JUDE 1:4

It was as much a problem in the early church as it is in this day and age. Wherever God’s people can be found and his word can be heard, there are people who are thinking of that word as a power to be exploited and a people to be taIt was as much a problem in the early church as it is in this day and age. Wherever God’s people can be found and his word can be heard, there are people who are thinking of that word as a power to be exploited and a people to be taken advantage of. In modernized American Christianity, the church is ripe for this type of error because of Milo’s understanding of God’s “softer,” qualities. It has not wanted God as he is but has, instead, crafted a cartoon version wherein he doesn’t define something like “Love,” but is confined by it and its modern sensibilities. Because of this, the message of Christ becomes inclusive. This makes evangelism easy, but discipleship hard. The truth is that Christ’s message is exclusive. It is defined by him as the narrow path. With lower standards and an open invite, there is more than enough room for wolves to come in amongst a dread out herd of sheep, and there is too much space for shepherds to patrol. The church must glean identity from God, not culture, lest it falls prey to such wolves. And the need for such admonishment is perhaps a greater need than that of a constant focus on salvation.