“What Happened to the Joy I Once Knew in Christ?”

Pastor David Frampton

How Well-meaning Christians Can Lose Their Way

One of more mundane but challenging things that we all have to do is to find our way to a friend’s new home to a special attraction in an unfamiliar city. Most people give fine directions and most cities have adequately marked roads, but there are always exceptions! In my years in a rural pastorate, I was in a couple challenging situations, because many roads lacked signs to identify their name or what direction you were heading. This could be even more testing on a winter evening when the snow banks were literally ten feet high. While we would eventually find our way (even if we were ten to twenty minutes late), the people we were visiting would ask, “Can you find your way back?” And we would gladly accept their instructions about the return trip!

In a similar way, many Christians find themselves becoming “lost” on their spiritual journey. No, I’m not talking about loss of salvation! I’m talking about loss of joy, peace and the fellowship of brotherly love. Eventually by God’s mercy, they meet some Christians who manage to help them regain some measure spiritual stability and confidence in the Lord. But then comes the question from their new friends, “Can you find your way back?”

Over the years Sharon and I have had the opportunity to meet many Christians that have become “lost”. In nearly every case there are three errors that have crept into their heart and experience that cause them untold misery. However, before I talk about these errors, I want to paint a composite picture of the trail these dear friends become lost on. Please note carefully that this is not anyone’s story in particular! Also, at the second stage of their journey, they might become involved in a church with a different emphasis. But strange as it may seem, they tend to be affected by the same errors regardless of the church’s doctrinal position!

Joe and Jill attended Traditional Bible Church. Perhaps they were brought up in it or were saved through its ministry. Joe and Jill had been relatively happy and content for years, but as they grew in grace and knowledge of the Lord, they became dissatisfied by Traditional Bible’s lack of Biblical teaching. (Oh yes, the pastor always read a few verses at the start of the sermon, but then you could close your Bible and mind, because what followed was a collection of jokes and stories.) As Joe and Jill spiritually matured, they sensed a lack of worship and true godliness, though they would have been hard-pressed to explain what they sensed. Their Christian lives seemed to become increasingly dry and lifeless as they were told, “Just keep these rules (or standards) to please the Lord. To make matters worse, they noticed a lack of real love for one another among the membership of Traditional. There would even be arguments in their congregational meetings and lasting feuds between members. (The ushers seemed to want to ask, “Are you a friend of the Smiths or the Browns?”)

However, one day Joe and Jill met Bob and Nancy, who attended True Reformed Church (or Crisis Experience Church or New Contemporary Church-take your pick because though some of the following details vary, the same errors appear in all.) In their conversations with Bob and Nancy, Joe and Jill were impressed by Bob and Nancy’s reverence for the Lord and how they actually wanted to talk about the Lord and his Word, which the people at Traditional never seemed to enjoy doing! So Joe and Jill attended True Reformed Church one day and were overcome with spiritual excitement. Yes, the songs were unfamiliar, but everyone sang to the Lord from the heart. The sermon was an opening of God’s Word and study of the passage. They heard a lot about God’s grace, and it warmed their hearts after so much emphasis on manmade “rules”. When they heard the law mentioned, it was called “God’s unchanging moral law”, and they appreciated the emphasis on God. After the service, a number of people seemed really concerned about them as people and their knowledge of Christ. They were hooked! Joe and Jill left Traditional Bible Church and eventually became members of True Reformed Church.

Joe and Jill appreciated their new church and made a number of deep friendships, including Bob and Nancy. They were sure that this was how a church was meant to be! But gradually Joe and Jill began to sense a growing dryness and coldness in their hearts. As the months passed, they began to hear less of Christ and his grace and more of “unchanging moral law” and “obey the elders”. When Joe and Jill finally dared to question this shift, they found themselves involved in a number of “counseling” sessions with the pastor and the elders. Suddenly they became aware that Bob and Nancy and their other friends were avoiding them. So Joe and Jill left True Reformed Church before they could be forced out.

