Make Evangelical Gospel-Centered Again

The state of much of American Christianity is unrecognizable to someone who has been away for such a time as I. Too many seem to have become enamored with the power of cultural dominance—and now that it may be waning—they seem willing to do anything, enter any alliance, to avoid losing that power.

But Jesus told His followers that they should expect hardship, persecution, and suffering from the powers of the world. And that we are expected to do what is right even when it means hardship for us. Whenever we are on the wrong end of persecution it should worry us.

A.W. Tozer’s words seem appropriate:

“Christians habitually weep and pray over beautiful truth only to draw back from that same truth when it comes to the difficult job of putting it into practice! Actually, the average church simply does not dare to check its practices against biblical precepts. It tolerates things that are diametrically opposed to the will of God, and if the matter is pointed out to its leaders, they will defend its unscriptural practices with a casuistry equal to the verbal dodging of the Roman moralists. Can it be that there is no vital connection between the emotional and the volitional departments of life? Since Christ makes His appeal directly to the will, are we justified in wondering whether or not these divided souls have ever made a true commitment to the Lord? Or whether they have been inwardly renewed? It does appear that too many Christians want to enjoy the thrill of feeling right but not willing to endure the inconvenience of being right! Jesus Himself left a warning: “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (Revelation 3:1b).”