Based on Colossians 1:24-2:10 (New King James Version)
“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”
When I read this passage, I asked myself, “If Paul were to visit one of our churches today, what would he say?” Would he be happy with what happens today? Would he feel great satisfaction for all the effort, dedication, and even how he died for the Gospel? What would be his thoughts if he saw what really happens in the majority of modern churches (not in all, by the grace of God)? If he saw the different buildings that were built and that are maintained, or the large salaries that are distributed, or the social events that are promoted, or the internal politics that have been created, or the little groups and/or closed social circles that have been formed, or the lifestyles that are promoted, etc., etc., what would he say? Knowing him through his work and writings, I think Paul would say, “It’s a good thing I did everything for the Lord, and my sacrifice for the church was a product of my love for Christ, and not for this.” I would think that, at the very least, he would feel great disappointment, and that the gospel that he preached would have no place in today’s churches. And quite possibly, the most terrifying thing is that many leaders and ministers that lead churches today would tell Paul, “The church had to ‘evolve’, and you Paul are the past of the Church, and we are present of the Church.”
Now, what we live today as the universal church of Christ, is it really a healthy development, or something else? If we compare it to what the Scriptures teach, and of course, starting by who founded the Church (Christ), we will realize that what we see today has nothing to do with what He designed. For starters, the Lord never received a salary, or property, or stock options, etc. for His actions. He never commanded to build a temple, but quite the contrary. He clarified that God did not live in manmade temples. The Lord gave free access to anyone that wanted to come to Him. Moreover, He would go to the poor, to the sick, to the weak, to those that society despised. He never sold His time to give a speech or preach. He never charged for His social help. And also, He said it Himself that the Son of Man did not have anywhere to lay His head. There is a big difference between how Jesus lived and what is done today.
Why did I start by seeing what Paul would say, for example, and not the Lord? The big problem is that many would say that that was God, and that things had to be like that for Him, so that what was foretold of Him could be fulfilled. And with people that think that way, I really don’t know what to say, because they are beings that take too lightly what the Lord did for us. So then, at the very least, I try to draw a line with someone that is like us (like Paul), so that we can see a closer example. Paul lived very closely to how the Lord lived, and he did things very similarly to the Lord. One of the principal things Paul did was to dedicate himself to the spread of the Gospel during a time that was very hostile for that. The prosperity or the golden age of the Church, per se, lasted very little after Paul’s conversion, because Paul preached during the worse time when the Roman Empire persecuted the Church. And of course, blessed be the Lord, that Paul was not the only one that also struggled for and even sacrificed his life for the gospel. There were many more that sacrificed much so that we could have access to the Gospel of Christ and to His Holy Word, the Holy Bible, the one that has been altered for some time now.
And I know that some would say, “It’s not our fault that Paul had to live through that time and that we live through another time.” And I would say to them, “Don’t worry, the time that Paul lived will come again, and it is coming sooner than they think, and it will no longer be easy to follow Christ like it is in many places in the world today. There are already many brethren that know what it’s like to fight for and sacrifice much for their faith, in different parts of the world. The big problem that we live today, in general, within the universal church, is that precisely the same things that Paul warned against are what have infiltrated our pulpits and places of worship. Philosophy, empty deceit, traditions of men, and worldly principles are well rooted within. This is what happens many times, that the Holy Spirit and the Word are not what generate the message or the teaching, but rather, a human thought is created, and of course, one that is attractive to the masses, and the Word of God is used (unfortunately) to substantiate that thought, to support what is convenient. It’s easy to see that because that is what Satan himself did, when he tried to tempt the Lord in the same manner, trying to make sound what he was saying as the truth. And of course, different sinful lifestyles that do not glorify God, and the excess that many try to use the things of God for have been justified that way. It is not Christ anymore that reigns in many places, but rather, sin and materialism. And finally, they have created a great population of people that look more for temporary wellbeing and fulfilling human goals rather than having their eyes on Christ and the eternity that He offers. That is what prevails today. Everyone wants to go to heaven, but hardly anyone wants to go through any suffering, and far less, die to be able to enter. They think they can introduce the world into heaven, and that is not going to happen.
The issue is that, if people really value what Christ and also so many others that followed Him genuinely did, I would think that the lifestyle of many people would change, and the evil that is in the church would be less. Sin and man would stop being glorified. So then, do you want to continue living through the corruption that exists today, or do you want to be part of the Church of Christ that does glorify God, the one that will enter heaven? Lord bless! John