November/Learning

...human argument or skill or any vainglorious philosophy, which is unsound even on the nature of the world, cannot be our teacher about God, but is to be regarded as sacrilegious and impious to God.

- Columbanus, Sermon II (Irish, 7th century)

He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"

  - Matthew 15.3

Christianity in any age is vulnerable to the influence of whatever may be the prevailing winds of doctrine. Early heresies grew out of Christian interaction with unbelieving worldviews and foreign religions. As Christian leaders sought to make the faith more "palatable" to their contemporaries, more "intellectually respectable" to the thinking crowd, or less at odds with the dominant worldview of the day, they compromised key areas of doctrine and opened the door to all manner of false teaching.

The problem with false teaching, of course, is that those who hold it can have no real communion with the living God - which is eternal life. They may feel really good about their beliefs and even convince themselves that these views are right for them. But if they aren't the truth of Scripture they will not lead to a real relationship with the living God. Instead, they may lead to the worst imaginable surprise on the Day of Judgment.

But this is true not only of great points of doctrine, but great issues in the practice of the faith as well. For example, Christians today have largely given up on the practice of personal evangelism. Why has this happened? For one, they have catered to the prevailing doctrine that insists that "intolerance" is not to be tolerated, and the supreme intolerance anyone can express is insist that he knows the Way, Truth, and Life.

For another, church leaders have sent the message to their members that they are better equipped to present the Good News; evangelism, such as it is, is best left to the professionals. See how we have done everything in our worship, our sanctuary, the tone and content of our preaching, and all our buildings and programs to make our unbelieving-but-"seeking" neighbors comfortable in our midst? You don't need to worry about proclaiming the Good News to them. You just love them into here, and we'll take it from there.

Neither of these common practices - or, alas, numerous others - can be supported from Scripture. We have let the spirit of the age, our own intuitions, and an overall atmosphere of marketing and entertainment teach us how to "do" Christianity. But such, of course, will never "do."

We must be taught of God in every aspect of the life of faith, or we will be taught falsely. To the Law and the Testimony, brethren, and lay aside all the trappings of fashion or success.

Today at The Fellowship

We're getting ready to introduce a new mentoring webinar on evangelism. Write me and I'll give you the advance scoop on how you can give your people the vision and training they need to reach out to the people around them.

The Pope has offered an opinion on the use of condoms, and the spin is flying in all directions. Maybe he should keep quiet about such things?

How's your spiritual life? Need a boost? Perhaps a Fellowship of Ailbe Mentor could help you get on a sounder and more fruitful track. Check out the opportunities available.

Browse our bookstore for some helpful resources to challenge your vision and practice of the Christian faith. The Legacy of Patrick, for example, can help you to see new ways that God can use your faith in Him to change the world around you.

As ever, thanks so much for your prayers and support of our ministry. You can make an end-of-the-year gift to The Fellowship by clicking the donate button on our home page or by sending your contribution to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 100 Lamplighter Ct., Hamilton, VA 20158.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.