WORSE

So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 1 Corinthians 6:4

The church at Corinth experienced a great number of problems, which the apostle attempted to correct in this letter. One issue was they went to magistrates outside the church to settle disputes between professing believers. They had departed from the truth which says the natural, worldly, unbeliever “does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14). Once we are saved, submissive to the Lordship of Christ, and empowered by God’s Word through the Holy Spirit, we are more than capable of settling disputes and disagreements among ourselves as believers (1 Cor 6:1-3).

The modern “church” in America, by and large, is far more guilty of violating the principle of this truth than the Corinthians had in their individual indiscretions. Many local congregations have adjusted their worship of God in order to attract the unbelieving world. They believe that by “improving” the quality of the church service and making the worship atmosphere better, viz., more “user friendly” to the un-churched, they think they can win the lost once they’ve brought them into the building. In effect, they are asking the world to judge whether or not the church is acceptable to them. Better isn’t always better; and in this case, better is actually worse. The unbelieving world has no capacity to judge the heavenly glories of godly worship on earth. When we stray from the gospel of Jesus Christ, even a little, the power to evangelize lost souls will be unavailable. Why? Because, in our insanity, we think we can improve upon the work of the cross. When we don’t see Christ’s cross as powerful to save our wretched lives, it will not be powerful toward others (1 Cor 1:18, 21).

The gospel is God’s truth in pow’r
Revealing Jesus to our minds;
We need His glories ev’ry hour—
Renew’d, more holy, our souls find.

Rock concert or worshiping Christ? — “Better Isn’t Always Better” Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash

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