The Desperate Need For Reformation in the Modern American Churches

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Yesterday was the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. But should the Reformation end at 500? No, the Reformation should continue. The Reformation was inspired by heroes before it. Just imagine it if the heroes of the Reformation decided to let all the efforts of the pre-Reformation heroes die in vain. Right now, it's time to consider this new truth that the American churches need a new Reformation. Why do American churches badly need a new Reformation?

I listened to a couple of Paul David Washer's sermons that really made my day. I wish I were there in person to shake his hand because I'm getting pissed off with the "Christianity" of the modern world. I remembered how often I thought he taught works salvation until I started listening to what he said. He emphasized true conversion vs. false conversion. He taught the truth of eternal security yet also warned that you might think you're once saved always saved but the evidence says otherwise. This is something that the American churches are badly missing today.

Pastor Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron had two excellent videos that addressed the issue in "Hell's Best Kept Secret" and "True and False Conversion". The two videos showed what's wrong with the contemporary American evangelism. The watered down evangelism has led to numerous false converts. Instead of addressing the issue of sin there are many times that flimsy evangelism only talks about feeling peace and joy. The Christian life isn't about living it easy. On contrary, the Bible is full of warnings that the Christian life will never be easy.

Another real problem today is the prevailing "gospel" of Antinomianism. Don't get me wrong - I do believe in salvation is by grace through faith. Nobody is ever saved by works but nobody can be saved without resulting to good works. It's now even taught that somebody can get saved and still remain the same. They insist that not everyone is teachable and that some will still remain the same. Wait a minute - that is really heresy. Doesn't the Bible teach you that when God saves you that He saves you from your sin and not in your sin (Matthew 1:21)?

There's one truth about salvation that many American churches today keep hiding from the pulpit. It's the reality that nobody can be saved and still live like a devil. When you are truly saved there is the gratitude. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says that the unrighteous can't inherit the Kingdom of God. There's also the truth that the unrighteous were redeemed from their unrighteousness. There's not only justification but also sanctification. Ephesians 2:8-10 says that you're saved by grace and you're equipped unto God by good works. Titus 2:11-14 makes the unteachable as teachable by His grace to become a peculiar people zealous into good works

Unsaved people tend to enjoy anything that pleases the flesh. If works salvation pleases the flesh because it feeds to pride then the Antinomian gospel feeds on the desire to commit sin. The idea you can be saved but not saved from sin is very appealing. Christianity has been viewed to be very burdensome. I remembered during the time I preached to a Roman Catholic who mentioned he didn't want to get converted because becoming a born again Christian means abandoning worldliness. He was a very worldly person. Many people today enjoy the idea you can love God and the world at the same time. If people can get saved but never change then that would be a violation of God's holiness.

It's not comprehensible to any mind renewed by God (Romans 12:1-3) to think that anyone could get saved and still remain the same. Getting saved means facing the reality: you are a sinner and you can't make it to Heaven. Your sin separated you from God. God is offended by sin and yet you have preachers who think you can get saved and still continue in sin. If you've truly trembled at the power of God then it would continue in sanctification. If you've truly repented then this repentance continues. Such people are just false converts if they think they can get saved and have a license to sin. No Christian even the darkest of days would think of such a dangerous heresy.

Unfortunately, you've got a lot of these members of American "Christianity" who don't want this message. It doesn't please their flesh. They'll do everything to smear the preacher who warns against Antinomianism. Not all of them will directly admit they're an Antinomian in one way or another. They would even smear such pastors as Jesuit agents even when they aren't. They would resolve to one dirty tactic after the other to silence such preachers who are getting them out of their pleasure zones leading them to Hell. But as said, if you love God then you will hate sin. Even the most immature Christian cannot comprehend their stupidity.

Right now, I'm glad there's still preachers like Washer who are serious about it. If ever, every American pastor should even nail a war against the modern American church atmosphere. It's time to weed out these heresies like there's no tomorrow. It's time to play Martin Luther against quack preachers who look Christian but teach modernistic values. This is an ongoing battle that Christians should keep fighting until Jesus Christ comes back again.

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