Apprising Ministries has been a leading online apologetics and discernment ministry covering the spreading of apostasy throughout mainstream evangelicalism. Much of this has come about because of its embrace of the Emerging Church, which has a neo-liberal cult operating within it often referred to as the Emergent Church.

By now you may know that this EC has developed its own Liberalism 2.0 The New Progressive Christian Theology. Sadly, this new postmodern form of liberalism is neither progressive, nor Christian. In the past I’ve shown you that a vast majority of those in EC circles were raised in more conservative Christian churches and were turned off by the legalism they found there.

Please understand that the types of churches I’m talking about here actually do not teach the genuine Christian faith at all. Rather, they belong to denominations that preach legalistic pietism; a serious distortion of Law and Gospel so common in evangelicalism today. What then happens is these EC adherents have run from one type of pietistic legalism right into another form of it making the same mistakes from the opposite side of the spectrum.

One the one hand, instead of the glorious freedom found in the Spirit,  you have man-made “rules” that are designed to keep the flock in line, i.e. don’t do this, don’t do that, etc. (Mark 7:8). While we concede that these laws may be well-meaning, in the end, it’s still a doomed attempt to try and force Christian morality upon others.

The EC pendulum on the other hand then swung all the way to the other side. Completely ignoring the Law, from which we become aware of sin, EC churches bowed to the idol of postmodernism allowing people to feel free to live any way they personally wanted. Unfortunately, both of these groups are preaching a form of legalistic bondage.

You should understand that the hoops in each system, which one must jump through in their quest to earn favor with God, are different. However, the fact remains that rather than preaching the Gospel of repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus Name, and what Christ has already done for us, each are in a very real way placing impossible burdens upon people’s backs.

Now you know why the visible church is in such a sorry state with scores of false converts who “feel” they’re right with God but who have never really been regenerated. Tragically, because this has gone on for years, such as these are currently teaching in church-related schools, in denominational leadership, and behind their pulpits.

As a reader of Apprising Ministries, no doubt you’ll see that I often point you to teachings written by men who lived in the 1800’s or before. There’s a very simple reason; I’m a pastor who adhere’s to Biblical Christianity. Since the man-centered spiritual Trojan Horse of the EC was unloaded within mainstream evangelicalism circa 1997, you’ve heard less and less about the actual Christian Faith.

Sadly, the EC’s evil impact is only beginning to be felt as formerly conservative evangelicals made the ill-fated choice to drink the kool-aid of the sinfully ecumenical EC’s core doctrine of Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM). You may recall I’ve told you many times here that CSM is simply a repacked version of apostate Roman Catholic mysticism.

It’s now become so bad that we’ve even seen Southern Baptists Assist The Roman Catholic Church To Infiltrate Evangelicalism. EC propaganda is also largely responsible for an increasing charismania, which has reached this point: Francis Chan Has Endorsed New Apostolic Teacger Mike Bickle.

So, I offer the following message from Octavius Winslow as a classic contrast to what I’ve been outlining above. I believe you’ll see it as the polar opposite of way too much of the preaching you hear today within apostatizing evangelicalism:

Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. (2 Corinthians 6:17)

There is not a stronger mark of the Lord’s people than their separation. They are separated from the world, separated from their families, separated from their own righteousness, and often separated from the religious world–a godly people whom the Lord has set apart from all others, that He might set them apart for Himself. Now, it is this distinctive badge ofseparateness the Lord will have His saints retain in all their Christian course. We are very apt to forget it.

We live in the world, mix with the world, hold transactions with the world, and, in some measure, are guided by the conventional habits of the world. Still, we have need to be continually reminded that, though living in the world, and, of necessity, compelled to conform to its proper and lawful customs, we yet are not OF the world. “I have chosen you OUT OF the world,” says the unworldly, loving Savior to His disciples; “therefore the world hates you.” “You are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” Now, in what sense, oh my soul, and to what extent, does your loyalty to Christ demand your separation from the world?

The words which suggest the present reflection are, by a slight variation, taken from the prophet Isaiah 52:11, and originally were applied to the captive Jews in Babylon,

“Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the Lord.” Now, Babylon, a city of proud, unclean idolaters, and opposed to God, was an emblem of this ungodly, Babylonish world, in which the saints of the Most High dwell, but from which they are called to come, and from whose inhabitants they are called upon to separate themselves, touching not the unclean thing.

The religion of Christ is not ascetic and monkish. It knows nothing of “nunneries,” or “monasteries,” or “retreats.” These are all opposed to the genius and requirements of Christianity–its divine, social, and spiritual nature. Our blessed Lord, the Divine Founder of our religion, expressly warns His disciples of this perversion of His gospel–“Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold He is in the desert; go not forth–behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” It enjoins nothing like this upon its disciples, “for then must you needs go out of the world,” says the apostle.

But it does teach crucifixion to the world, nonconformity to the world, spiritual and marked separation from the world, from its pleasures, its gaieties, its principles, its religion. We are the professed disciples of an unearthly Christ, the followers of an unworldly Savior. “Let us go forth, therefore, unto Him outside the camp” (of the Babylonish world), “bearing His reproach,” keeping our consecrated garments unspotted from the world, touching not the unclean thing. Then will Jesus, our Lord, receive us, and infinitely make amends for all we have lost of power and wealth and honors, for His holy and precious Name.

Let our separation from the world be our closer union and fellowship with the Church of Christ in its every branch, and with Christ Himself, the one Head of the Church. This will tend more strongly to define and sharpen the line of demarcation between us and an ungodly world. Association with the saints will render us a more marked and distinct people. The world will take account of us that we are the Lord’s. O my soul! come away from an unclean and defiling world. “If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Lord! by Your cross may I be crucified to the world, and the world to me!

Octavius Winslow

Further reading

• FRANCIS CHAN HAS ENDORSED NEW APOSTOLIC TEACHER MIKE BICKLE
• JOHN PIPER TO PREACH WITH HILLSONG PASTRIX CHRISTINE CAINE AT PASSION 2014
• STEVEN FURTICK PROMOTING JOYCE MEYER AT HIS ELEVATION CHURCH