These days, confronting falsehood and sin head-on is no more regarded as a necessity or as helpful. Instead, confronting error and ungodliness is frowned upon and condemned as hurtful behaviour. The tragic result: in Christian families and churches, a culture of resigned acceptance of worldliness has since taken root!
The attitudes of relativism and political correctness have become so common among Christians that many of God’s children are left without reproofs of life and proper warnings, leaving them to be ruined by their errors and sins. The crowd-pleasing mindset of Christian parents and church leadership alike has left both their children and flocks vulnerable to the most vicious perils of unchecked worldliness. The moral and spiritual integrity that is required of Christians and churches are hard to find in these days.
The hesitation of preachers and parents to confront the sins of their congregations and children are like that of the days of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel: “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter” (Isaiah 56:10-11).
“For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 6:13-15).
“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand” (Ezekiel 33:6).
By their silence, leaders and parents have consented to the incursion of worldliness. Their lack of determination to confront and fight against sin at all costs has made them thorough compromisers. They have permitted immodesty, fornication and materialism in their homes and worship places without firmly and decisively acting against them biblically. Even in so-called fundamental, conservative churches and their homes, there are so much goings-on that would surely be condemned by the Lord.
Brethren, remember the biblical admonition: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11). Not to reprove works of darkness is to be in fellowship with them. It is either confront or conform!
A deep, death-like spiritual slumber has befallen the church and Christian homes. Without a doubt, the moral and spiritual situation surrounding us is dreadful and calamitous. It is the Laodicean spirit, which was rebuked by our Lord Jesus Christ – “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. ...thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:15-17).
A spiritual awakening is desperately needed among Christians to know and appropriately deal with their death-like spiritual slumber. We must regain our fervour for truth and holiness. We must boldly and decisively deal with sin and error in our homes and church. Take heed to Paul’s admonition: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:11–14).
Are there some among you, who are members of Gethsemane, living in worldliness and sin? Are there some parents in our midst who have lost all your moral compass and courage to confront the worldliness and materialism in your family? If you fail to confront, the only outcome is that you and your home will serve the world more than Christ.
Are you a person who is irked by the preaching of the Word against sins that are rampant in our midst? Do you then advocate that the preacher should not rebuke sins of the people, because that is very disconcerting to people? If you are such a person, you need to know that your attitude is totally unbiblical – for the Bible specifically commands the preacher thus: “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee” (Titus 2:15); “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2).
If we fail to confront sin and falsehood, we will soon conform to them!