Why don't people go to church anymore?

Why don't people go to church anymore? That's a question many are asking, and the suggested answers vary from people not wanting to be judged to a disconnect between churches and the wants and needs of people.

While there may be some elements of truth in many of the suggested answers, Jesus actually tells us the answer to this question. In His conversation with Nicodemus, just after Jesus shared the well-known words of John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life," He also said (in verses 19-21): "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5). Jesus came preaching, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15).

And what was the result? Some, by the gracious working of God the Holy Spirit, came to the light, acknowledged their utter sinfulness and placed their faith in Christ Jesus and the atoning sacrifice He accomplished for all when He suffered and died upon the cross and then rose again on the third day (cf. John 3:14-16).

Others, because they did not want to be confronted with their sinfulness and did not want to repent of their evil deeds, avoided the light and even attempted to put out the light. They did not want to have the wickedness of their lifestyles exposed. They did not want to acknowledge their utter sinfulness and look to God for mercy in Messiah Jesus. And they did not want to change their lifestyles and live for their God and Savior, in accord with His Word.

Has anything changed today? Only that people of our day are taught and indoctrinated at every turn to be more and more accepting of what God in His Word says are sin and evil. Thus, when churches preach and teach what God says in His book, the Bible, people avoid them and do not come. They even try to legislate and keep any discussion of God and His Word from the public arena where they might be confronted by it and be reminded of the truth. They would rather not hear that they are sinners and that God is about to judge and condemn all that is sinful and evil in this world. They do not want to hear God calling them to repent of their sinful ways and look to His Son, Christ Jesus, for forgiveness and life. Why? Because they are happy and content in the lies of darkness and would rather avoid the truth the light reveals.

This, of course, does not excuse churches from failing to faithfully proclaim the truth of God's Word in ways which will let the light shine out into the darkness. Christians need to go out into this world and let the light shine in such a way that it reveals sin and God's judgment upon sin but also reveals Jesus Christ and God's mercy and forgiveness through Jesus' shed blood.

If churches turn the lights down low, as some suggest, impenitent sinners may indeed feel more comfortable there, but they will remain impenitent sinners -- confirmed in their sin and rebellion against the God of the Bible -- and on their road to an eternity in the fires of hell.

If churches turn up the light, many will scurry away into the darkness, as Jesus said, but some, by the grace of God, will come to the light, repent and believe!

By the way, the next time you have surgery to remove cancer or a diseased organ, how many of you would ask your doctor to turn the lights down low so as not to see the full spread of the disease?

Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. [Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]