In referring to the backbone of the church, I have in mind the firmness, the moral courage, the stand for truth, the spine of the church itself. There are certain "straws" about which we should be alarmed because they are breaking the church's back. What are some of these "straws"?

IGNORING SIN
Worldliness is not rebuked, and lukewarmness is prevalent. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul rebuked the Corinthians because fornication was among them, and they were not alarmed. Paul's assessment was straightforward. "And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you." {1 Corinthians 5:2} Lukewarmness is intolerable. God certainly will not tolerate it. What did the angel say to the church at Laodicea? "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." {Revelation 3:16}

LACKING CONVICTION
Men act, either from conviction, because they believe a thing with all their heart, or from convenience, because the thing is as easy to do as not to do; and there is an advantage to doing it. Why do you attend the assemblies? Is it because you want to worship God? (John 4:24; Psalm 122:1) Is it a matter of conviction, or are other things more appealing because they are convenient? (Hebrews 10:24,25) Have you obeyed the gospel from the heart, or have you not found a convenient time? (Romans 6:17; Acts 24:25)

We see conviction illustrated in the decision of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they spoke to king Nebuchadnezzar. How did they respond when he commanded them to serve the man-made god he created rather than the God of heaven? "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." {Daniel 3:17,18} These men were determined to do right regardless of the consequences. May the Lord increase their kind!

CHANGING PREACHING
Some endeavor to change our preaching, remodel the gospel, and modernize the church. I was in the audience when a young man spoke disparagingly of those who would preach against such things as "adultery, instrumental music, and institutionalism." This young man stated that "these things are not relevant to salvation anyway." Others have stated, "God does not expect us to be completely, doctrinally correct." Such statements emphatically illustrate the truthfulness of Paul's words to the young preacher, Timothy. "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." {2 Timothy 4:2-4}

WHAT CAUSES SUCH DANGEROUS TENDENCIES?
Certainly, we can attribute the cause to any number of things. Possibly, success makes it easy to outgrow the plea for simple New Testament Christianity. Maybe it is that we have less opposition. Once it was hard to be a Christian because of the great hardships and persecutions that apparently strengthened the early church. "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." {Romans 5:3-5} There is little indoctrination, and that is certain to bring tragic consequences. The church is filled with people who know little about the doctrine of Christ and thus, who fail to abide in His doctrine. "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds." {2 John 9-11} Maybe compromise with our religious neighbors' attitudes toward doctrine and morality has helped to cause these modern trends within the Lord's church. Can we, due to our own lack of knowledge, be like ancient Israel? "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priests for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children." {Hosea 4:6}

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
The solution is to have greater respect for scriptural authority and more firmness in practicing New Testament Christianity. Consider some of these passages: "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." {Jude 3} "That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ."{Ephesians 4:14,15} Also read Galatians 1:6-9 and Titus 1:13,14. From these passages it is evident that truth is fixed, unaltered, and unchangeable. Preaching truth is certain to disturb some. "Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" {Galatians 4:16} Genesis 1:1 disturbs the atheist. Exodus 20:3 disturbs the heathen. Hebrews 11:6 disturbs the moralist. Romans 1:24-28 disturbs the homosexual. Matthew 19:9 disturbs those who want to remain in adultery. Yet, Paul told Timothy to preach the word! Paul commanded the Ephesians to "stand fast" Ephesians 6:13,14. One cannot stand against something without standing for something. Truth will always oppose error.

There is a valuable lesson to be learned from the past. Apostasy, as was prophesied in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4, soon came to the first-century church. What has happened can happen again if we place too many worldly straws on the backbone of the church.

All I can add to my good friend's article is that we are reaping the consequences of the "soft stand" many take against error. Truth is one thing we should never be ashamed of. Truth is the ultimate weapon against Satan and error. God intended for us to use and wield it against His adversaries! --KG