Seeing it clearly–R.J. Rushdoony
R.J. Rushdoony wrote, “Respectability is the mark of a dying church which will not risk unpopular stances, no matter how godly they are.”
What? Respectability is bad? Look and see:
https://chalcedon.edu/blog/respectable-christianity
He wrote this in 1994. It was true then, it was true in Christ’s own time, and it’s true now. There are always churches that go along to get along; and there are always saints who are mocked and criticized, or worse, for taking the Bible seriously. Our Lord Himself was crucified by the respectable religious establishment of His day.
“God does not exist to serve us, but we, Him.” And sometimes that means taking and holding an unpopular stance.
Thanks be to God, we have never quite run out of Christians who will do that.
Respectable according to the world’s opinion. That is to be avoided at all costs. We who are true to the Scripture want no part of the world’s opinions- they are poison.
Most of them are also wrong.
Isn’t that what the Sadducees and Pharisees thrived on? The people’s respect? We see how well that worked out for them.
Exactly.
Even more so, they craved Rome’s patronage.
It’s only natural to seek peace with our neighbors, but we can’t allow that to lure us into compromise.
Government at all levels is making it dangerous to proclaim truth. Christians can no longer remain neutral.
In the New Testament the word “elect” is used frequently. The elect are those who have surrendered all to Jesus.