A pastor from North China stated that, compared to Christians from two or three decades ago, present-day Christians lacked piety.
Having served in the church for nearly thirty years, Pastor Liu mentioned that the church used to be full of power because believers back then were extremely devout. In those times, Christians followed the teachings of pastors wholeheartedly. Whether it was prayer, worship, or praise, they approached these practices with reverence and sincerity. As a result, numerous miracles occurred within the church. Even those who knew little about the faith would find healing upon entering the church.
Liu described how, decades ago, the piety of Christians was marked by a sense of fear. They attended worship services punctually, hesitated to leave early, and refrained from acts of greed. They were cautious not to accept even a small offering of vegetables out of fear of harboring greed within themselves. People would dress well for praying after they got up at night, and they would only undress after finishing their prayers. Christians who sinned and didn't repent wouldn't dare attend gatherings for fear of being rebuked.
However, today, tardiness at gatherings has become common. Mobile phones frequently disrupt meetings. There's a loud clamor in churches and meeting places. As soon as the sermon ends and the Lord's Prayer is not yet finished, people are eager to pick up their belongings and leave. They even commit sins without feeling any remorse
Pastor Liu stated, "Truly there is no fear in love, but there should be reverence in love. A Christian who loses the heart of piety will find it difficult to have power, as God is absent from their heart."
Hence, Pastor Liu calls upon Christians to restore a life of piety and provides three pieces of advice.
First, remove the impious heart.
Paul's letter to Titus also emphasized that God wanted us to rid ourselves of impious thoughts and worldly desires. Liu mentioned that living with worldly desires made it difficult to be pious and that it was important to train for righteousness.
Cornelius, an Italian centurion is a gentile but devout and God-fearing. When an angel instructed him to invite Peter, he immediately obeyed and gathered his relatives and close friends to his home. On that day, people who heard Peter's words received the Holy Spirit.
Second, we must resolve to live for Christ.
Pastor Liu mentioned that Christians lacked piety because they were not living in Christ. Therefore, aspiring to lead a pious life requires abiding in Christ every day. He suggested that believers live a life of godliness not only in the church but also in society or within their families. True Christians could control their tempers in church and extend that self-control to their families and workplaces.
Lastly, we must serve God with a pious and reverent heart.
Liu stated that those who served God must do so with a heart of reverence. If pastors lost their piety, believers would struggle to revere God. If believers treated the sanctuary casually, non-believers would disrespect it even more. A church's downfall could happen swiftly, he continued.
The pastor urged all Christians to be devout. He warned Christians that the loss of piety led to rapid declination of the church's condition. Just as when Jesus was born, there were devout individuals like Simeon and Anna in the temple. However, when Jesus was thirty-three, the temple had turned into a den of thieves.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
