A Time for Clarity: Guarding the Church from Repeating the Past

I love the church. I have given my life to serve her, shepherd her, and protect her. That is why this conversation matters so much to me.

There have been moments in history when the church drifted so far from Scripture that what God called sin was defended as righteousness. We do not ignore those moments. We do not excuse them. We do not pretend they did not happen. We learn from them.

We are living in a moment when we have a choice. We can repeat the pattern or stop it.

History reminds us that parts of the visible church have, at times, defended corruption, injustice, and even evil while calling it faithfulness. From the excesses that sparked the Protestant Reformation to churches that once used the Bible to defend slavery, to the compromise of the German Christian movement in the 1930s, the lesson is painfully clear.

The church is capable of drifting when culture becomes louder than Scripture.

We should never look back at those seasons with arrogance. We should look back with humility and ask, “How did they not see it?” Then we should ask an even harder question: “Are we seeing clearly now?”

This Is Not About Anger. This Is About Love

What we are seeing in some parts of the church today is the public affirmation of what Scripture calls sin, particularly in the area of sexual ethics. This is being presented as compassion. As inclusion. As progress.

But real love never asks God to change His Word so we can feel more comfortable. Real love tells the truth and walks patiently with people toward the freedom found in Christ.

As a pastor, my calling is not to make people comfortable in sin. My calling is to help people find freedom from sin through Jesus.

That applies to every one of us. Pride. Greed. Lust. Gossip. Sexual immorality. None of us gets to rename our sin so it feels more acceptable. We bring it into the light and let God transform us.

Learning from the Past So We Do Not Repeat It

When we study history, we see the same pattern. The church slowly adopts the culture's language. Scripture becomes something to reinterpret rather than obey. Sin becomes something to affirm rather than repent of.

Then faithful believers have to stand up and say, “We must return to the Word of God.”

That is the moment we are in.

Not to attack people. Not to shame anyone. Not to elevate ourselves. But to lovingly, clearly, and courageously say that God’s design is still good, His Word is still true, and His grace is still powerful enough to transform any life.

The Church Must Be Different

The church was never meant to mirror the culture. It was meant to shine in the culture.

If we lose our willingness to call sin what God calls sin, we also lose our ability to offer the hope of the gospel. Because the gospel only makes sense when we understand our need for rescue.

If there is nothing to repent of, there is nothing to be saved from.

Our Moment to Choose

We cannot change the mistakes of the past, but we can refuse to repeat them.

We can be the generation of believers who say:

• We will love people deeply.
• We will welcome everyone sincerely.
• We will speak the truth clearly.
• We will hold to Scripture faithfully.

We can be the church that learns from history rather than becoming another chapter in it.

A Quiet Reformation Begins in the Heart

Another reformation will not start with protests or platforms. It will start in hearts that are fully surrendered to God. In pastors who refuse to soften the truth. In believers who refuse to trade biblical conviction for cultural approval.

It will begin when we decide that faithfulness matters more than popularity.

I believe we are standing in a defining moment for the church. Not a moment for fear, but a moment for courage. Not a moment for pride, but for humility. Not a moment for silence, but for clarity spoken in love.

May we be the church that our grandchildren look back on and say, “They did not repeat the mistakes of the past. They stood on the Word of God with grace and truth.”

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Jody