Some Call it Hyper!

Self-advancement or Self-abasement?

“Man's religion is to build up the creature. God's religion is to
throw the creature down in the dust of self-abasement, and to
glorify Christ.”

J.C. Philpot

If Philpot is right, and I am fully inclined to take him so, then this shows the key to discerning whether our Christian churches are promoting “true religion” or not.

When the contemporary church is all about making you feel comfortable, so as to secure your subsequent visits, and dollars, no doubt, what is it doing but stroking the ego? When it offers programs galore for the entertainment of your children, what is it doing in terms of humbling man’s pride? When it preaches self-help, so one can develop personally, and when it promotes self-esteem, so one can actually feel good about one’s development, how is it promoting self-abasement?

If we take a hard honest look at the contemporary evangelical church today in North America, we must conclude, as was stated by a wise observer, “it is three thousand miles wide and an inch deep.” Indeed, it may be an exaggeration to call it an inch deep, as there would have to be some serious preaching of God’s terrible and awesome Word before that happens. Nay! It may be a millimeter deep.

So given Philpot’s pithy pun, and Christ’s crystal-clear challenge: “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23-24), it appears that the contemporary church is weighed and found wanting. Far from promoting cross-bearing and dying to self, it is engaging in puffing up men’s egos with its non-sense of “free-will,” and its constant talk of “letting God into your life,” which has replaced man on the throne of sovereignty.

Gone are the days of puritan prayers that acknowledged the deep, deep wickedness within. Forgotten are the remorseful hearts that were weighed deep down with a burden of sin before a Holy and righteous God. Indeed, some children today would not have a clue as to what repentance from sin and spiritual brokenness before Christ is all about. From the examples of their parents, and dare I say, their pastors, they believe Jesus is their chum, not the Coming King who will judge the quick and the dead!

If there is to be any hope for the evangelical church, it is to be sought in a wide-scale abandonment of the worldly ways of worship, a rejection of the pop-psychology learnt at many seminaries and church growth manuals, a severe and sincere repentance for missing the mark in exalting God alone, and finally it needs a solid and sound re-acquaintance with the Mighty Scriptures of the Mighty God. In essence, a new vision of God as God is, is needed. He, and He alone, is our only hope!

Theodore.