Thoughts
1 January 2016

THE FORGOTTEN MESSAGE

By John Ollis

My readers know I was born again in a church that is part of the “Holiness Movement” well over 64 years ago. Because of the Biblical emphasis of holy, victorious pure living,  it automatically seemed to produce lots of “thou shalt nots, and “thou shalts”. In hindsight the legalism has not hurt me, and the positive aspects of the teaching continue to challenge my heart.Sadly, much of the Church I see today,  has walked away from the truths of holy living,  I have recently been reading “Holiness and the spirit of the Age” by Floyd McClung, an esteemed leader in Y.W.A.M. I also have (I believe) the complete set of Samuel Logan Brengle’sbooks on holiness, which I plan to re-read this year.

WHY HAS THE MESSAGE OF HOLINESS  BEEN FORGOTTEN?

I am going to list the below a number of reasons why I believe it has been forgotten.

  1. The message of salvation  is preached without repentance. People are asked to “make decisions” they may or may not even pray the Sinner’s prayer, they may be invited to attend a “New Christian’s class” for a few weeks, on completion, they are in the club!! Making a decision to follow Jesus, may just be the beginning of a pilgrimage, and sometimes, weeks and months later, they are truly born again. Discipleship is not just a class, but a Discipler walking with the new believer, into a victorious life. Helping the new believer to spend quality time in prayer with the Lord daily, and helping him fall in love with the Word of God, seeing it as our DAILY spiritual food.
  2. Holiness is not preached as a progressive message, that new believers need to understand and embrace. Which included the need to continually surrender their will to the Lord, and seek to live the Spirit filled life.
  3. The need for our churches to be “contemporary” to attract new people, so that we have to use secular methods to make our services “exciting”. The emphasis on the excellence of the music and the singers voices, so that all the effort is put into the music and the singing, and no time to worship in spirit and truth!!!!
  4. The preaching of the “cheap grace” message, this 1st century heresy that rears it ugly head in almost every generation, has polluted the 21st century church, especially in Asia where the present emphasis is coming from. Heresy can be 90% truth, but the 10% causes all the problem. Cheap grace preachers teach that all our sins are forgiven, and we never need to ask for forgiveness ever again. Positionally it is true, but the Apostle John reminds us as believers, that when we sin, we have an advocate, and “If we confess our sins, He (Jesus) is faithful and just (true to His Name, His nature, and His promises) to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9. Let us not forget John was writing to Christians when he talked about the need for confession!!!! The cheap grace preacher says we have been “declared righteous” what an awesome truth, but again the Apostle John says, now that we are believers “we must PRACTICE righteousness 1 John 3:10.
  5. The evil one is a “deceiver” and he will subtly twist scriptures, and deceive preachers and new Chrsitians to water down the standards of the Word of God.

I am sure there are other reasons, we such a poor reflection of the Church, my prayer is that we will recognises the “wiles”  of the evil one (Eph.6:11) and put on the whole armour of God.
The Bible teaches, through the finished work of Christ and the inheritance He purchased for us, we can live above sin, not that we cannot sin, but need not sin. What a glorious Salvation we have.
Let us not compromise the teaching of the Word of God so we can be popular and acceptable to the world, let us at the start of 2016 make the decision by God’s grace, I will be part of the Church that is without spot and blemish, or wrinkle , and without blemish.
I guess there will be those who read this and will say John Ollis is a grumpy old fashioned preacher. I know what the Word of God says, I know the depravity of my own heart, but I am laying hold of God’s grace to be a man of God.
Can I have your comments please ?
 

About The Author

I turned 83 recently, and after 50+ years of teaching and preaching Ministry, I spend my time blogging, video Mentoring and Intercession. I have had a God-blessed life, and I give God all the thanks and all the glory.