Spiritual Crisis

 

Recently I came across a video where a preacher’s wife, standing before the entire congregation of the church, happily introduced their church’s own prominent bible-teaching member as her husband’s new wife. This woman, who proudly announced that they were living a polygamous lifestyle, referred to her husband’s “second wife” as her “sister in marriage”.

My immediate thought was, “What is this madness?” Some of you may have seen the video.

Days later, because I’d watched that video, my feed was filled with videos of persons who were reacting to it, as I scrolled past, one in particular captured my curiosity so, I opened it and the person was talking about this so-called pastor’s myriad misdeeds. It made me wonder just how many people are out here posing as men and women of God. Then I recalled this verse,

The time has come for judgment to begin, and God's own people are the first to be judged. – 1 Peter 4:17 (GNT)

God’s own people, His household, His children, all of us who claim to belong to Him are judged first.

As I pondered, Jesus’ parable about the tares growing among the wheat came to mind. Have you noticed that Jesus never identified who falls into which category?

Some of us may believe that tares don’t dress in clerical collars and stoles or hold leadership roles in church or teach bible study and Sunday School, but when harvest time comes, the tares will certainly be separated from the wheat.

When James’ brother Jude wrote his letter, it was to warn about the infiltration of religious heretics and immoral people into the Christian community. He wrote that some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches (Jude 4 NLT).

From what we see happening today, this is a spiritual crisis that has perpetuated over thousands of years. All too often we hear of scandals within the church involving those from whom we are supposed to receive spiritual guidance.

These leaders stand at pulpits denouncing the lifestyles of others while being secretly engaged in appalling behaviour. The very basis of Christianity is in jeopardy now as it was in Jude’s day.

In his letter, Jude warns against those who pretend to be pious but are rotten to their core, writing that they follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. He describes them as shepherds who feed only themselves, clouds without rain, trees without fruit, wild waves of the sea and wandering stars.

Jude used imagery that was vivid and intense because the spiritual crisis was real, just as real as it is these days. He understood and we must understand that the corruption has the potential of contamination; what starts at the head will inevitably filter down into the body.

Jude’s letter should be a reminder to all of us that God’s judgment and punishment for ungodliness isn’t confined to Old Testament times. Yes, we are living in the dispensation of grace, however, there are still consequences to sinful behaviour.

So, do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant (Galatians 6:7 GNT).

Beloved, if you are claiming Christianity then you can’t simply behave any how you choose; James 4:17 (NLT) is a reminder that it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

You can avoid becoming entangled in the spiritual crisis that seems endemic in the church by first understanding that it is the greatest honour to belong to God, then you must recognize that persevering in this spiritual life can never be sustained by your efforts, it’s possible only by dependence on God, building upon your faith, being prayerful in the power of the Spirit and exercising authentic love – the love of God.

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. (Jude 24-25 NLT)

Keep looking to God, who is able to keep you from falling.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Spiritual Crisis” © 2026 November 3, 2026