The Entropic State of Missions Part 3 of 4

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The greater portion of Western Christianity hath, in many places, so complicated the simplicity of the Gospel and obscured the true nature of Christ's church that outward measures of success have openly replaced the weightier matters of spiritual life. Theology, though integral and necessary in its proper place, hath at times been elevated above a living and experiential love for Christ. Promotional programs, conferences, and the influence of putting celebrated ministers on pedestals have too often drawn centered attention than the quiet pursuit of individual holiness and the cultivation of purity among the saints. Thus it is possible for a church to increase in visibility while declining in spiritual vitality; to abound in activity while lacking devotion; to possess much knowledge while exhibiting little conformity unto Christ. For the true strength of a church is not measured merely by the multitude gathered within its walls, but by the degree to which its members love Christ, walk in holiness, and bear the fruits of genuine repentance and faith.

The kingdom of God doth not advance chiefly through spectacle, but through the Gospel's sanctifying work upon the saints.

And thus the corruption that yet festers within the heart of man hath managed to corrupt even those things which were intended merely to point beyond themselves unto Christ. That which was given as a means hath too often been elevated into an end. Theology, whose proper purpose is to lead the soul into right worship, faithful obedience, and a deeper knowledge of God, hath in many places been exalted above the living reality to which it points. Men have become so occupied with the lamp that they no longer behold the light.

Apart from the experiential reality of Christ's power working within the believer, the intellect quickly begins to glory in its own attainments. Knowledge itself becometh the treasure rather than the Giver of knowledge. The accumulation of learning is mistaken for spiritual maturity, and the possession of truth is confused with conformity unto Christ. Thus the mind may be filled while the heart remains strangely untouched. In such a condition, theology ceases to be a servant and becometh a master. The Christian delights more in discussing truth than in living it, more in defending doctrine than in displaying its fruit. And because the pursuit itself hath become the goal, the church often neglects the very purpose for which truth was entrusted unto her: namely, that it should be proclaimed before the world and embodied in the lives of God's people. For the world possesses no shortage of intellect. It hath scholars, philosophers, critics, and experts in abundance. If Christianity offers only information, then it offers little that the world doth not already possess in greater measure. Mere knowledge is not the church's distinctive treasure. The world can reason, analyze, debate, and speculate. What it cannot produce is spiritual life.

The Christianity of former generations was marked not merely by the possession of truth, but by the manifest power of that truth upon the soul. Men spoke of Christ because they had encountered Christ. They proclaimed grace because they had tasted grace. Their doctrine was not a collection of propositions alone, but a living reality wrought in them by the Spirit of God. They have none of what we have today, but our Christianity today can never compare to what they accomplished then—they turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).

Part 4 - Conclusion

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