“THE CURSE OF CHRISTIANITY TODAY IS . . . "

“The curse of Christianity today is that vast numbers of members of Christian churches have never been saved! Their hearts are in the world and they love the things of the world. This mixed multitude has always hurt the testimony of the church.” H. A. Ironside, Pastor of the famous Moody Church in Chicago, world renowned evangelist and author of over 50 books, made this comment in his Lectures on Acts, which was published in 1943. Do you think what he said was true? I do. And I think it’s even truer now.

I think that during the 76 years since Ironside wrote the above, evidence in massive proportion has accumulated and continues to accumulate supporting the conclusion that very many, and probably most, churches today (and I refer specifically to those considered Bible believing, evangelical, etc.) have become inundated by the “mixed multitude.” I think it is painfully and shamefully obvious that most members of Christian churches have their hearts in the world and love the things of the world more than ever. I think the “curse of Christianity” as Ironside called it is still “that vast numbers of members of Christian churches have never been saved.” And, I think that only churches suffering from Laodicean blindness brought about by their own worldliness can fail to see this (Rev. 3:17). As the old proverb says, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.”

The predominating spiritual and moral atmosphere in churches all across our country is like that in which the prophet Ezekiel lived when God said: “Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious house” (Ezek. 12:1, 2). The reason for the situation in Ezekiel’s day is explained in chapter 22 as the fault of the priests and prophets. This explains much of why we are where we are spiritually today. The mixed multitude, the unsaved, and those church members “who have their hearts in the world and love the things of the world” are not only filling the pews, they are filling pulpits too. And until people are able and willing to open their eyes and see things as they really are, nothing will change — But it will get worse.

Jesus spoke to a gathering of people one day, and said of some of them: “For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” But to others there that day He said, But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” (Matthew 13:15-17). Into which of these two groups do you fit?