These were hard days for Joe and Jill. After all they had learned about God and his grace at True Reformed, they had no desire to go back to Traditional Bible. Still very committed to Christ, they did not know what church to attend. Then one day at the mall, they bumped into Tom and Sue, who used to attend Traditional Bible with them. But as they talked, they found out that Tom and Sue now were attending Christ Focused Church, and it was easy to sense Tom and Sue’s joy in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he was doing in their lives. Joe and Jill were intrigued by the change in Tom and Sue, and so they decided to visit Christ Focused Church.

Their first experience of Christ Focused Church actually unnerved them. After the proper “worship atmosphere” demanded at both Traditional Bible and True Reformed, they walked into a different view of worship at Christ Focused, where worship was viewed as a whole-life activity. People talked to them happily and tried to make them feel comfortable without being invasive. They heard children laughing and saw adults smiling! The songs in the worship service were a curious blend of old and new. The preaching was directly from the Bible, and they rejoiced to hear about Christ and his grace again. In some ways it seemed like their early days at True Reformed, but there was a comparative “wildness” at Christ Focused that would never have been tolerated at True Reformed or Traditional Bible. But what really threw them was the collection of different kinds of people at Christ Focused. As they talked with them, they encountered people from Traditional Bible, True Reformed, Crisis Experience and New Contemporary backgrounds. In addition, people were not required to fit the “cookie cutter” mold that they had known in other churches. But in most of them they noticed the joy, love and peace that they had sensed in Tom and Sue, and they longed for that, and for that reason they started to attend Christ Focused Church. As they attended, they picked up from the pastor and people the same desire for godliness that they had first noticed at True Reformed-but with a significant difference. At Christ Focused it was a desire to follow Christ linked with a boldness and liberty that they had never seen in their previous churches. And it confused them!

Now at this point, most people do what they should not. “The hand twice burned fears the fire” is the slogan of many who have followed Joe and Jill’s path. Afraid of conflict or disappointment or whatever, many fail to ask the right questions about what makes Christ Focused Church different from their previous churches. But happily for our story, Joe and Jill wanted to find out what caused the difference. So they went to the pastor of Christ Focused, expressed appreciation for what they had already experienced at Christ Focused and told him their story. Then they asked the key question, “Where did we get lost? Could you help us find our way back to the love, joy and peace that all of you seem to have in the Lord Jesus Christ?”

The pastor smiled and said, “I think I can, if you really want to know. Do you?” They indicated that they did and he continued, “You became lost in the ‘Colossian Drift’.”

“What is the ‘Colossian Drift’?” Jill inquired.

“It’s a term I use to describe what happens to Christians when they leave God’s wisdom and knowledge, which are hidden in Christ (Col 2:3) to pursue spiritual growth and excitement according to human opinion. Sadly, most Christians don’t know what is happening as their spiritual leaders secretly inject three errors into their soul. Once these errors take hold, it becomes very difficult to help them find their way back to Christ and his love, joy and peace in believing.

“What are the three errors?” Joe asked.

“Though you learned much that was right at True Reformed, you were also taught three critical errors that caused you to lose connection with Christ (Col 2:19):

• “In an effort to build a ‘truly Reformed church’, you were taught dependence on religious ritual instead of faith in Christ (Col 2:16-17). The major concern became doing worship the ‘right way’, instead of exalting God through Christ and fellowshipping with the Lord. A song you may have heard here expresses this concept: ‘I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus….’
• “Though you heard a lot of talk about grace, you were taught an appearance of wisdom with a self-imposed worship that actually turned you from grace to works (Col 2:20-23). It is easy to give the appearance of godliness when conformity to a short list of visible ’standards’ is emphasized. But true godliness is a matter of conformity to Christ. As you follow the Lord Jesus Christ, you will see His attitudes develop in your heart and change your life (Col 3:5-17).
• “In spite of all the talk about Christ’s lordship, you were taught to see it mediated through men and their ideas (Col 2:8) instead of through the Scriptures (Col 3:16). When the Scriptures are the medium of the Lord’s authority, there is a proper respect for one another in the Lord. We view each other as ‘holy and faithful brothers’ (Col 1:2; 3:12), and Christ’s ministers as dear brothers and fellow servants (1:1,7; 4:7,12). This view really affects how we talk to each other and treat each other! For example, sometimes people call me ‘pastor’ because they acknowledge Christ’s spiritual gift (Eph 4:11), but other times they call me by my first name to acknowledge that in Christ we are brothers.”

