When I was in high school, I took chemistry. By no stretch of the imagination was I good at the subject. I took it because I wanted to do lab experiments. Well, that's where I became familiar with an expression I thought was common to everyone – the litmus test. Have you heard of that expression? The term comes from chemistry, where litmus paper is dipped into a solution to determine the PH of that solution. The paper turns a particular colour depending upon the PH factor.
In society, the expression "the litmus test" is used metaphorically to refer to a test in which a single factor (such as an attitude, event or fact) is decisive in determining the state of a specific thing. For instance, many people have been using whether a church stayed open despite the restrictions as the test of whether that church is faithful and healthy. But is that even fair? Is that even the determining factor of the state of a church? Yes, to some degree, gathering in person is a sign of a healthy church. You can't be a church if you aren't assembling. I mean, it's in the word church! The word literally means a called-out assembly. However, if this is the litmus test of a healthy church, then we got a problem. You see, throughout the last couple of years, there has been a mixture of churches that refused to close - some that I would never recommend someone to attend. This week I was sent an article about The Church in the Vine, which is located in Edmonton, Alberta. They tried to follow different health protocols, which were reasonable. However, when it came to restricting attendance and permitting health officials to go in and observe that they were following the mandates, they refused to comply. Though I respect them for refusing the health officials to come in and disturb their worship service, I would not recommend someone to enter their church. It is a hotbed of heresy. They are a full-fledged NAR church with women pastors that promote, teach and adhere to new revelations given by God. They are governed by emotionalism, attractionalism, experience, and mysticism over the clear teaching of God's Word. Here's an unpopular opinion. Ready? Some churches that closed their doors when the government restricted gathering are more doctrinally sound than some that stayed open. And some that stayed open should have closed for good. Merely gathering and being active cannot be the litmus test – and this is evident in the book of Malachi. During that time in history, there was a lot of worship activity taking place. The doors were open, and people were coming to the priests to offer sacrifices. The priests were actively performing their duties. Yet, God calls for them to bring all this to a close. He literally says, "Oh, how I wish someone would close the doors." What was happening for God to say this? The activity taking place was in violation of God's clear instructions. They offered sacrifices that were blemished and abhorrent to God. So, is there a litmus test that can be used to determine the state of a church? The answer is yes. The test is how close that church adheres to God's Word. I think it's clear that discernment is needed when determining the state of a church. Though the church in the Vine gathered and did not restrict attendance, there were some red flags regarding their worship. For instance:
These are just some red flags that a quick website and Facebook search can find. How many red flags do you need until you recognize the church is not healthy and should be avoided? We can't know the red flags in a church unless we are doing the litmus test. But this demands something from us - consistent reading and studying of God's Word. We need to know God's word to apply God's word rightly. And we need to handle God's word rightly to apply it rightly. If we interpret scripture with a humanistic hermeneutic, it will do us no good in determining an activity that goes against God's Word. It would be like trying to do the litmus test without the paper, or at most with a different type of paper that wouldn't display an accurate result. There are some things that we should be looking for in a church. Signs that it is spiritually healthy. Last week I asked a question on my Instagram story about what you considered were signs of a healthy church. I loved what each of you had to say! I'll admit, sometimes it feels like I'm writing to an audience of one - so it's always encouraging to hear from you! Here's what some of you had to say:
All of these can be backed up with multiple scripture verses. But what is the overarching sign of a healthy church? A devotion to sound doctrine. As one person replied about what makes a healthy church, "They hold to sound doctrine, everything will fall in line after that." When you read about the early church in Acts, there are four things that they devoted themselves to (Acts 2:42). The first thing that is mentioned is the apostle's teachings; after that came fellowship, the Lord's Supper and prayer. It's been said, "Orthodoxy leads to orthopraxy." Or in other words, right doctrine leads to right living. So what does a church look like that is devoted to sound doctrine? Well, that's another blog for another time.
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AuthorHello! I'm glad you found my blog. My name is David Hanson, and I am a concerned Christian who desires for the church of North America to become aware and begin to think biblically of what is happening around them in society. It's time for the church to awake and speak into the current events of the day. We alone have the truth to navigate life effectively. That truth is the Word of God. Archives
May 2022
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