Problems in the Church

“Where do wars and fights come from among you?” St. James asked the Church.  “You lust and you do not have.  You murder and covet and cannot obtain.”  Sounds pretty bad, but it is nothing new.

Absalom stood at the gate and tried to be the first to influence the people who came to receive justice from his father King David.  Absalom coveted the power and influence and position of his father and so he resorted to backstabbing.

Jeroboam coveted for power, influence and position as well even after authority was given to him by God.  What he had he wanted to hold onto tightly.  He chose to rely on his own strength to remain in power.  And so he sinned.  He changed the worship of the people so that he they would follow new customs and traditions and even a different identity of God.

The same occurs amongst Christians.  A people who are to love one another have leaders who will covet power, influence and position.  And so such men undermine the authority in place.  They establish their own customs hoping for new traditions to be established so as to lead God’s people away from the truth and properly established authority.  Such influencing needs to be called what it is.  It is cowardly!  Men who act in such a manner need to repent and confess their cowardice.  They need to humble themselves under God and under the authority God has placed over them.  That is the only way they can be restored.