grant Biblical repentance to His church with sound doctrine and solid exegetically based expositional preaching. For it is through the foolishness of preaching that God has chosen to save His people.
Unless Biblical authority is taken seriously, unless the Spirit begins a new work, unless God's called men (I do mean males only) do the necessary work of relaying a Biblical foundation over time, unless God's people pray with vigor, an unhealthy church is only a curse upon a land.
3 comments:
Your blog made me think of a quote I just stumbled across...thought you might like it.
"If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of truth of God except that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ however boldly I may be professing Christ."
- Martin Luther
Leazwell, I have no idea.
Cory, Good quote.
I agree with Luther.
:-)
Leazwell, I just asked my wife about your comment, and she figured you must be Australian.
If men do not respond, does that mean women should remain forbidden? My response is that if the Spirit is willing to bless a people, He will do what is necessary and good and right. How often we try to go ahead of him.
Abraham took Hagar because his wife could not conceive. Was Sarah forbidden from helping God in fulfilling His promise?
If God tells us what we are to do, we should not just do what we think is ok. Women have much to contribute to the church. Being a Pastor is not one of them.
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