Thursday, February 19, 2009

Don't Be a Chameleon

There is an intense pressure for the church to be "relevant" If that means talking about things that matter and talking in a way that is understandable, I'm all for it. But I worry when "relevance" means being viewed as cool or culturally hip. Hear what Tozer had to say on this:

The church’s mightiest influence is when she is different from the world in which she lives. Her power lies in her being different, rises with the degree in which she is differs and sinks as the difference diminishes.
Men are impressed with the message of the church just as far and as long as she is different from themselves. When she longs to be like them they no longer respect her… And contrary to common opinion, men are more inclined to follow the way of Christ when they are compelled to make a radical alternation in their loves than when the way is made easy for them. The human heart senses its need to be changed, and when religion appears offering life without such change, it is not taken seriously by thinking men
. (A.W.Tozer, The Set of the Sail, 35)

Are you afraid of being different?

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