Some will see the following as condemning, however it should be taken more in the spirit of a warning.
The services of Balaam were engaged to curse Israel as they are in the process of claiming the Land of Promise. There is a fair amount of give and take and then we find Balaam’s word, actually a question, “Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?” Note two things. Balaam uses the relational, covenant name for God. Thus but implication, He is not a distant, uncaring, and uninvolved God. Then also and of course his message to include this question was found objectionable by those to whom he was speaking. There was of course further discourse which we will consider in just a moment.
Then we travel the years of time and pages of the Scriptures into the life of the Apostle Paul and his letter to the Pastor Timothy. He writes, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
We live in such a time and in this time there is extreme and eternal danger that is unseen by most. It is the danger of living in a day when the world and its ways have impregnated what we call the “church.” It is not just one congregation here or there but it is to be found in the many, many options out there which call to those who care to listen. The call is not to salvation and godly living but to come and be completed, be fulfilled, be emotionally warmed, and so much more that can only be classed as therapeutic in tone and temporal in nature.
What of the Scriptures? The Scriptures that have for 6,000 years convicted men of sin and selfishness and pointed all who listen to their truths the way to relationship with God. What of those Scriptures? They are now employed in a pleasing, affirming, and devotional manner with the result that little changes. The darkened heart, bruised by sin and selfishness, hears a message that puts emotional bandages on deeply spiritual hurts.
Of course predominately, the founding and developing of mental health is without a spiritual/religious component by those who opposed faith. Thus though helpful on a mental-emotional level they often do not penetrate the darkened soul. It only stands to reason then that such “ministry” as is being described has little lasting effect and in fact is not unlike what one might find in the psychology and therapy rich culture of our time.
Certainly such “church” is comfortable and even comforting. However such comfort simply means that the “truth” presented does not stress the attendee at his need points, those points of imperfection. Thus spiritual needs go unidentified, unchallenged, and therefore there is no change—repentance is no longer stressed, holiness is relegated to the dustbin of the irrelevant doctrine, righteousness is now living in harmony with myself, and the list of difficulties these attitudes bring goes on and on—compounding one another!
Thus the “church” has lost its impact not just on those who attend but also upon the community in which it is situated. Note too this thought. As what it means to be a part of “church” has changed, the name “Christian” has changed. Even so hear the words of Balaam. “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it: Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
In these words that reflect the character and nature of God we find a certain consistency and changelessness. Note too that the word has changed from Lord to God—the all powerful majestic name. When we maintain that thought and reengage with the matter of the “church” we find a disturbing concern. It the “church” has changed and God has not, so what is to become of the “church?”
Time is the great test and if you will care to notice more than one “humanistic” centered congregation has gone out of business. However, there are those who have not given in, those who are still the Church, those who still proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and who uphold the Lord’s standard. Though not perfect, they continue to believe, teach, and minister to the deeper needs of man and do so in the truth. They would tell you as I do in this writing that to suppose a different Gospel is to tempt the possibility of an eternity in outer darkness with all who have not come to a saving faith found only in Jesus Christ!
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