House churches also indulge in vain glory, and live a worldly life. The gospel preached is self-centred and humanistic. This causes those who genuinely seek and uphold the truth to be attacked. Those who are truly humble and willing to suffer are persecuted by the ones who boast about their sufferings. They deliberately oppose the government for their own vain glory. Those who practise legalism replace union with Jesus in his death and life, with moral teachings. Those who oppose legalism replace godly character, with “grace” in order to indulge themselves in worldly pleasure.
Those who know a lot about the bible replace fellowship with the Lord, and self-denial and a godly life founded upon self-denial, with hard cold facts.
As a result, hyper-reform theology is rampant in China and fundamentalists are self-righteous. At the other extreme, people who are anti-intellectualism become religious fanatics, “feel good” replace perseverance in the truth, and neglect responsibility towards truth and rationality. Thus, people become religious fanatics and hysterical, shout and roll, become hypocritical, show fake emotions and love, scratch each other’s back, etc. Such deprave behaviour is common among the Charismatic group, Cry Out for Salvation and Cry Out Loud groups, evangelicals, Presbyterians and all the false “orthodox churches.”
Therefore, those who do not separate themselves from Three-Self (false) churches betray the Lord and their faith. For those who separate themselves from Three Self (false) churches, they refuse to separate themselves from self-centredness, the world and sin. These people will shame the Lord’s Name even more. They deceive themselves in thinking they love and glorify the Lord. When they defend the truth, they are in actual fact resisting the truth. They persecute the righteous and yet think they are love the Lord. They resist the Lord’s work and yet they think they are reviving the Lord’s work.
Lastly, thank God that there is an increase in the number of the Lord’s people in China with whom we are in contact. In this way, in a world where people are following their own sinful ways, we can bring people back to the old path, sound the horn of reformation, preach the pure gospel, and call the people of this generation to repentance. I have witnessed the Lord’s working in various places, calling people in God’s church to a reformed life, saving to salvation in increasing numbers those outside God’s church.
May God’s grace abound in your lives! May He increase your faith so that His abundant blessings fill you all!
A member of the Lord’s body, Xiao Ming.
May the Lord also move us so we can understand His will, and the pressing need to love souls and spread the gospel.