THEME: HUMAN WISDOM AND PRIDE CAUSE SPIRITUAL FAILURE AND STUNTED GROWTH  

Recently, there has been a spate of confusion, strife, rivalry, competition, strange gatherings, strange doctrines and strange practices all in the name of God, Jesus, Church worship and all in the land. These developments have caused much a concern and debate, condemnation and outright damnation with quite a damage not so much to the Church as such as the lives of people, seekers, the non-discipled and non-grounded believers and worshippers. The developments are also causing breach of peace, disorderliness and disquiet in society. 

The truth on the other hand is that these developments cannot but affect the church and the Faith. They cause confusion as regards the standing of the church in society and most important still the truth and integrity of the Holy scriptures, and the reality and Glory of God and His Christ in affairs of men. The truth about God and His image can also be seriously affected.  

Because of these developments the standing and hope of society in the church as a Divine instrument of peace and stability, enlightenment and hope for human advancement, social righteousness and justice can be seriously eroded. This has not happened yet in the country.  To a large extent, the church enjoys a strong place in the hearts and minds of Ghanaians.  The people of Ghana have accepted God and His Christ; they have accepted the scriptures and the Faith as a veritable and eternal truth and life for fullness of life and Joy on this plane and beyond. 

Thanks be to God in this connection for the pioneering works of the missionaries and the fathers, particularly the evangelistic and missionary outreach of the seventies and eighties, which have succeeded in creating a national character and standing for the Christian Faith, making Christianity the de facto national religion. 

The Satanic strongholds and domination of the country have been overturned.  The demonic cultural heritage has lost its stranglehold on the spirits and minds of the people, young and old, ancient and unborn. 

In the place of Satan the devil and the host of gods and goddesses, dwarfs and mermaids, deities and spirits, principalities and powers, spiritual authorities and dominions in traditional religion and culture and other faiths and religious systems, the church has brought people and nation to God the Creator, The Father and Christ the Son Saviour, Reconciler and Mediator, Redeemer, Restorer and Giver of Life, Justifier and Judge in things pertaining to The Living God, Creator of  heaven and earth. Tradition, customs and culture, religion, political and social structures have all been exposed to the truth and Light of Christ and of the Holy Scriptures of the Bible.  There is a total spiritual and social revolution of deep and lasting nature. 

These and all have raised the church to a very high standing in the Spiritual, Religious, Political, Social and Cultural affairs of the land.   For example, no politician can make it if he or she makes an open and even discreet and hidden stand against the Church. Gospel (church) music has taken center stage in the music and cultural scene.  Christ is and has become the Saviour, Redeemer and Hope of the people of Ghana. 

With such great advantage of divine power and favor, social acceptance and peoples trust and Hope in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, it is very sad, in fact very unfortunate the confusion, destabilizing influences and indiscipline rising up in the church in the country. For this reason and in order to contribute towards the aversion of this unfortunate development, we humbly submit for close examination and meditation by all concerned the causes of the confusion and indiscipline in the church.  

First, it can be safely stated that the church as a whole has rejected the LORDSHIP and Headship of Christ Jesus of the Church. Many a leader, church Board and Council, theologian and minister have turned the Church into a human and social institution, subject to human wisdom, understanding and power and no more subject to the ruling, direction, control and honor of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

Accordingly, the affairs of the Church has become variable, unstable and often irreconcilable subject as it is to the views, understanding, fancies and whims of men.  Many a church has broken or in fact has no real connection with Jesus Christ, who is or ought to be the Foundation, Spirit, Identity, Reality, and Ruling Spirit-Power of the church.  There is no church except, and outside Jesus Christ.  

Today, there is an unfortunate development where the Divine basis of the Church is not accepted and acknowledged.  The church is treated either as fully human or part Divine and part human institution with the human side weighing heavier and taking precedence over the Divine.  Christ has no pre-eminence in many churches in the land. 

This, notwithstanding, the teaching and admonition of Jesus Christ that the church’s witness of Him and Mission in the world cannot and must not be carried outside the Ministry and Supervision of the Divine Spirit, the Holy Spirit (John 14: 6 – 20; Luke 24:29; Acts 1: 4 – 8; John 16: 7 – 16) 

In this connection, it must be clarified that though Christ appeared in the flesh taking on human nature with all its powers and failings, He did not work by the human spirit, power and understanding.  As the scriptures assert, not only does the flesh fail, not only is it difficult and impossible for flesh and blood to inherit the Kingdom of God,  working by the flesh and not the spirit cannot but lead to confusion, damnation and ultimately rejection by God and His Christ (Romans 8: 1, 4 –8, 12 – 14) 

