The Danger of a Good Church

By David J. Stewart

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39

       As hard as it may be for some people to imagine, there's actually a danger of going to a “good church.” The danger is relying upon the pastor to keep one spiritual. This is how cults form. Jesus never commanded His disciples to sit on the front row at church and listen attentively, although there's certainly nothing wrong with doing so. Jesus never commanded His disciples to seek the counsel of a minister when they needed advice, but again, it's not necessarily wrong to do so. 

Jesus said... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!

I wrote this article because I've personally witnessed people's lives ruined, who were misled to make some very bad decisions (such as to divorce) because of unscriptural advice from a pastor, pastor's wife, or full-time Christian worker. A pastor is still a sinful man, prone to biasness and emotional involvement. It is foolish for anyone to make a major life's decision without consulting the Word of God concerning the matter. I've heard numerous people attempt to justify their divorce by quoting what some pastor or minister told them.  This is sinful. Our decisions should be based upon our own interpretation of the Scriptures, and not what someone else thinks. A woman told me that she divorced her husband because of advice she received from a Jewish Rabbi.  This is wrong.

Jesus said... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!

Many people expect their pastor to maintain their spirituality. In such cases, when the pastor runs off with the secretary, so does their Christianity.  I've known many people in my life to quit church and go back into the sinful world when their pastor went into sin. This is the danger of a good church. Jesus NEVER, not one time, taught His disciples to rely upon a man, or an organization such as a church or Bible college, to keep them spiritual. It is sad that so many people today are relying upon some religious institution or seminary to keep them spiritual.  I've preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to countless people in my lifetime, some who, when confronted with the Truth of God's Word said... “I have to go back and talk to my church elders about this.” 

Jesus said... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!

Even the best church in the world can be your worse enemy if your place it above God's Word. Jesus never placed emphasis upon the church as a means of increasing our faith. Here is an excellent quote from the mighty evangelist and pastor, Dwight L. Moody...

"I prayed for faith, and thought that some day Faith would come down and strike me like lightning.  But Faith did not seem to come... 

One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, 'Now faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.' I had closed my Bible, and prayed for Faith. I now opened my Bible, and began to study, and Faith has been growing ever since." —Dwight L. Moody

The great soulwinner, D.L. Moody, had learned the hard way that faith comes from studying the Word of God. Oh that believers today would STUDY and SEARCH the Scriptures, instead of relying upon another human being to revive their faith and make them spiritual. I know people who go to church, but they are only playing a game of religion and self-righteousness. They live worldly the rest of the week, are self-willed, and yet "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" (2nd Timothy 3:5). 

We are living in a time of apostasy, when many churches are becoming eerily silent concerning the disgusting sin of homosexuality. Abortion is now accepted in many of our churches, while the blood of millions of innocent children still cry out to God from the ground. We are living in a time of woeful heresy, where pastors either teach salvation without repentance, or pervert the meaning of “repent” to mean forsaking of one's sinful lifestyle as a prerequisite to be saved.  Both are horribly wrong. We ought to look into the Scriptures and learn what the Bible has to say. Romans 3:19 plainly states that the purpose of God's Law is that men might “become guilty before God.” Biblical repentance is when we come to that place, and then turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin and salvation.

Jesus said... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!

A good church can be your worst enemy if you neglect to live in the Bible. David said he meditated upon the Scriptures DAY AND NIGHT (Psalm 1:2). Most professed Christians don't spend one minute a day reading their Bible, let alone thinking day and night about the meaning of the Scriptures, and how to apply It to their life. Phooey on all the so-called “Christian” magazines, books, articles, radio programs, television shows, music, interviews and videos. And yes, even a good church can become your worst enemy if you substitute it for the Scriptures.

Jesus said... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!!

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” —Romans 10:17


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