I once saw a church fall apart because the leaders tried too hard to return to the old paths, and in so doing, became legalistic and excommunicated a third of their members. Eventually, they were not able to support a pastor. They disbanded within two years of the initial split.

Last year I saw another church fall apart because some of the leaders thought it was not important to stay faithful to the old paths, and thought they knew better than God how to interpret His own Word.

Both churches were filled with people who truly loved the Lord and sought to walk in His ways. So what went wrong?

As fallible human beings, our understanding is easily clouded by our own desires and misplaced zeal. We forget that no matter how much we love the Lord, sin crouches at the door of our lives, waiting and watching for a way in. We cannot let our guards down, because the world and the devil are sneaky foes, and our own flesh is only too willing at times to look for excuses to buy into their lies.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.’ But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” – Jeremiah 6:16

Our world is going crazy right now, redefining terms, overthrowing and removing the old landmarks, and turning everything inside out and upside down. And the church is following the same path. I don’t know much about progressive Christianity or critical race theory or transgenderism or wokeism or a host of other issues infiltrating and eroding the Church today. But I do know the Lord Jesus Christ, and I know that we need to get back to the old paths, and define terms the way God does.