Mine Is Right Because I Ordered It That Way!

Last week, I attempted to make a clever reference to the choices we make in food and how we prefer to consume things, and ever so tastelessly, I'll admit I probably failed. Either way, I hope the point made got across. If you are clueless, the post below should help refresh your memory on what was being discussed. I am going to discuss more in detail some of the points I was hoping to make. This way, some light might be shed on what I find to be some necessary "sarcasm" for this particular topic. The quotes are from the post in question, followed by the unpacking of it's intent. Thanks for reading!

Let's get on with it shall we? This chit chat is wasting space.

Man, isn't America great? Not only can I choose what flavor cake I want, I can eat it too. Then I can put it away and tell the rest of the world how they should deny themselves and sacrifice for jesus. Who's jesus? You tell me...

Evangelism has become a highly debated issue in many circles. On the forefront of Church history, we see the prioritization of the proclamation of the Lord's Gospel and the message for mankind to repent of sin and become restored into a right covenant with the Father. Revival in its purest sense has graced the landscape and shores of many continents and has always shown its truest form through the redemption of sinners and the witness of freshly bore fruit.

Righteousness was always the indicator of a believers conversion because it was such a stark contrast to his previous state, utter depravity. If there is no essential contrast of one from the other the indication would and should be pretty obvious. However, today's evangelicali$m has shrouded and clouded that truth with its own veil and outward form of godliness. Sadly, a majority of the examples labeled "christian" that are paraded in mainstream media today are simply charlatans and false teachers who have successfully done what Simon the sorcerer had originally set out to do, and that was make a buck (Acts 8:18-20). Thankfully, through God's providence, Simon came face to face with true Apostles who spoke a true message and openly rebuked Simon for his treacherous attempt to pilfer the gift of the Holy Spirit for his own gain.

So what of this point? Simply put, many have gone out in the name of Jesus. Many claim to carry His banner, proclaim His name, and do so 100% convinced that their take on the Gospel is the one that is right. Their cry too is repentance and faith. Their cry is righteousness and holiness. Their cry is that only Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6). They seem to be preaching the very same Gospel you and I would say is...Gospel. But one minor difference exists that separates the heresy from the fact. While the decree is proclaimed to sacrifice your life, sell your posessions, and give your life to Christ, this decree is scarcely met by the same degree of fulfillment required by the words being directed at others. They are telling you to do what they think they are doing right. The only standard that qualifies perfection and accuracy is theirs.

Distinguishing the deeds that are done as more righteous than the deeds done by others who also profess Christ through measuring it against the deeds carried out on personal behalf in no way measure up to the deeds required to consider oneself "righteous" in the eyes of God. Technically, what is being done is carried out with a pure intent that has reversed itself and become hypocrisy and ill motivation. "Way Of The Masterism" has created a creed and coven of street preachers who are maliciously making mishief and denouncing anything orthodox in the name of true religion. Out of the box evangelism training and pragmatism has created a brood of unqualified, unordained, rebel, and seceding persons who desire to see their version of the gospel preached so much that they've divorced themselves from all the means and Biblical standards that have served Christ's Church for centuries. Its hard to think that the standards they've created for what is called "righteousness" are so much more different than the ones they've read in the Scriptures.

The cake has become flavored by true religion, but as most flavors in most out of the box cakes it is "artificial." If you deviate from the original instructions just a bit, it throws off the entire batch, no matter how you try to spell it. As much as the same desires are shared by so many others in the Church, The Believing Body of Christ, their too is a desire for truth and holiness to be had in God's people. The supposed restoration of the testimony and witness of Christ in the world is not going to come about through the means of men. It will come about through the means of Christ, when He chooses. His glory is His and His alone, not ours to initiate or dictate the time and hour. While the sense of urgency should be on the forefront, the compromise of the Lord's Church as seen in Scripture should not be had through misinterpretation, prooftexting, and sheer overemphasis on non prescriptive Scriptures. Remember, not to preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but from good will (Php 1:15). To seek a name for ourselves with the wrong purpose completely undermines why we are preaching the Gospel in the first place. Sometimes, those who say they are Christian only do so because they've been told by others they are, but they are still lost, should they not bre treated as if they were lost? Instead of everyone besides ourself who says they are Christian become a target for our anger and "other" gospel?

If I believe that my gospel is the one that will save men, I've removed Christ from the equation and ignored His sovereignty in salvation. Essentially, I've changed the recipe and somehow done as man always does when he steps in and attempts to change the world and the Church through his own power and methods. In doing so, I've not only wound up with bad cake, I've wound up with an empty plate...