Reform Now! (A Call to the Church)

Paid Collaboration: We live in an age where “reform” is a buzz word. We have all heard about the efforts to have political reform, prison reform, public sector reform and all other reform. The reason for these efforts is to bring change. People are not satisfied with the status quo and they know that much needs to be changed in these institutions. Reform can be good if it seeks to eliminate error and align with truth. One of the reforms that has not been mentioned is religious reform. The church must align with the truth of the God of heaven and earth. Not opinions, feelings, or emotions. 

How do we know if our churches need to be reformed? In a pamphlet entitled, “Ten Indictments Against the Modern Church” (Paul Washer, HeartCry Missionary Society founder) exposes 10 indictments churches may be guilty of. Here in Belize we can easily relate to these indictments. If our churches are guilty of any of these then we need reform in our church. Let’s examine them to see if we are guilty….  

1. 1. The First Indictment: A Denial of the Sufficiency of Scripture 

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” -2 Timothy 3:15-17 

“Our missionary activity, our church activity, and everything we do ought to flow from the theologian and the exegete—the man who opens up his Bible and has only one question: What is Thy will, Oh God? We are not to send out questionnaires to carnal people to discover what kind of church they would attend! A church ought to be seeker friendly, but the church ought to recognize there is only one Seeker. His name is God!— and if you want to be friendly to someone, if you want to accommodate someone, accommodate Him and His glory, even if it is rejected by everyone else. We are not called to build empires. We are not called to be excessive. We are called to glorify God. And if you want the Church to be something other than a peculiar people (Tit 2:14; 1Pe 2:9), then you want something God does not want…..”

2. The Second Indictment: An Ignorance of God 

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent”—Acts 17:30 

“Now let me ask you a question. When was the last time you attended a conference on the attributes of God? When was the last time, as a pastor, you taught for a solid year on who God is? How much of all the teaching that goes on in America all week has anything to do with who God is? Isn’t it so easy to go with the flow, to just follow everybody else? And then one day you hear something like this and all of a sudden, you realize, “I can’t even remember when anybody taught on the attributes of God.” No wonder we are a people as we are! To know Him, that is what everything is about; that is eternal life. And eternal life doesn’t begin when you pass through the gates of glory; eternal life begins with conversion. Eternal life is to know Him. Do you honestly think you are going to be thrilled about swinging on gates of pearl and walking down streets of gold for an eternity? There is One there who is infinite in glory, and you will spend an eternity of eternities and never get your arms even around the foothill of His mountain!”   

3. The Third Indictment: A Failure to Address Man’s Malady 

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” —Romans 3:10-12 

“We are deceivers when we deal with the malady of men lightly, like shepherds of Jeremiah’s day. “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” (Jer 6:14). We are not only deceivers, but we are immoral. We are like a doctor who denies his 

Hippocratic oath, because he doesn’t want to tell someone bad news—because he thinks that person will be angry with him, or be sad. And so he does not tell them the news most necessary to save their life.”   

4. Our Fourth Indictment: An Ignorance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ 

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”—Romans 5:8-9   

“This is the greatest problem. This is the acropolis of the Christian’s faith, so said Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Charles Spurgeon, and anyone else who has read Romans chapter three. You see, you have got to set this before people. The great problem is that God is truly just and all men are truly wicked. God, to be just, must condemn wicked man. But then God, for His own glory, with a great love for us, sent forth His Son, who walked on this earth as a perfect Man. And then, according to the eternal plan of God, He went to that tree on Calvary. And on that tree, He bore our sin; and, standing in the law-place of His people, bearing our guilt, He became a curse. “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal 3:10). Christ redeemed us from the curse, becoming a curse in our place (Gal 3:13).”   

5. The Fifth Indictment: An Unbiblical Gospel Invitation 

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”—Mark 1:15 

“Men today are trusting in the fact that at least one time in their life they prayed a prayer, and someone told them they were saved because they were sincere enough. And so if you ask them, “Are you saved?” they do not say, “Yes I am, because I am looking unto Jesus and there is mighty evidence giving me assurance of being born again.” No!—they say instead, “One time in my life I prayed a prayer.” Now they live like devils, but they prayed a prayer! I heard of one evangelist who was coaxing a man to do that thing. Finally, the man felt so uncomfortable, the evangelist said, “Well, I’ll tell you what. I will pray to God for you and if it is what you want to say to God, squeeze my hands. Behold the power of God.”   

