Why I Do Not Trust the Church

I love Jesus Christ. He saved me by decree, before the foundation of the world, with His precious blood shed at Calvary, and when His Spirit regenerated me not so long ago. I am secure in my salvation, but I know God’s sanctification (setting me apart to be holy) is an ongoing process until the day of my death (Rom 8:29; Eph 4:15; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13). I was called to Christ and gathered to His church, at His appointed time, with the measure of faith He determined for me (Rom 12:3).

I love the church of Jesus Christ, the body of Christ, of which I am a member (Rom 12:4–5; 1 Cor 12:12–14). No one and nothing can separate me from the body of Christ, nor from her Head, who is Christ (Rom 8:35–39; Eph 5:23). I believe the church in heaven, today, is victorious (1 Cor 15:57; 2 Cor 2:14; 1 Jn 5:4), and I believe the church, on earth, is militant. That means, for such a time as this, Christ and His church are engaged in spiritual warfare against principalities and powers of darkness in heavenly places (Eph 6:10–20).

I believe the Holy Spirit is Lord in the militant church (2 Cor 3:17), indwelling each member and filling each member with the wisdom of God and the power of God (Rom 8:9, 11; 1 Cor 1:24), to serve and worship God in truth (Jn 4:24). The Holy Spirit guides the church into all truth, helping her, comforting her, teaching her, etc. (Jn 14–16).

If God is true (Rom 3:4), Jesus Christ is truth (Jn 14:6), and the Spirit of truth is leading (Ps 143:10), why would I make such a claim as, “I do not trust the church”? Consider this: the world is not at odds with Satan, the deceiver. It is the church that is in conflict with the father of lies and accuser of the brethren (Jn 8:44; Rom 2:15; Rev 12:10). In war, there are spies, who infiltrate behind enemy lines. These spies pose as angels of light when they enter the church (2 Cor 11:14). They are wolves in sheep’s clothing (Mt 7:15). They are more pervasive than most Christians realize.

One might inquire to the degree of inroad, with which the devil and his children have occupied Christ’s church. A while back, the Anglican Communion told the world it is recruiting transgender persons to become clergy. The Church of Scotland is making new church laws to govern its blessing of homosexual marriage. The Pope has told a homosexual man that God made him like that and loves him like that. The Southern Baptists removed a prominent leader, in an embarrassing media frenzy, aided by a worldly movement known as, #metoo, leaving the seminary president without a trial or recourse. Evangelicals and Catholics are together in denying hell. One prominent Evangelical has taught that the church should detach itself from the Old Testament; and from his mega pastor position, he has denounced small churches. The word of faith/prosperity gospel movement has given us Jesse Duplantis, begging for a $54 million jet airplane (his 4th). Lakewood Church in Houston reported it has a $90 million annual budget, with only $1.2 million going to outreach/missions. Women preachers, in defiance to Scripture, are preaching and teaching men, even as they become elders in the churches. The end of the world is prophesied with a specific date, for the gazillionth time. Divorce and remarriage are common practices in the church, without correction nor rebuke. The most common teaching in the church, today, remains the Arminian heresy: God plus man, as co-agents of salvation. This is the longest paragraph I have written in a long time, and I could continue for many pages, but I believe I have provided enough evidence to support my claim: the church simply cannot be trusted.

I absolutely sympathize with those who do not wish to be part of the above-mentioned travesties. I have desired, at times, to avoid the body of Christ, as well. Still, we are prohibited from doing so by the Scriptures (Heb 10:25). We should ever be looking for the local church, ever so rare, which serves and worships God in Spirit and truth. A church, albeit imperfect and under siege at times, that desires truth first, that speaks the truth in love (Eph 4:15), and which is submissive to the Word and Spirit of truth…this is our embassy in the world.

Despite being lied to and mistreated by the church, I am conscious of the work of the enemy within her, spreading doctrines of demons and leading captive people astray. I have learned not to trust the church, for all these reasons and more.

In conclusion, although I will never trust the compromised, church militant upon the earth, I will forever trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. He has given me His Word, and I believe Him by grace alone because He alone is faithful and true. His church, the Israel of God, overcomes all of this by faith in Him, for in Him, we are victorious, as He leads us in His triumph through the intrigue.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

September 15, 2021