Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Churches In Trouble
Hard to Tell which denomination is is in bigger trouble right now. The United Church of Christ,
The United Church of Christ's rule-making body voted overwhelmingly Monday to approve a resolution that endorses same-sex marriage, making it the largest Christian denomination to do so.or (thanks to Holy Coast for this) The Church of England
HUNDREDS of Church of England clergy doubt the existence of God and fewer than two thirds believe in miracles, a study out today says.Fortunately, I think that Pyromanic, currently attending the School of Theology at the Metorpolitan Tabernacle in London, may be onto some of the root casues.
The common thread in all these ideas is that they seek to tone down and tame the biblical concept of God?by eliminating the law-court imagery of God as a judge; by redefining his wrath; by questioning the reality of hell; and in general by trying to eliminate any need for the fear of the Lord. This inevitably culminates in an attack on the principles of original sin, imputation, and the idea of the atonement as a penal substitution.Do we ever!
Do away with original sin, imputation, or penal substitution and you undermine the foundations of a proper understanding of justification by faith, the principle of imputed righteousness, and ultimately the gospel itself. These are perilous times. People have itching ears. It's a time when Christians need to be sober, vigilant, and ready to give an answer.
