The professing church is a great thing in the world, and, as rated by the world, is either scorned or admired. Sometimes she is hated, and sometimes she is glorified, boasted about and cultivated. She is looked up to as responsible to use her power to make the world better, to govern and to pass an opinion on every political matter.
People can easily find fault with any denomination, so they start a new one or reform an existing one. In the older and larger denominations, as well as newer ones with scarcely any good biblical doctrine, there is much confusion. There is gift and human leadership in these systems that men have organized, but little stability. Many congregations just follow their paid leader without searching their Bibles to see what the Scripture says. It is like what our Lord Jesus taught in Matthew 15:8-98This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:8‑9): "This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
Truly the confusion is great in the great house of Christendom and it seems to become worse instead of better. Are we nearing the end? Is there at this time a trend that I culminate in what God's Word “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH"?
Let us remember that Christ said, "I will build My church." There is only one true church and she belongs to Christ. She is heavenly and for heaven, and she is not for the earth—what is the resource and where will any believer find guidance in this time of such great confusion? If we go back again to Matthew 15, we find the answer in three words of our Lord's teaching in Hear, and understand." All guidance for the Christian is found in God's Word. In chapter 16, for the first time the church is mentioned, and the foundation is CHRIST the ROCK, not the little stone, Peter. When Peter confessed to Jesus, he said, art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then the Lord said to Peter, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona [Simon, son of Jonah]: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.”
In comparison, and for our understanding in our course and association today, let us just simply hear cud our Father through His Word of revelation, and we shall have His answer and understand. Ecclesiastical confusion abounds, and we need to be sure of the way of approach to Him. The way into the holiest, which is heaven, is now made manifest. It is opened up and our great High Priest, Jesus the Son of God, is passed into the heavens (Neb. 4:14). The believer is invited to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" (Neb. 10:22).