We need more lived experience of Christ

The church is the bride of Christ. The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth. The church is beautiful, glorious and victorious. Which is why the gates of hell loathe the church and will never cease to rage against her.

There is a fierce battle which will not be over until the final day. When Paul gathered the Ephesian elders in Miletus he reminded them how valuable the church is – it is the church of God which He bought with His own blood (Acts 20:28), but he also warned them that savage wolves would come amongst them and would not spare the flock. This was so important to Paul that he spent three years day and night warning them with tears. I suspect that today we would regard Paul as a bit odd; we would turn a deaf ear, tell him to lighten up and not to be so negative. We pay lip service to acknowledging sin, spiritual warfare and the dangers of apostasy.

Echoes of Paul’s warning

As I read through Ephesians, I hear echoes of Paul’s warning to the Ephesians applying to us. I believe that the church in the West is in great danger and under severe attack. Sometimes it is subtle, sometimes it is savage, sometimes it is successful – but always it is hellishly destructive.