The Global Church - Part 5 (unfinished)
God's Remnant in the New Millennium
See also "Are We Fundamentalists?"
Home - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - The Changing Church
The Church in China illustrates our options. Those who call themselves Christian can follow one of two paths:
The government controlled "Three Self Church" with its officials rules and theological restrictions.
The "illegal" home-churches, fragrant with His Life and joy, but an offense to the world and a threat to the establishment.
The registered government churches may include countless committed Christians. But few nominal "Christians" would join the illegal churches and risk rejection and persecution. To those who don't know the wonders of God's grace and the joy of His presence, the cost would seem too great.
In the "free" world, Christians who love God and stand on His truths may soon face similar costs in religious freedom. The crossroads ahead call us to make a choice. Will we choose the comforts that come with compromise or will we stand firm on absolute truths that have always been despised by the world? If we choose the latter, we will be a "fragrance of life" to each other as we walk His narrow way. To those who prefer the wide, well-populated highways, we will be an "aroma of death" -- no matter how much love we show to the hurting and lost. But we will please the One who wrote the ultimate blueprint for victory. And the cost is well worth the price.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Next: Part 6 - God's remnant in the new millennium