But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. Jude 1:17-19

For every form of wickedness under the sun there’s always someone out there who will find a way to excuse it and justify it. But it’s downright scandalous when that someone claims to be a brother or sister in Christ. We expect the world to act and behave like they do because it’s their nature as sons and daughters of Adam, but Christians are supposed to have a different nature as children of God.

The church is designed to be in the world like a boat is designed to be in the water. However, the boat is in trouble when the water gets into it as much as the church is in trouble when the world gets into it. Well, like water in a boat, the world has been seeping into the visible church for quite awhile now, and it’s sinking.

If this is not troubling enough, what is even more troubling to behold are those people in the boat (fellow Christians) who are upset at those who are trying to bail the water out of the boat.

I’ve noticed an increasing trend within Christendom of those who not only enjoy the water being in the boat, but are actively engaged in fighting against those who are desperately trying to get the water out of the boat.

There’s a special breed of proud and haughty sin-defenders within the church that’s arisen and they’re getting more vocal (and oftentimes very nasty) in their verbal assaults against anyone who dares to address the sin and worldliness rampant within the church.

Has anyone else noticed how most of the people who disagree with what we say on DefCon are walking lockstep with the seductive mistress known as “the world?” Has anyone else noticed that those who are most ardently opposed to what we do on this blog are those most friendly with the world and all of its lusts?

Do they not realize that their adulteress friendship with the world is evidence that they’re enemies of God?

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

You’ve seen them. They swoop in anytime someone on DefCon (or other blogs for that matter) dares to raise legitimate concerns over the way Christianity is displayed by those who profess to be Christians. Anytime Perry Noble, Mark Driscoll, Gary Lamb, or the likes are exposed, the usual gaggle of professing Christians charge into the blogosphere to attack us in defense of their sacred idols.

But their crusades don’t end with their defense of Noble, Lamb, and Driscoll; they also defend whatever is lowbrow, juvenile, culturally hip, culturally cool, and culturally relevant, no matter how antithetical to Christianity these passing fads are.

When anyone speaks of holiness, turning from sin, and untangling oneself from the world (as the Bible so clearly teaches) these soldiers of pragmatism are found front and center with swords drawn to advance their jihad of carnal Christianity via the sly spreading of seeds of doubt (did God really say that?), their endless word games, and their vitriolic attacks that are so condescending, and so vicious that they make attacks from Atheists look mild in comparison.

If you take the time to check out the blogs and websites of those professing Christians who most vehemently oppose us you’ll notice that almost every single one of them reveals their veiled hostility toward God and the fact that “the love of the Father is not in them” by virtue of their love of the world. This is not my standard of judgment, but God’s.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:15-16

What part of “do not love the world” do they not understand?

They set filthy shows and blasphemous movies before their eyes. They set God-dishonoring music before their ears. And instead of these being secret sins, they not only have the audacity to boast about their ways, but they even encourage others to defile themselves with these fleshly lusts as well. And they’re even so proud of their mingling with the world that they wear their affairs with their mistress like badges of honor.

They talk like the world, they walk like the world, they dress like the world, and they act like the world, and yet we’re supposedly the crazy one’s if we assume they’re still part of the world. In spite of all their outward expressions and actions, we’re supposed to believe they’re not actually of this world merely because they have Jesus on their lips. Essentially they’re telling us to listen to their words and pay no attention to their actions. But even their words betray them!

John MacArthur hit the nail on the head when he said:

Worldly preachers seem to go out of their way to put their carnal expertise on display—even in their sermons. In the name of connecting with “the culture” they want their people to know they have seen all the latest programs on MTV; familiarized themselves with all the key themes of “South Park”; learned the lyrics to countless tracks of gangsta rap and heavy metal music; and watched who-knows-how-many R-rated movies. They seem to know every fad top to bottom, back to front, and inside out. They’ve adopted both the style and the language of the world—including lavish use of language that used to be deemed inappropriate in polite society, much less in the pulpit. They want to fit right in with the world, and they seem to be making themselves quite comfortable there.

So what exactly is the kind of stuff these Christians who are in love with the world defending? It’s what you’ll see if you walk into the average church in America in the 21st century. Brace yourself:

– Elvis impersonator-led worship singing.

– The Cotton Patch Gospel.

– “God” wants you to party and mess you up.

– Pastor Perry Noble having a beer drinking song played by the “worship” band before their “worship” service.

– Pastor Perry Noble having the “worship” band play AC/DC’s Hell’s Bells for their Easter service.

– Dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in church.

– Redneck Jesus Freaks.

– Pastor Mark Driscoll’s mockery Jesus Christ on his t-shirt.

– Pastor Mark Driscoll’s profane and blasphemous speech from the pulpit mocking our Lord.

– Using regurgitation to give a “testimony.”

– Girls dancing to NSync in church under an illuminated cross.

– Rudeness and vulgarity during church announcements.

– Pastor Ed Young’s 7-day sex challenge.

– Pastor Paul Wirth’s 30-day sex challenge.

– Double entendres with the “Christian” book Going All the Way.

– The mockery of the ordinance of baptism by churches.

– Singing a worldly 80’s song as a worship song while swinging your socks in the air.

– Pastor Ed Young acting like he’s on MTV.

– The gospel according to Bruce Springsteen.

– The gospel according to The Beatles.

– Ultimate “Christian” wrestling.

– “Christian” man retreats.

– “Christianity” is all about music.

– “Christianity” is about Potty humor.

– The American church’s insatiable appetite for sex in their sermons and advertising.

– All manner of church advertising and gimmicks.

– Likening the Christianity to drug induced wickedness.

– A video aimed at youth involving injured clowns and evil chickens.

– A church for those who like hot rods.

– Las Vegas-style church and “Christian” gambling paraphernalia.

– Church poker games.

And these are just the tip of the iceberg amongst the myriad of other examples that leaves most people unable to tell the difference between the “church” and the world.

Sadly not only is this worldly entanglement rampant among those professing to be Christians, as I said before, it’s actually encouraged! See examples 2, 39, and 93 in the post who’s pastoring our youth pastors?.

Righteousness, sanctification, and holiness are now taboo words with many who want their “Jesus” icing on top of their worldly cake. They want to keep one foot in the world and one foot in the church and they come unglued when anyone suggests that this is possibly evidence of a false conversion.

But this all begs the question: When the world looks at the “church” aren’t they supposed to see a difference between them and the church, and not feel as if they’re just looking into a mirror?

This reminds me of the old bumper sticker that reads: “If you’re a Christian then act like one.” I couldn’t agree more.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27

So with all of this in mind, I put forward this question: If Christianity became illegal in this country, and you were arrested and charged with being a Christian, would there actually be enough evidence to convict you?

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age . . . Titus 2:11-12