“What can we do to find our way back?” Joe and Jill both asked.

“Begin by carefully reading Colossians,” the pastor said. “As you read it, think about how the apostle constantly points the Colossians to the Lord. Let this message about Christ deeply affect you-in the way you think about Him, His church and His worship, in the way you feel about Him and His people, and in the daily choices that you make. When we talk again, I’ll be glad to share some other ideas with you.”

How Can You Find Your Way Back?

We have been considering the case of Joe and Jill, who were on a spiritual journey that took them from Traditional Bible Church to True Reformed Church. (Remember that True Reformed might also have been Crisis Experience Church or New Contemporary Church in the experiences of other saints.) However, Joe and Jill ran into some problems with the leadership of True Reformed and left before they were forced out. Through this journey they came to the place where they lacked the joy that they used to have (Gal 4:15). But in God’s providence they meet Tom and Sue who attend Christ Focused Church. Impressed by the joy they sense in their lives, they begin to attend Christ Focused. Trying to figure out what makes Christ Focused different from True Reformed, they talk with the pastor of Christ Focused. After explaining three errors held by True Reformed (and many others!), the pastor urges them to study Colossians. Our story continues as Joe and Jill return to talk with the pastor.

“We have been reading Colossians as you suggested,” Joe said. “We see what you were telling us in our last meeting, and can understand it a little better. One thing confuses us. True Reformed Church always talked about sola scriptura (the Bible is our only authority for faith and practice). What happened?”

“There were probably many contributing factors. One of these was the desire to build a ‘truly Reformed church’. Many people who attend a church like True Reformed come out of churches like Traditional Bible or Crisis Experience. In their good desire to hear God’s Word fully preached, they start attending a church like True Reformed,” the pastor explained. “Their eyes are opened as they hear the truth of God’s sovereign grace. This is good! Usually, they begin to question everything they had previously been taught. That also can be good, if it is done in the right spirit. However, what can happen is that they so admire Reformed writers and pastors, who taught them the doctrines of grace, that they develop a new ideal. There is a subtle shift from the desire to be truly Biblical to wanting to be truly Reformed. As you listen carefully, you will notice that they then start talking about having a ‘truly Reformed church’ or words to that effect. The great passion then becomes to manifest the ‘marks of a true church’ as set forth by the ‘great Reformed thinkers’ or ‘the confession of faith’. But this is so mixed in with preaching the Scriptures and saying sola scriptura, that few are aware in the shift in emphasis. Again, this can happen whether a church calls itself ‘reformed’ or has some other label. The names and phrases are only changed to protect the guilty.”

“Pastor, I understand what you’re saying, because we heard the ‘truly Reformed’ so much in our last church. But Joe and I have been really hurt. Can we find our way back to the love, joy and peace that we ought to know as Christians?” Jill asked.

“Yes, I think you can, Jill, once you restore God’s proper authority (Christ as Lord, 1 Pt 3:15, and God’s Word, Jn 17:17) in your hearts. Then it is simply (which is not the same as easily) a matter of walking in the paths the Lord Jesus wants you to walk,” the pastor said encouragingly.

“What paths do you mean?” Joe inquired.

“Here are four that I think are always the right way back,” the pastor answered.

“First, to find your way back, you must return to a life of faith in the Lord Jesus (Col 2:6-7). We become followers of Christ by trusting in him, and he intends us to follow him daily that same way. It is amazing how easily we Christians can become distracted from the Lord of glory to follow some lesser light. The most important thing is not whether a church or Christian is truly Reformed or very contemporary or experience-filled or whatever. What really matters is a daily dependence on our crucified, risen and ascended Lord. So many of us memorize Heb 12:1-2 as new believers and then seem determined never to practice what those verses teach!”

