Here’s why… The church as a whole, has lost its saltiness.
Despite the airwaves blanketing our great country with Christian radio and TV, the decline continues and at breakneck speed. Although these venues have an impact, they are entirely insufficient to preserve our culture, let alone improve it. We’ve delegated our personal responsibility to be salt and light, to those in leadership in the body of Christ.
Not so in the ancient world.
Here was the church’s reputation in the first century as recorded in Acts 17… “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too… and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” So much for your understanding of Romans 13, but that’s another topic for another day.
It is the church who has been turned upside down. We are nicer than Jesus, politically correct and just plain stupid! We’ve traded the water of the Word for the Kool-Aid of the world. But it gets worse.
The Kool-Aid is laced!
Laced with soft porn in commercials and worse in the movies. Laced with profanity that denigrates our fellow man. Laced with gratuitous violence and all manner of vice mixed in with the Kool-Aid until you don’t even recognize that you’re intoxicated with the world and staggering out of the bar. And then you return to your vomit and do it again!
But hey… you fit in now. You’re one of them. They like you. But they like you because you don’t challenge them. Because you won’t expose the works of darkness they love so much. They are like the wounded animal caught in a bear trap. If you try to help them, they will most likely bite you. So instead, you pull up next to them and watch the ballgame while they die. The thought of that reality brings tears to my eyes.
We’ve forgotten the admonition that James lays out… “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’”?
But that was only James. What would he know about how Jesus felt? He was only His brother. Oh… and also one of the twelve disciples. In fact, one of the three closest. But maybe James was having a bad day when he wrote that. I think not!
Men have always preferred darkness.
It’s our job to turn on the light. As my friend Robert Henderson often says, “I have never walked into a well lit bar!” But you say, you have grace! So do I, but that’s no reason to give up your saltiness. Gird yourself like a man. Be the light in the room, not the lampshade!
It seems we are so concerned about being relevant that we have become completely irrelevant. So afraid to expose and reprove the works of darkness, that we have become joint participants – but at least we’re friends! Really? Want to be a good friend? Show them the way. Light up their path.
Jesus said if the salt has lost its saltiness, it is good for nothing but to be trodden down by men. That is exactly what is happening. Christianity is being trampled on, while Islam is being revered! Say what you want about Christians or Jesus, but say something against a false religion and you will be taken to task in the most brutal of ways. Iniquity abounds, our love has grown cold. God help us! (Matthew 24:12)
Our salt granules have become coated with a substance that allows us to look like salt but have no effect. That coating that prevents us from tasting like salt must be either burned off or washed off. Trust me when I tell you, that it is better for us to run to the water and be washed, then to be thrown in the furnace with the fire. But one way or another, it’s coming off!
I choose the water of His Word and the fullness of His Spirit to wash me daily. How about you?
On another note…
If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the International Christian Business Institute, I still have a few seats left for the free webinar Thursday night with a very special guest. They are available on a first come, first served basis. It’s a class normally only open to students who have paid, but you are invited to audit this special class. By corporate contract with Go To Webinar, I only have limited seats, so reply to this and I will send you the invitation to register if there any left when you reply. If you are not subscribed to my email, just send me a note at mpink@michaelpink.com
Spot on…
Thank you for commenting Joanne! Judy and I appreciate you being a light!
True word….Ouch!
Very well said. Salt by nature is suppose to enhance flavor, preserve, and even irritate but those who claim to be salt are doing none of that. It would appear the church is Mrs. Dash and not salt. Lord help us return.
I really enjoyed the webinar. Lots of value and practical wisdom.
Michael,
As a Christian for many years, I enjoy reading your articles & perspective. Your take on “Why the church is so openly mocked” is no exception. However, I think your article is missing a key perspective as to why the “salt” of so many born again Christians has become “coated”. Every day, Christians (and non-Christians) see the distortion between man & God play out on their smart phones & TV news channels of groups such as ISIS. They are bombarded with images of hate, murder, and brutality all in the name of “God”. Unfortunately, your reference to James used in your article is exactly the same mind set the radical Islamist use to justify their terror on the world…in other words; You want to be a friend of the world and not believe in God the Muslim extremist way, we cut your head off.
The point is the Christian Church and the saltiness of every Christian are under a much greater attack than soft porn. Most Christians today barely take time to read their bible and certainly don’t have an inkling about their Christian heritage. I recently was speaking with a retired minister who informed me on how many Christian churches are struggling to keep their doors open not only in Tennessee, but Worldwide. At the same time, the Islamic movement is growing exponentially. Given the fact the Islamic faith only recognizes Christ as a “major prophet” and not the savior of the World, Son of God is unbelievable. What is worse, all those you make reference to in your article as to having no salt and pulling the lamp shade down over their light, do not even have a grasp of this fact and most don’t even care. In fact, they care more about who is going to win the next Super Bowl.
You are correct, many Christians today can simply get in their car, turn on a Christian radio channel and feel good about themselves. But ask them to take a stand for what they believe or explain the history of their Christian faith; they will ask you to quite down and just listen to the radio.
I liked your article about the church being mocked today. Jesus said it best. The church today is like the Pharisee church in his day. They shut up the kingdom of God to men. They compass sea and land to make one covert and they make him two fold more the child of hell than they are.
Even so, I know Jesus has all power to draw all men to himself. He does not wait for people to receive him as their personal savior. He draws all men to himself and none can resist his draw. He does not give men a chance to believe to be saved. He just saves them regardless of what they believe. Contrary to what evangelicals think and believe that scripture says, men can not be born again simply by an act of their will to believe and accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior. Jesus is no man’ s personal savior. Jesus Christ is the savior of all creation that includes all plants and animals, not just humans. Being born again is an act of Father God alone according to his good will and pleasure. Whom He foreknew (conceived) He
predestined to be conformed (born again) to the image of Christ
For all mankind are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works.