[404 words]
People do change but they do not often change churches. They change from one make of automobile to another. They change their places of residence. Many change husbands or wives. Many change jobs. But there seems to be a kind of stigma against changing churches.
People will readily change with churches–that is, if they are becoming more liberal. They don’t change so readily with a church if its change is toward conservatism or more strict adherence to the Scriptures. People are ten times more afraid of being narrow than of being unscriptural. They are more afraid of being out of step with the crowds than of being out of step with Christ.
The one thing that should cause dissatisfaction with a church is its departure from the Scriptures. The best reason for making a change is to be with one that studies the Scriptures and strives in all of its phases to follow them. A church should be scriptural in name, doctrine, government, worship, and work.
Jesus convinced some people who would not change. “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42, 43.) Joseph of Arimathaea was a secret disciple (John 19:38). He kept his discipleship secret for fear of the Jews.
We, as the church of Christ, believe that a church must be scriptural to be pleasing to Christ. This should make us stand well in the favor of men. But instead we get criticism. Our greatest opposition stems from the fact that we warn against unscriptural things in religion and will not cooperate with those who practice them. We are called narrow. The promoters of unscriptural practices in religion assert that they are scriptural; this satisfies persons who have not taken the pains to search the Scriptures to see. They have confidence in “men of the cloth.” If they say they are scriptural, they are. But we who have examined the Scriptures daily to see if they are scriptural, have learned that they are not. And when we challenge the “men of the cloth” to show that their practices are not scriptural, they evade us. They become jittery and sometimes cross.
May all of us strive toward being scriptural rather than being popular!
Gardner S. Hall
via Anderson church of Christ
Anderson, AL