We are living in days of compromise! Many Christians today have turned their backs on the strict Bible-believing churches, preferring instead to look for a ‘more exciting’, ‘modern’ church.
At the same time, the ‘Churches Together’ movement is working hard to draw in those few traditional Bible-believing churches in the UK who have not yet fallen under their influence. As a result, there are fewer and fewer churches today that can truly call themselves independent.
Church independence from external governance, whether that be ecclesiastical hierarchy or state government, is a foundational principle of the Baptist churches. Those who fought for this privilege over the centuries paid a great price for it, often enduring torture and death.
Sadly, many today would give up this hard-earned independence in order to see ‘unity among the churches’. The idea sounds nice, but such ‘unity’ always leads to compromise, as foundational doctrines are set aside in an effort to find common ground.
Remember that it was neither excitement nor unity that saved us from our sins, but truth; the truth (doctrine) of the Bible.
The Bible warns us that there are those who have “a form of godliness , but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” 2 Timothy 3:5
Let us therefore “walk circumspectly, … because the days are evil” Ephesians 5:15,16.