There are strives, confusion rivalry and competition in the church primarily because men have elected and appointed themselves heads and lords of the church.  They do and judge things by the flesh and carnal mind, by worldly mindset standards and senses and not by obedience through faith in Christ and the Holy Spirit. (James 3: 14 – 4:8; Jude 16 – 21; 2 Cor. 10: 1 – 6, 12 – 18) 

If there is rejection of Christ’s headship, government and control of the Church via the ministry of the Holy Spirit, if church leaders do not accept nor honor the Lordship of Jesus Christ over their lives, rejecting the truth and power of the scriptures and the Holy Spirit, spiritual, social and moral confusion become inevitable.  Without Christ, without wisdom and grace from above, the Church can at best be run by human wisdom and management techniques. But this is spiritual disaster and failure. One sad development in this respect is the adoption of human philosophies and social theories for character moulding and human transformation instead of after the Spirit, Truth, Love and Power of Christ, the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.  When that happens church people miss on the Graces, Truth, Power, Love, Liberty and Glory of Christ in the Divine system (John 1:16; Colossians 1:10-17, 26-28; Phil. 2:12-13; 2nd Corinth 3:17-18).  

The end result of these systems of preaching, teaching and leading in the church is that people are by definition not saved, they do not get truly born again with the Spirit of God, the Seed and Power of Christ in the Truth of the Gospel and the spirit working power in the inner man in discipling and supervision of human transformation and character formation.  

Many people in the Church to-day have lost on, in fact have no idea about the riches of the inheritance in Christ.  They treat the rich Christian heritage in terms of money, possessions and social standing. With such spurious Christians, non-regenerated, non-converted, non-righteous leadership, carnality in human wisdom and human pride take over the government and affairs of the Church, and not according to Christ, the truth of the Gospel nor the Power of the Holy Spirit.  

The elect truly born again, spirit-filed saints become exposed to ideas and doctrines of men, empty carnal and barren teachings leading to stunted growth, spiritual emasculation and immaturity, barrenness and non-fruitfulness in the knowledge and things of God and the LORD Jesus Christ. 

The third factor responsible for indiscipline in the Church is that Money, Power and Human Glory have become the driving force in the church to the extent that church arrangements, evangelism and church order and practice in general have become totally divorced from the Will, Plan and Purposes of God and His Christ,  from the truth and light of the Holy Scriptures and from the truth of divine reality in the revelation of the Knowledge of God, His counsel and direction in human affairs. 

In short, the church has deserted from God and Christ, The Holy Spirit, the truth of the Gospel and holiness unto God.  The Church has turned idolatrous having Men, Money, Power and Possessions and Human Imagination as gods. 

From the above three factors, it can be discerned that the indiscipline in the church is primarily the work of church leadership and the Church establishment as of itself.   Priests and Scribes, Apostles and Prophets, Pastors and Teachers have rejected Christ, established doctrines and church practice of human devices in the rejection of Christ, the knowledge of God, His Truth and Righteousness. 

In short, the church has now virtually turned human and broken away from the Divine foundations and moorings of truth and spirit order and established instead a church order of the rejection of Christ, the Knowledge of God and the Divine Spirit supervision and control of church affairs. The Church order in many places is made up of systems of disobedience and idolatry.  That is to say, the Church is now of the kingdom and city of man.  

With human spirit, disobedience and idolatry characteristic of fallen man now pervading, the Church has lost the Divine Approval, Divine Touch, Divine Authority, Power and Favor and the divine truth and light that give her spiritual and moral authority in the affairs of men.  Worshippers do not know, seek or experience the rich spiritual and rewarding experience in divine presence, revelation and glory. 

It is imperative therefore, that Church leaders, elders and ministers must return to Christ, the truth of the Gospel, the light and power of the scriptures, the power and control of the Holy Spirit and the Humility, Righteousness and Faithfulness of Jesus Christ.  Unless this is done, Human Frailty, Human Pride and Vanity will continue to obstruct and undermine the Church system, create spiritual imbalances and disequilibrium, exposing churches to Satanic influences and inevitable Divine Wrath and Judgement.  The Kingdom of God is built with judgement and justice.  And judgement starts in the House of God. 

The Church must return to the Christ Foundation, the foundation laid by the Apostles, Prophets and Jesus Christ Himself (Eph. 2:20; 1st Corinth 3:11).  The Church must re-establish herself in God’s Kingdom Power in and of Christ, respect and honor The Kingdom of God and His Christ.  “Except the LORD builds the house they labor in vain that build it; Except the LORD keeps the city, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Psalm 127:1; John 15:1-17) 

Wednesday, May 07, 2003