Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12, KJV)

The church today reeks of self-righteousness. It’s a sad truth that the bride of Christ has traded its pure garments for the rags of pride and hypocrisy. Instead of being a beacon of love and unity, many churches have become breeding grounds for division, offense, and coldness. The body of Christ, which should resemble Jesus, often looks nothing like Him at all. The walls echo with debates and competition, where each Christian strives to prove they’re “right”—even if it means tearing down a fellow believer. We have allowed a mindset to take root that says, “If they’re offended, it’s their problem,” all the while ignoring that the offense was birthed right within the house of God. It’s time to wake up. It’s time to repent.

The Scriptures warn us, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12, KJV). What we see today in the church are well-meaning but misguided ideologies that seem right in the eyes of believers but lead to destruction. This destruction is not always visible immediately; it erodes slowly, one soul at a time, as people stumble over the stumbling blocks we’ve laid down. Our obsession with legalism, our blatant hypocrisy, and our love for pointing fingers has fashioned us into modern-day Pharisees, bearing a resemblance to the very religious leaders Jesus rebuked. The system has grown corrupt, suffocating the very life out of believers who once burned brightly for God.

We sit in our pews and criticize those who have left the church. We point the finger at the “offended,” labeling them as weak or immature in their faith, all while ignoring the fact that the offense came from us. How can we rebuke the hurting without first addressing the rot within ourselves? Jesus said, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5, KJV). The church has neglected to remove the beam, and it is costing us dearly. How many souls have departed from the faith, not because of God, but because of us—His so-called representatives? How many have turned their backs, not on Jesus, but on a broken system that bears His name in vain?

There is an epidemic spreading throughout the body of Christ: offense. And this offense is not merely the work of the devil; it is often the fruit of our own arrogance. We, who are called to be the salt of the earth, have allowed our words to sting rather than heal. We have become betrayers, selling our own brothers and sisters for the sake of temporary gain, recognition, or self-righteous satisfaction. This has led some to even abandon the faith altogether, not because they encountered a false god, but because they encountered a false church. “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8, KJV). The sound coming from many pulpits is indeed uncertain, confusing, and compromising.

The culture of the Bible has been replaced with a Westernized ideology that cherry-picks Scriptures to support personal agendas. Instead of shaping our lives around God’s Word, we have molded the Word to fit our lifestyles. We’ve made it all about ourselves—our comfort, our traditions, our reputation—and not about Christ. We call it “Christianity,” but in reality, it’s a diluted gospel that does not convict, does not transform, and does not save. The Word of God is no longer a double-edged sword in our hands; it has been dulled by compromise and dulcified by political correctness. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8, KJV).

What happened to the church that burned with passion for Jesus? What happened to the believers who walked in love, who bore one another’s burdens? When did we become more like the Pharisees and less like Christ? It’s as though we have forgotten that Jesus warned us about becoming stumbling blocks to others. “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” (Matthew 18:7, KJV). The world will always have offense, but woe to the church that causes it.

The irony is that we preach grace but rarely practice it. We demand repentance from the offended, but refuse to acknowledge our own offenses. We want to call out the speck in our brother’s eye while ignoring the logs we carry around. The grace of God is extended to us freely, but we withhold it from others. We act like debt collectors demanding payment, forgetting that our own debts were wiped clean by the blood of Christ. “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15, KJV).

The betrayal within the church is real. Believers are sold out and cast aside for mere temporary gain—whether it’s the praise of men, financial prosperity, or power. The pursuit of these idols has stained our hands with the blood of those we have wounded and driven away. And now, as the world looks upon the church, what do they see? Do they see a loving family, united under the banner of Christ? Or do they see a dysfunctional group of people who cannot even get along with one another? The church today is leaving a stench in the nostrils of God, one that rises like smoke from a smoldering fire that was once ablaze with His Spirit.

God’s Word tells us, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:17, KJV). The body of Christ is the temple, yet we are defiling it with our strife, gossip, and judgment. If we do not repent, there will be consequences. There is a call going out—a call to cleanse the temple, to tear down the false facades and rebuild on the true foundation, which is Jesus Christ. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his” (2 Timothy 2:19, KJV). The Lord knows the difference between the real and the counterfeit, and He is calling for His people to do the same.

It is time for the church to humble itself, to clean up its act, and to purify its mouth. We must abandon our obsession with being “right” and return to being righteous. Our reputation is not what matters; it is Christ’s reputation that is at stake. When people leave the faith because of the church, the church has failed. We need to return to the grace that was given to us, and we need to extend that same grace to others without condition. It’s time to stop sacrificing the grace of God at the expense of others, and start living as true ambassadors of Christ.

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:11, KJV). The time for excuses is over. The time for repentance is now. The body of Christ must turn back to its first love, lest the stench of compromise continue to rise up and grieve the heart of God. Wake up, Church—before it’s too late.

—Joshua L Mullins