In a recent conversation with a friend of mine, he mentioned his rationale for leaving his church of five years and starting a new church. Apparently, after five years of attendance, it finally occurred to him that the church had become "legalistic". In his words, the pastor was including "a lot" of personal opinion into his sermons. In his words, "its unavoidable though, there is no way to avoid that." The way he saw it, that church had fabricated a very narrow path that pretty much only they were walking. But that was really easy. But (according to my friend), doing so leaves no potential for living by the lead of the Holy Spirit, it instead is a life of a list to daily check off.
His new church, on the other hand, was a church of grace. He now feels so much more alive.
I have had a few thoughts on this, that I have not yet mentioned to him. Really, it seems to me, that he has only moved from one man made path to another. The first was a very narrow, tight-shoed legalistic path. But really, the second is still a path declared and identified by some leader, this one slightly wider.
This is the problem with all Protestant churches. Because they reject the authority of the historic church, they have no where else to go but to human invention. They can choose to follow Luther or Calvin or Wesley or Graham or Hinn or the local Baptist pastor down the block. Regardless of who they choose, it is still a man made following.
The argument of the historic church, that is, the Eastern Orthodox Church, is that we believe and live the same as the apostles. We live and embrace the historic faith. Our worship has been exactly the same for the last 1700 years. And prior to that, the only changes are slightly longer prayers.
So for my friend, moving from one Protestant church to the next is only a circular movement. Step away from men and follow the path of the apostles.
Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
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