The message struck me as very odd, coming from a Bible-believing perspective. I realize that a message like that appeals to the flesh quite well. And if I set aside God’s Word for a moment I can say that it, “Sounds just right.” But I refuse to set aside God’s Word and I know exactly what that message is implying.
The denomination of that particular group was once well-known as a fundamentalist group. Sadly, now they’re recognized for their compromise with the world. Sadder still, the people who belong to that denomination probably don’t even realize where they once were. Or where they are right now.
I’m sure they believe that their worldly message is the “true” Christian message, after all, it sounds so “Christian.” But is it?
I know that the message means their hearts are open to what God is doing, even if they themselves don’t understand it. That’s fine. We should be open to the leading of the Lord. But then we come to the “open minds” portion of the message.
That has nothing more than a liberal meaning to it, particularly here in the West. We hear about “open minds” all the time. And those who don’t have “open minds” by the world’s standards are referred to as close-minded/narrow-minded bigots. And that’s exactly what that message board was saying.
The folks who gather there are “open” to anyone and the lifestyle they live. They’re not put off one bit by practicing sinners, regardless of their sin of choice. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We shouldn’t be put off by the sins of sinners or we’ll never reach out to them. But these folks take it too far when they come to their “Open Doors” statement.
What they’re really saying is that “you’re welcome in our fellowship” even if you refuse to give up your sinful lifestyle. This denomination has run TV commercials that teach that very thing. But while this may appeal to men, it flies in the face of what God’s Word teaches.
Jesus Himself said, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). And in Revelation 21:6-8 Jesus tells us that all unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire. Jesus doesn’t play around with sin like we do. He knows that when sin is left to fester, it destroys the sinner. So instead of embracing sin because we think it’s the loving thing to do, the reality is that true love tells the Truth.
The truth is that sin separates us from God. The good news is Jesus gave His life that we might live. But it requires us to repent of our sins, to forsake our worldly living and turn to Jesus for salvation.
If you haven’t already done so, I would encourage you to pray to God and ask Him to forgive you and to give you grace to repent and turn from your sins. Then read the Bible, obey what it says, believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, then tell someone else what He’s done for you!
Maranatha!