But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14)
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. (2 Corinthians 11:3, 4, 13-15)
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1. When men of God abandon the preaching of the gospel to become “social engineers and would be politicians” consumed with the temporary affairs of society
2. When the preaching of God’s Word is substituted with relational anecdotal experience, personal happiness programs, health and wealth gospel, and human potentiality makeovers
3. When pastors no longer shepherd God’s people and the pulpits become playgrounds
4. When psychology replaces biblical discipleship
5. When men of God are flattered to become “late night talk show guests” on cultural and spiritual issues, but never once open up the Bible to develop their answers; or call the nation, other guests, or the talk show host to repentance by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation; they’ve simply become culturally acceptable biblical motivational speakers thinking that access to mainstream media means they are making an impact
6. When the vicar of Rome is acknowledged as the vicar of Christ
7. When sin is called sickness; when disobedience is called disease; and when adultery is called addiction
8. When money becomes a prerequisite for ministry by charging people for the gospel, worship, discipleship, counseling, evangelism, etc.
9. When we are liked by all people; when the world is not offended by the message we represent and flatters us for being “relevant and nice”
10. When church becomes something we only do one hour a week on one day a week
11. When prayer becomes the seldom thing we do
12. When brothers and sisters hold ought against each other in bitterness and unforgiveness
13. When church discipline of sin ceases
14. When irreconcilable differences becomes an acceptable reason to break the covenant of marriage
15. When the goal of faith is no longer holiness, but happiness
16. When the object of faith is no longer Christ, but self
17. When the foundation of faith is no longer the Scriptures, but my personal experience
18. When error is tolerated and accepted as truth
19. When Christians partner with nonbelievers in the work of the ministry
20. When ministries are enticed to give up their autonomy and become owned by the world for just a little more money and a little more personal promotion
21. When the worship and glory of God is treated as entertainment
22. When the church bows the knee to the seminaries and surrenders her God-given duty of primary authority to train men for pastoral ministry (2 Tim. 2:1-2). Academic schools of religious learning make students – but not men of God.
23. When men personally profit from the sale of God’s Word
24. When repentance from sin, justification by faith, the law, the active and passive obedience of Christ, penal substitutionary atonement, are no longer considered part of the gospel
25. When salvation is no longer proclaimed as being by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, on the Word alone, to the glory of God alone
26. When partnering with Romanism, Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses, Church of Christ (Bostonian), Seventh Day Adventists, Islamic moralists, Atheists, Agnostics, etc., by divorcing the centrality of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ from their burden for social change, and therefore, indirectly legitimize them as being “morally sound and culturally chaste” by naive evangelical leaders who have forgotten their heritage, sold their spiritual birthright, and have abandoned sound doctrine for the sole purpose of establishing politically-correct alliances in order to try and turn back the tide of moral decay through cultural co-belligerence.
27. When the offense of the cross is removed for cultural acceptance, media accessibility and endorsement
28. When the gospel is contextualized rather than being contended for, proclaimed and heralded
29. When the sacred desk is no longer used for biblical exposition, but for comedic stand up by ribald raconteurs who delight in smutty humor, foul language, graphic sensuality, and using the Lord’s name as a punchline for their jokes
30. When the Word of God is not clearly taught, explained, exegeted, exposited, or preached from the pulpits of every true gospel church around the world