“Second, to find your way back, you must be content with the Lord’s approval (1 Cor 4:1-7). Many who manage to break away from places like True Reformed Church still secretly hope for the approval of their former leaders or group. When your conscience falls under the domination of someone or something besides Jesus Christ, it can be very difficult to restore him to his rightful place of supremacy. You will need to reteach your conscience. Remember that only Christ is your Lord, high priest and mediator.

“Third, to find your way back, you must restore the spirit of gospel worship to your souls (Rm 14:17-18). It is easy to lose our way when we focus on the way we worship instead of relationship with the God whom we worship. God must be your exceeding joy (Ps 43:4). When we get caught up in external things or strive to create the proper atmosphere (whatever that is), we can easily forget that we are coming to our God and Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit. In many churches everybody is expected to conform to each other’s style in a ‘cookie cutter’ manner. For example, I have observed services in which everyone was expected to go to the front and pray for someone. If you didn’t, you felt very out of place. Probably at True Reformed, you were expected to enter and exit the auditorium quietly and after the service talk quietly about the sermon. I’m not saying that Christians are wrong who do that, and I wish that there was more discussion about God’s Word after a service, but you cannot try to create that or it becomes dry and meaningless.”

“Fourth, to find your way back, you must restore certain spiritual truths in your thinking: union with Christ, adult sonship in Christ, and the leadership of Christ by the Holy Spirit. All are taught clearly in the New Testament Scriptures and you must view yourself according to your new covenant position in Christ. At True Reformed you were probably taught to think of yourself as a ‘miserable sinner’-and I’m talking about Christians! (In other churches you are either classified as ‘carnal’ or ’spiritual’. What a setup for division, sinfulness and pride!) Certainly we all have remaining sin and struggle with sin and disappoint our Lord daily. But through it all, we remain in Christ, are encouraged as adult sons to draw near to God, and have the Holy Spirit as our new leader and helper.”

Now the great question for Joe and Jill, and perhaps you, is, “Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus Christ?” When you focus on him, follow him, and fellowship with him, you are back to where you should be, and you should know joy and peace, as you believe in him.

A Closing Word

We firmly believe and teach the grace of God in the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The most important matter is for a person to be right with God by grace through faith in Christ. Since this is so important for the glory of God and the good of people, we stand for the principles set forth in the Reformation:

• According to the Scriptures alone
• By grace alone
• Through faith alone
• In Christ alone
• To God alone is the glory forever!

This certainly means that to present the gospel clearly, we must hold to the five doctrines of God’s sovereign grace. However, the true way to hold them is with our eyes fixed firmly upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and with his attitudes. A heart that has been touched by sovereign grace should reflect the grace of the Sovereign Lord! Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 Jn 4:8).

To quickly bring out the point, one of our great contemporary problems in the church is a “sanctified lawlessness”. What is that? It is holding to a short, negatively cast, checklist morality of a series of prohibitions, while largely neglecting the positive commands of our Ascended Lord. Christianity in our time has become skilled in telling people what not to do (even if many in our churches ignore even that), while failing to set forth the positive lifestyle of love, joy and peace that ought to characterize those who follow the Lord Jesus. In addition, our worship has become a matter of pleasing ourselves according to our religious tradition, whether traditional, reformed, crisis-experience or contemporary. Our churches have fallen into a “last days” mentality (loving self and pleasure rather than God, 2 Tm 3:1-5) in the way we worship.

I close with a plea. Forsake the broken cisterns that cannot hold water and return to the spring of living water (cf. Jer 2:13). Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess (Heb 3:1).

“Jesus, on Thy people shine,

Warm our hearts and tune our tongues!

That with angels we may join,

Share their bliss, and swell their songs,

Glory, honor, praise, and power,

Lord, be Thine for evermore!” [Thomas Kelly]

Yours by free grace.