"The world will never believe in a religion in which there is no supernatural power. A rationalized faith, a socialized church and a moralized gospel may gain applause, but they awaken no conviction and win no converts." Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932)I may be mistaken by what the world wants to see in God's people, but I think Chadwick was on to something. I think the world really wants to see a people who are different - awake, alive, full of sacrificial love. This is far more than just being naturally good or nice. This is a supernatural, life-transforming work of God. Look at the three things Chadwick says might gain applause:
"Rationalized faith": There is a difference between explaining the faith away and explaining it to death. It is in the latter sense that Chadwick means rationalized. Christians may decry postmodernism with its tendency to relativize the faith. But the answer is not a modernism that has every apologetic 'i' dotted and every doctrinal 't' crossed. The answer is a faith that is both rational and real, making sense and changing hearts.
"Socialized church": By this I take him to mean a church whose identity is based in its involvement in solving social ills - feeding the hungry, stopping human trafficking, political reform, etc. All of these are good if they are a fruit of the gospel and not a root of the gospel. Help an unemployed man get a job and you have done a good thing and the world might applaud. Help him get a job as you help him encounter Jesus and the applause may not be so loud.
"Moralized gospel": The gospel is not just Jesus helping you keep the rules. Jesus did not live, die and live again just so you could do five things to be a better spouse and know five secrets to better time management.
Much more could be said, but maybe Chadwick was just explaining 2 Timothy 3. There we read of people who love self and love stuff and who have a form of godliness but deny its power. These people want a godliness that is enough to get them the approval of others but not enough to make them do anything too crazy. Take a moment to pray for the church you are a part of and the churches in your community. Pray that they would be places where people are encountering Jesus and His grace and truth are transforming lives. Pray for preachers who will do more than get people to their sermons and its points. Pray for preachers who will get people to the Bible and its Author who convicts and converts. Pray for a church full of lives that can only be explained by supernatural intervention.
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