You shouldn’t be deceived when you become discouraged by how vicious, religious, yet foolish men or women can be. They will always come to a tragic end, for God will not be mocked. A lack of integrity will always be found out.
I have watched my own life and the lives of those around me for 72 years. My particular field of view has been churches and the Christian communities where I’ve ministered.
The church is often, sadly, a microcosm of the world. Many churches contain both wise and foolish men and women. Jesus was the one who declared that there would be both “wheat and tares” even in the church, i.e., people who were genuine believers and those who profess to be believers but are not.
It was the religious but lost people who led the crowd to crucify Jesus because He challenged control of their lives and institutions. If a man has not submitted to Christ (although he professes to be religious), he can be very dangerous and destructive. He is capable of nefarious things while proclaiming his innocence and supposed spirituality.
The End of the Godlessly Religious
The book of Proverbs is filled with contrasts between the wise and the foolish. It tells you exactly what they will do and how they will end.
I have watched small, loud groups of controlling people in many churches. I’m watching one now as they are destroying a church and a good pastor…and they are relentless. And they’re doing it publicly. It is discouraging and disturbing, but it is not the first time.
Most pastors I know (including me) have been on the receiving end of some controlling individuals in a church at some point, particularly when good leaders are trying to bring about needed change. It’s never pretty and is designed by the great Enemy to hinder the gospel and destroy the light of God’s church. What’s particularly disturbing is those in the middle—humble, well-meaning people who get confused by the loud voices of others. And also tragic, is the ammunition a church fight gives to the Enemy as he seeks to keep people in the world away from God and His kingdom.