Dr Francis A. Schaeffer denies that most of the blame for the current state of the church lies with the opposing powers outside of her, but with the religious leaders who have set about destroying her from the inside. This was true in OT times, and it is also true today. They knew the truth, but deliberately turned away from it into relativism and apostasy, and became a mere echo of modern secular thought.
True, the biblical diagnosis is not comfortable reading, especially for those charged with responsibility for feeding the sheep, and teaching the people. Jeremiah describes these unfaithful servants as "profane" and "wicked," (23;11). They have brought their wickedness into the very house of God. Imagine that! Profane prophets and priests have brought their filth, their worldly-mindedness into God's sanctuary! The very thought of it is appalling! They cannot blame the people for making them do it, as Aaron did at the bottom of Mount Sinai. No, they introduced their wickedness into the house of God. They polluted God's house with their evangelised secularism; they 'christened' the world, and brought it into the church; they baptised heathenism, and made it part of the worship of God. And on and on it goes.
Ministers cannot seem to get enough of the world - its popular applause, its riches, its plaudits, its recognition. What they forget, of course, is that the praise of man rules out the praise that comes from God, and is an abomination in His sight.
What gross wickedness it is for God's appointed servants to bring what is anti-God right into His house. How will they answer for their wickedness? And how will those who support them and turn a blind eye to what they are doing will be punished by the sovereign Lord.
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