Jerry Moffitt
The world is starving for a cause worth dying for. The brotherhood is feeble and bloodless due to short rations regarding the Bible. And though it gives me no pleasure to say it, liberalism in most of our churches offers the world a kind of “Christianity lite.” We know liberalism will never offer true Christianity to the world—not the stick to your-ribs-kind. It offers an insipid, unsavory, mild, diluted, weakened version. With liberalism it is sue for peace with the enemies before they say something that may hurt our pride. Everywhere you turn truths are watered down and the Christianity is an ease-off cool-down, rein-in, pull-up, gloss-over, type—the type that is so broad-minded that it makes one’s brain fall out. When it comes to warfare with sin and error, liberals are embarrassed doves, ashamed the subject even came up. Let us look at a few areas of concern.
Intellectual Pride
Liberalism makes fun of “Bible-toting-Bible-quoting” preachers. If you just study the Bible you are guilty of “theological thumb-sucking” and “Neanderthal religion.” I have two higher degrees, but I know Paul said, “hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1 Cor. 1:20). The way of man is not in him (Jer. 10:23). The gospel is God’s power unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). The Word of God is where the fire and the strength are (Jer. 23:29; Heb. 4:12; Luke 1:37).
Morals
A liberal does not much preach on or stand up to unscriptural divorce, drinking, dancing, smoking, dipping, immodest dress, indecent movies, and soft pornography. Rather, they accuse churches who do take a stand of trying to paint “an antiseptic circle around the church.” Well excuse me; that is exactly what I want to do. For me, my family, and the church I love, I want to carve out the cleanest and most wholesome environment possible, even if criticized for it by liberals. Christ wishes to present us to God as “holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him” (Col. 1:22). Paul said the church should not have “spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). See also 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1.
Doctrinal Error
When it comes to warfare with denominational error, the liberalism I have seen up close has a real problem deciding which side it is on. In fact, its aim seems to be to strip the church of all that makes it distinctive, in the hope that denominations will quit persecuting us and rather say nice things about us. Yet Jesus said, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!” (Luke 6:26). Jude said, “Contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3). And Jesus clearly said, “Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Mat. 10:34). When it comes to evil speaking, backbiting, slander, and defamation of character, when I go into a debate it has gotten where I am more afraid of some of my brethren than I am of the sectarians.
Conclusion
As you know, I could go on for quite a while. Liberalism hates rules and commandments, perverts love, swings a wide loop regarding fellowship, attacks reestablished doctrine, plays down hell fire, has doubts about the inerrancy of the Bible, emphasizes fun and games, and presents Christianity as a delicate and tasteless religion of convenience. If Jesus and the apostles were on earth today, I candidly say I believe they would be appalled.