6. The Sixth Indictment: An Ignorance Regarding the Nature of the Church 

“That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”—1 Timothy 3:15   

“Today, because of the lack of biblical preaching, the so called “church” is filled up with carnal, wicked people identified with Christianity. And then, because of all the goats in the midst of the lambs, the lambs are blamed for all the things the goats are doing. And then the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of us (Rom 2:24).”   

7. The Seventh Indictment: A Lack of Loving and Compassionate Church Discipline 

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”—Galatians 6:1   

“I moved my family to our church because it practices church discipline, and because I need to be under church discipline—the watchful care of elders and other members who take this seriously. If my children, who are all tiny right now, make a profession of faith and then go awry, I want to know that they will be brought before the church, if necessary, for the salvation of their souls.”   

8. The Eighth Indictment: A Silence on Separation 

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?”—2 Corinthians 6:14   

“Today in our churches, there is a silence on separation from the world. “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness?” (2Co 6:14)—nothing! Or “what fellowship has light with darkness?” (vs.14)—nothing! Darkness is the opposite of God’s revelation. Or what harmony does Christ have with devils? (vs. 15)—nothing! Or what has the believer in common with the unbeliever? (vs. 15)—nothing! The Lord says, “Come out from their midst” (vs. 17). Come out from the midst of what? Come out from the midst of lawlessness, darkness, satanic devices, and the life and worldliness of the unbeliever. Come out from it!”   

9. The Ninth Indictment: A Replacement of the Scriptures with Psychology and Sociology Regarding the Family 

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”—Colossians 2:8   

“What does it matter if a man wins the whole world and loses his own family? Let me put it to you this way: Upon what are you rearing your children and loving your wife? Based upon what? If you can’t start going into Scriptures right now and showing me how your family is founded upon it, I can assure you, you are a captive to psychology, sociology, and the whims and lies of this age. You see, you don’t have the right to follow all these other things. You have no authority apart from the Word of God.”   

10. The Tenth Indictment: Pastors Malnourished in the Word 

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth notto be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”—2 Timothy 2:15   

“Paul then says this, “exercise thyself rather unto godliness” (1 Tim.4:7). He says, on the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of Godliness. Man of God, you want revival?—so do I. We need an army, though. If powerful swords, if mighty, flaming pipes and swords and weaponry are to be dropped out of heaven for us to fight with, then we must be the caliber of men who can wield those things to fight with sound character. We should discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. Young men, discipline yourself to prayer. Discipline yourself to the systematic reading of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation over and over and over again. Discipline yourself in your speech. Discipline yourself in the company you keep. Discipline yourself in when you go to bed and when you rise up. This is a war. Discipline yourself!” 

If you are a part of the true Church, the Body of Christ, this is what you would want for your local church. Christ Jesus loves the church and gave Himself for it. God’s church on earth is not a place to elevate man or to fill positions. We are Gods people on earth because of Jesus death, burial and resurrection. We have the eternal Word…It is firmly fixed in the heavens (Psa.119:89).  We have the most powerful Gospel message. It is a message of hope beyond this life. This message commands men to turn from their sins, to repent and trust in Jesus, the Son of God to be saved from God’s wrath.  

This is where reform will begin! 

If you’d like to read the entire version of “The Ten Indictments Against the Modern Church” CLICK HERE: https://www.chapellibrary.org:8443/pdf/books/tiat.pdf 

To watch “The Ten Indictments Against the Modern Church” on video CLICK HERE: https://youtu.be/Oul-9fbp1Ak 

To request a FREE copy of the pamphlet “The Ten Indictments Against the Modern Church” to be mailed to you CLICK HERE: https://freechristianbooksbz.wordpress.com/home/45-2/ 

Friends, we love you enough to tell you the truth. Today 150,000 people will die (globally). Your day has already been appointed by God. Make sure you’re ready. If you will not repent, you will perish in your sins. Repent and turn to Christ before it’s too late! 

If you’re looking for a church, need a Bible, Gospel tracts, or prayer, please visit our website at http://www.repentbelize.com/gospel/ we’re here to help you grow in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

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