Forthright Magazine http://www.forthright.net Straight to the Cross Richard Mansel goes to the Bible to answer ... "The Most Important Question." Great for classes, groups, evangelistic studies and individuals. http://forthrightpress.com/#MostImportant COLUMN: LIVING THE FAITH Changing the Lord's Church by Richard Mansel, managing editor In order for change agents to accomplish their goals, they must deconstruct the language, motives and parameters of the kingdom of Christ and convince others to incorporate their new reality. They must change the thoughts of their brethren, at their outset by altering the way Scripture is understood. Traditional hermeneutics must be discredited and replaced with a more malleable method. Once accomplished, the church can be steered toward their desired goal. In the Garden of Eden, Satan approaches Eve and incites her to violate God’s will by eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He makes three propositions and convinces her to sin. Subsequently Adam sins and they are expelled from the Garden (Genesis 3). "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field." (Genesis 3:1, NKJV). Wisely, Satan presented truth to Eve interspersed with enough error to lead her astray. The right excised or added word can lead to wholly different results. God said, "you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:17). Satan cooed that God said they would "not surely die" (Genesis 3:4). God meant spiritual death while Satan likely referred to physical death. His subtle change was designed to create doubt in the mind of Eve. Satan's deception involved the following changes. First, he attacked the perception of what God said. Second, he altered the definitions of words. Third, he played on her vanity by insisting that God was trying to prevent her from attaining her fullest potential. In other words, God was scared of her innate freedom. Change agents today do the same things as they seek to pull people away from truth. First, they attack the perception of what God's Word says. They constantly go back to the Restoration Movement and catalog any instance they can use to chip away at our heritage. If they believed or practiced something in the Restoration, then why don’t we? Second, change agents alter the definition of words. A Christian becomes just a person who is sincerely following Christ rather than what Scripture prescribes as a believer immersed for the remission of sins who is being obedient to Christ. Baptism is altered until it is a shell of its Scriptural definition. Church becomes much more expansive than what Christ began and salvation becomes much less than what Jesus desired. Third, change agents play on the vanity of man to expand the borders of fellowship in the church. They belittle brethren for being narrow minded, selfish, exclusive, snobby and legalistic for seeking to be in the sanctified Church of Christ. Derisive laughter meets those who attempt to maintain the fellowship God desires. By playing on people’s emotions and guilt, they hope to shame people into submission. Change agents must reorient people to a new reality where all the rules have changed. They are savvy enough to know that these changes will be painful and provoke opposition. Therefore, they are very patient in their efforts. That which is bearing fruit today was sown many years ago. Those who are evaluating their proposals need to see the dangers of their poison fruit. ---- Read this article online, write your reaction, and read others' comments as well. Click here: http://tinyurl.com/pnc7gt You can help get the word out. Here's how: http://www.forthright.net/editorial/lend_a_hand.html