T here is considerable hand-wringing in some quar ters today because the church is not converting the world. We are hearing that this is the “ post-Christian Era,” that other religions are making great strides, that there are more unsaved pagans than ever. Has the Gos pel failed? Has the church had her day? Must we settle for a world faith in which Christianity is mixed with a hodge-podge of religions? There never would have been such confusion if we had understood God’s program for this age. The Gospel should be preached to every creature and the church should make disciples of all nations but world conversion was not the goal to begin with. God is taking out a people for His Name. Christianity will never control the gov ernments, manage the societies or regulate the conduct of this age. The church will not end war for wars and rumours of wars shall continue until the end. The church will not eliminate crime for evil men shall wax worse and worse. The church will not overcome all unbelief for men will turn from the truth to fables. Lawlessness shall abound and love will abate. “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Wheat and tares will grow until harvest. The New Testament does not predict heathen lands being converted to the Gospels as did Ninevah to the preaching of Jonah, some hymns to the contrary notwithstanding. Why talk of a post-Christian era? There never has been a Christian era. Pentecost did not convert Jerusalem. Paul did not make Ephesus Christian. Christianity per meated the Roman Empire but never won it to Christ. The Reformation kindled the Gospel flame anew but did not set the world on fire. Today there are more church- members than ever but civilization is a foul carcass of corruption awaiting the vultures of judgment. The world order, politically, socially, economically, heads up into a world state and the religious world moves toward an apostate world church centered in Rome with Anti- Christ over all. True Christians will be a dedicated, des pised and dwindling minority group in the midst of paganism, they may be driven underground as in the days of the catacombs. They will be a misunderstood nucleus who have turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven. All of this does not mean that we are simply to sit with folded hands watching the skies for the Lord to appear. We will not convert the world but we are to evangelize it. We are not going to transform society but we are to shine as lights in the midst of this crooked generation. We are not out to legislate righteousness but things could be far better than they are if we made our Christian influence felt, witnessing by life and lip to the power of God in Christ. The Gospel makes a dif ference wherever it is preached and lived. It stirs up opposition; it exposes the unfruitful works of darkness; it turns men to God. It makes some mad, some sad, some glad, but something always happens. The sterile brand of Christianity so prevalent today sends people out of church neither mad, nor sad nor glad. They just go out.
Christians who understand their Bibles and their mission in this world are not disillusioned because civi lization is not coming to Christ. They are not surprised that the true Gospel is not popular. They are pilgrims here and are not driving down their tent-pegs in these lowlands. They are not thrilled over man’s effort to create a false millennium by education, sanitation, leg islation. Of course, all who are trying to build Babel again by human wit and will do not understand such Chris tians. To try to explain God’s program to unregenerate men is casting holy things to dogs and pearls before swine, to use the Saviour’s own words. Some Christians have been deceived into thinking that the Kingdom is to be brought in by the church’s spon soring the projects of this age. No! We have a solo part to perform; we were never meant to play the accom paniment to anything. Four hundred prophet bid Ahab and Jehoshaphat go up against Ramoth-gilead these days and only here and there does a Micaiah dare to be a lone dissenter. On the cover of an old book I found this recently: “ It is unspeakably sad that so many Christian workers are at this time inadvertently and ignorantly strengthening the ranks and swelling the forces they are seeking to op pose.” Some are deceived by the school of thought that would “ see the good in all religions” and no longer insist on the Gospel of No Other Name. It sounds tol erant and kind and gracious to say that one faith is as good as another. Eventually there is no missionary zeal for, “Why send the Gospel to people who already have a religion of their own” ? The wise Christian is not deceived by all this pleasant talk. Such Christians will not ride the passing bandwagons of temporary enthusiasms. They discern God’s program amidst all the turmoil of men. Their clock is set with heaven and they know what time it is at Headquarters. As Mordecai Ham put it, they read the newspaper to see what man is doing and then they read the Bible to see what God is doing. They are not disturbed by evil tidings for their hearts are fixed, trusting in the Lord. Of course all this is utterly at variance with the grandiose schemes sponsored by much of the professing church. Long ago they lost their simple faith, their pil grim character and their blessed hope. Instead of looking for the King to return, they set about to build the King dom here. The world was called in to help and the price was compromise. The wedding of church and world pro duced a popular and prosperous brand of Christianity acceptable to the age but not to God. Meanwhile the faithful “ church within the church” awaits her Lord and occupies till He come. No one knows how many of these Christians there are. The roll is kept in heaven. The Lord knows them that are His and to this faithful band He says, “ Fear not, little flock, for it is your Fa ther’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Has the church failed? It often fails to buy up its opportunities and to be all that it could be. But so far as what the church is in the intent and purpose of God, it has not failed and will not fail. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
JUNE, 1962
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