The central issue behind the church’s decline is the absence of authentic encounters with God. Historical examples, such as the Temple and the Byzantine church in Constantinople, remind us that outward practices, such as attending services or ceremonies, cannot substitute for true encounter with God.
Many Western theologians who teach in seminaries and theologically skilled clergy do not have a genuine encounter with God. The decline of Christianity in Western society and in the Byzantine—Eastern Roman—region, once centered in Constantinople and now part of Turkey, is a severe warning we must heed. Imagine: Turkey, once the center of the Eastern church, now hardly shows signs of a truly living, breathing church life.
If we look at today’s facts, the cities of the seven churches that received letters directly from the Lord Jesus—as recorded in Revelation—are now ruins and little more than Christian tourist sites. Many churches have been repurposed, even turned into places of worship for other religions. This shows that many Christians have fallen into a false Christianity, so God no longer needs to preserve those churches. Many theologians and church leaders skillfully conduct liturgy—praying, singing, praising, and worshiping God, reciting creeds or confessions of faith—yet in reality do not experience an encounter with God nor live in His will.
In this centuries-long decline of Christianity, God has ultimately become merely a body of knowledge called theology. People are satisfied with this theological knowledge, which today has even become a commodity on social media for self-actualization, seeking popularity, money, or influence. Even the most vulgar of speakers can gain a large following. The value of Christianity has become impoverished and shameful. Many people are only skilled at debating and apologetics—explaining, defending, or attacking the Christian faith against other religions or fellow Christians who are considered heretical—but fail to demonstrate the courtesy, gentleness, and politeness of children of God who should emulate the life of Jesus.
As a congregation, we must not be deceived by such people—those who are not truly worthy of being heard. What they possess is knowledge about God, not an encounter with the living God. Knowledge alone is relatively easy and does not require risking one’s life. It is unsurprising, then, that many theologians, church leaders, and even their congregations do not experience a change of nature. A person can be mentally mature yet not undergo the nature-transformation into the likeness of Jesus.
Truly finding God and encountering Him brings inevitable change. The aim of Christianity is not merely to be moral people but to experience a change of nature. This change must be lived personally: having a proper and proportionate fear of God, losing attraction to the world, feeling deep remorse for every sin, longing to live blamelessly and spotlessly, increasingly realizing that this world is not home, and being compelled to return to heaven. All of this must be experienced, not merely known.
Learning knowledge about God from various media is not difficult and can be done without risking one’s whole life. But following Jesus to experience an encounter with God and to live in His holiness demands that one stake one’s entire life. We must commit—even though we may stumble—that we will strive to live blameless and spotless. We must dare to leave the world with all its pleasures, not be bound to material wealth and worldly entertainment. We must truly decide to pack up and go home.