A Degenerate, Foreign Vine

Perhaps it is time to define for our society what “The Church” is. Maybe we need to remind ourselves. I often wonder if we (read: our society) have totally lost the Scriptural concept of The Church.

With the knowledge of leaving out 98 percent of what needs to be said, and running the risk of being misunderstood, let me postulate the following:

“The Church” is all the redeemed of God. But it is also the gathered organism on Earth that is committed to “The Truth.” While, no doubt, there is a “mixture” of Believers who hold various positions in relationship to embracing Truth, there is only one Truth.

It therefore give me heartburn (read: inward concern) when the “Media” comments on what the Church is doing in our World. There are some “churches” that have departed from the Truth in such a manner as to be described by Jeremiah (the Old Testament Prophet) as follows:

I planted you, a choice vine from the very best seed. How then could you turn into a degenerate, foreign vine? Even if you wash with lye and use a great amount of soap, the stain of your guilt is still in front of me. (Jeremiah 2:21-22 HCSB)

When a “church” embraces what God forbids, or chooses to bring into the life of that entity the sins of our society by either a tacit acceptance or a failure to proclaim our abhorrence of all sin (as defined by God’s revealed Word), I am thinking these verses are applicable.

Need an example: When a church embraces homosexuality and same sex marriage, in direct violation of God’s Word, it is foolish to believe that at the very least, a degenerate, foreign vine has not sprung up. It is in light of that the “Media” need to be reminded, that those entities who depart from the Truth forfeit their right to be called “The Church.”