The Purpose for this Craziness in the Church

Recently, I was reading something by a man of God whom I respect, and he said he was concerned by those things taking place in the church. And, like him, I am as well. But I also have a different perspective than him. And that perspective is the craziness in the church today is necessary.

Necessary? Yes. God uses heresies as a way of demonstrating who is real. The Apostle Paul said, “[T]here must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” 1 Cor. 11:19. In different translations, other words are used like sect, factions, divisions, contentions, differences and arguments. Yes, all of these things are in the church today and they demonstrate God is at work.

How? Although none of the qualities I listed are from God, God uses them to establish those He approves of. Why does God allow those evil things in His church, amongst His people? Because in every generation a battle is taking place for the direction of the church. False leaders rise up to lead believers in the wrong direction, away from Christ. But God uses those false leaders to demonstrate the difference between His leaders and false leaders.

In every age, false leaders rise to lead the church away from Christ. When I was born again, the PTL scandal rocked the church world. Shortly thereafter, Jimmy Swaggert, who I enjoyed watched, fell as a result of his hidden sin. I have seen the rise and fall of many leaders in my 35 years of being a believer. And I learned something: God allowed these things to grow His church.

In my own life, I have met false, abusive leaders. I had one of my pastors plagiarize what I wrote, use it in his sermon, fail to say anything about where he received what he received and then attack me because he didn’t like what he did. I have been sent to major leaders, prior to their fall, to confront the sin in their lives. I have been sent, in secret, to reprove leaders and churches that are in sin. And I have learned what the Apostle Paul said, these things exist to set apart those whom He approves of.

I can still vividly remember a man of God I knew, Art Katz, who went to a leader and publicly reproved him before his own congregation for what he was doing. That man, who claimed to be an apostle, abused the people in his congregation by bringing them to the front to publicly reprove them for their “secret sins”. I have found this is one of the ways false leaders gain control, fear and intimidation, they are abusive. Or at the other end of the spectrum, false leaders will use flattery and flowery words to get what they want. And I have learned something, the false exists for a purpose: to allow that which is real to be manifest.

So, in the midst of your concerns over the craziness in the church and world, don’t lose sight of what God is doing. What is God doing? He’s raising up those whom he approves of in our day. And that’s cause for great rejoicing. God always has a remnant. And He always is working in secret to raise up those who He approves of. Rarely does God use thunder and lightning to show who He approves of. Often, He uses false leaders to highlight His real leaders.

So, although I’m concerned by what I see, I won’t let the craziness in the church and world to dictate what happens in my life. I know God is working to raise up those whom He approves of. And I’m watching and waiting for them. I’m looking for that which is real in the middle of that which is false and the distinctions are glaringly clear.

-Dr. Scott Wallis