The more things change, the more they stay the same

John Owen:

"Hence there is a noise of religion and religious duties in every corner, preaching in abundance, — and that not in an empty, light, trivial, and vain manner, as formerly, but to a good proportion of a spiritual gift, — so that if you will measure the number of believers by light, gifts, and profession, the church may have cause to say, “Who hath born me all these?” But now if you will take the measure of them by this great discriminating grace of Christians, perhaps you will find their number not so multiplied." (Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers)

The church is full of gifted, smart, professing people. Indeed, as Owen says in this powerful paragraph (written in 1656), if we're to count the "members" of the church by giftings, professions, and intellect (he calls it "light"), the numbers could cause one to ask in amazement "Who hath born me all these?". However, when the church fails to confront sin, to be gatekeepers of Truth, to express complacency - a powerful influence of the world, no doubt - with respect to the souls of those who profess, the church fools itself. The church today speaks of sin in terms that often feed the complacency of her members. Preachers today speak of fallenness and frailty in terms that give confidence to the member, not that he possesses the power to overcome sin through Christ, but that Christs' sacrifice means he needn't bother to even think about sin. Grace becomes an end rather than a means. It is enough for the member to understand that he received grace. Surely we needn't bother explaining how to exercise that grace in his life in worship and gratitude. Surely we needn't urge members to apply the grace they have received to their hearts daily to experience the victory over sin that grace represents. Rather, it is enough that grace is delivered. We may now live as if we're ignorant of its power and of the price at which it was bought. Almighty God, save us from complacent churches.