1 John 2:4 ESV Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

Years ago I was at a wedding where the presiding pastor was from a large “happening” church. (I have long since concluded that all that is “happening” in such churches is counterfeit religion). At the beginning of the ceremony, this Mr. nice Guy announced that the bride and groom were the most wonderful people on the planet, and declared that they had both become Christians under his expert pre-marital counseling. And then he said, “these people are awesome. All of you need to pray for them! Pray for them!”

Now, I knew quite a few people in that crowd. I knew that there was no way in the world that the majority of the audience came even close to knowing Christ. And in fact, neither did the bride and groom. And yet, you see my point here. This so-called pastor was pronouncing EVERYONE there, a Christian! Saved. In Christ. Able to come before God by the mediation of Jesus Christ in prayer. In fact the only time most of those people mentioned the Lord’s name was in some blasphemous context.

What has all of this got to do with domestic abusers? Well, I suspect most of you can guess. Any environment that considers most everyone a Christian, and certainly anyone who says they are a Christian – to be a Christian, is necessarily going to be an environment that is user-friendly to the wicked. Such places let the wicked off the hook. And how many of you have personally seen that in action? Here is this evil husband or wife, persisting in wickedness and abuse, and yet the victim is told by the church that they must assume to the best – that they must assume the abuser to be a Christian. And those same kind of churches come right out and affirm God’s acceptance of the abuser himself – God is such a loving and forgiving deity, you know.

You will find this false theology pervasive in today’s Christian environments. You will hear it preached at funerals where the departed one is pronounced saved, even though everyone there knows he was a contender for the trophy for the use of the most blasphemies in all history. Never mind that. We must not speak negatively of the dead, you know. And so, even this guy has gone on to that “better place.”

How many wives of such evil men have found themselves cringing at such lies and feeling guilty because, frankly, they hungered and thirsted for righteousness and justice. They had even, dare they admit it, hoped he was now in hell listening to “Who’s Sorry Now?” over and over and over.