Beware of the leaven of the Churchians. Beware of their tendency to be overly nice. Beware of their pretty lies. Look not at their words, but what the consequences are to those around them.
For the liar, the psychopath (who does not think he lies, for his conscience is seared, and he has not concept of the truth), the pedarist, the procurer and the perjurer all are within the church. We are not a pure organisation.
Many who look good are not, indeed those who appear perfect are generally living a lie, for the true saint is rare (and to be emulated).
And do not look for acts of power or signs, or worse, measurement of key performance indicators. God does not care about these things.
Christ did not care for them, and nor should we.
The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
(Mark 8:11-21 ESV)
Which is kind of what happened in Kirk today. We started off thinking about how the businessmen can trample on worship, and make a business of it, considering how Jesus got rid of the traders in the temple.
Look they were doing a service: selling the ritually clean, so one did not need to monitor one’s own herd when traveling to Jerusalem. But that became a monopoly, and that led to swingeing fees to the point that they were a den of robbers.
Then we considered that Christ’s love is unconditional. The Kirk is not about earning: it is akin to a parent who loves their child, regardless. Because sometimes that child does wrong… and love is not dependent on a person doing good.
And here I think the leaven of the Churchian sits. He is afraid that he will damn others, and damn himself: that whatever salvation he has, whatever justification he has, is contingent on his good behaviour. The Romans, who do practice confession and penance are clearer in their teaching than the free churches here, for they say that yes there is accountability, and the sin matters, (and it does) but God forgives: show your repentance by doing this. But they do not say that your acts pay the just penalty. They are too wise: they say Christ paid the penalty.
And the reformed simply say we are all damned, and that any good we do is the work of Christ. Any salvation we have is the work of Christ, and none of us can boast.
But the fear of the Churchian means that he has to boast. As to the size of the congregation, the acts of goodness, the missionial focus, the number of Gold records the worship team has made…. in the externals. Which do not matter: the fear of the Churchian leads to boasting, frequently about the purity with which things are done and the micro regulation with which people live.
As if that can save us.
Micro regulation and the practice of the regulations they placed, around the law of Moses, with exquisite care did not save the Pharisees, but instead enslaved them. Within their religion, as in all religions, fear drove out peace.
For peace comes only when our sins are expunged. And that was the work of Christ.
