On the gigantic distance that America has gotten from true Christianity

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Website owner:  James Miller

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To appreciate the gigantic distance that our society has gotten from Christianity we must first understand what true Christianity is and how it differs from the Christianity that we find all around us. We must differentiate between the real thing and the belief and practice of all the apostate Christianity around us. Most of the Christian sects around us are way off course. Real Christianity is about obedience to God, practice. It is not about lively songs, long, boring sermons, rite, ritual, abstruse dogma and doctrine, church attendance, etc. It is about putting into practice in our lives the teachings of God, the teachings of the Bible, the teachings of Jesus. It is following the way given to us by Jesus. To do this we must examine carefully the many Biblical passages that are concerned with telling Christians how they should live. We need to examine the words of Christ and of the apostles John, Peter, James, Paul, etc. in this regard. What do they say about how a Christian ought to live and what type of behavior is wrong and completely off limits for a Christian? What attributes do they say characterize a real Christian? What kind of person is a true Christian supposed to be? Finding scripture that answers these questions is not difficult. It is right in the New Testament available to any interested person. Before presenting some of this scripture I first make note that the early apostles put an extraordinary amount of emphasis on clean, straight, moral living; on moral purity, chastity, holiness. Christians are supposed to be chaste, morally pure, upright, virtuous, good, decent people. Moral impurity, indecency, vulgarity, coarseness, profanity, etc. is not acceptable for a Christian (a true Christian). Note this emphasis in the following passages:

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Eph 5:3-12 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

I Cor 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

I Pet 1:13-16 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. {7}Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. {8} Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Rom 13:12-14 Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Gal 5:13-26 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. {14} For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." {15} But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! {16} I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. {17} For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. {18} But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. {19} Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, {20} idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, {21} envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. {22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. {24} And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. {25} If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. {26} Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Col 3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. {2} Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. {3} For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. {4} When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. {5} Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. {6} Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, {7} in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. {8} But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. {9} Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, {10} and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, {11} where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. {12} Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; {13} bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. {14} But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. {15} And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. {16} Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. {17} And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. {18} Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. {19} Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. {20} Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. {21} Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. {22} Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. {23} And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, {24} knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. {25} But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

2 Tim 2:22-25 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. {23} But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. {24} And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, {25} in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.

Rom 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. {9} Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

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As we can see from the above scripture, moral straightness, chastity and moral purity are central values in true Christianity. You won’t go to heaven without them. They are requirements for the true Christian. If this emphasis on moral purity is puritanical, then the early Christians were very puritanical in their outlook. God is pure and he requires purity in his followers.

Now to show the great distance that modern America has gotten from true Christianity, let us consider the results of a 2015 Gallop survey. According to the survey, 68% of Americans approve of sex between unmarried couples, 61% approve of having a baby outside of marriage, and 63% approve of gay/lesbian relations. More than that, only 5% of Americans regard themselves as “very conservative” on such social issues. In the Biblical outlook homosexuality is wickedness of the very highest order. Now I ask, “How far is today’s America from the outlooks, attitudes and values of true Christianity? You answer that question.

For the most part, the Christianity of America is not Christianity! Mostly, the Christians of America are “the world” referred to in the Bible. They are just people who view themselves as Christian, think they are Christian, because they go to a church that calls itself Christian. They have no concept of what real Christianity is. Let me ask this question: How many preachers in America preach the importance of moral purity? How many preachers in Christian churches in Christian Europe preach the importance of moral purity? They don’t preach it? Why is it, do you suppose, that they don’t? And if they don’t preach that, exactly what is it that they do preach? Listen to them. See what they preach. How close is it in spirit and content to the scripture quoted above? Is it really honest for them to call themselves Christian?

America. What words describe America? What characterizes America and the entire western world more than its preoccupation with lasciviousness, lust and sex; its impurity and its moral depravity? Are terms such as immoral, morally degenerate, depraved, morally perverted, godless and wicked inappropriate?

America. The great Sodom. Blithely dancing to the tune of Satan down that broad road leading straight to eternal damnation!

June 2016