Confronting Casual Christianity By Charles F. Stanley

Several years ago an “Apathy Club” was formed on a certain college campus. The officers of the club advertised a meeting of the membership. Not one soul showed up. Explanation: They were too apathetic to attend!

Perhaps that true happening causes us to chuckle. Too apathetic to attend! Yet, that attitude is not at all laughable when we consider the dead, dull blight which has descended like a pallor over countless Christians.

The dictionary defines apathy as “lack of feeling or emotion; impassiveness; lack of interest or concern; indifference.” Its first cousin is complacency which carries with it the idea of self-satisfaction and lack of concern. Whatever you call the condition, it saps the vitality of the body of Christ. This pathetic condition is summed up in the expression, “I couldn’t care less.” In fact, many a believer is so apathetic and complacent that he will not even couch it in words—too indifferent and unconcerned to articulate his/her spiritual state. “I don’t know” is their prevaling mood. “I don’t know” often means “I don’t care.” Page 9

“The severest sin of Christians is a numbing lack of concern, an anesthetized attitude of “I don’t care. I’m in the fold. Why should I concern myself? I have a fire insurance policy against hell.”

One unknown Christian wrote: When Gideon was through thinning out his frightened and indifferent soldiers, he discovered that only one out of one hundred was brave and really meant business. I trust there is a better percentage of courageous and sincere people in our church membership today. However, it has been stated that “one fourth of the members
of the average church could be dropped from the rolls and they would never know it happened, and the church would be no weaker as a consequence.” The unorganized indifference within the ranks of the church members is far more destructive to the work of the Lord than all the organized forces of iniquity assailing from the outside.

My guess is that the percentage is closer to one half rather than one fourth. Is it a wonder that people are rushing headlong to perdition? While you read these lines, thousands are perishing, “dead in trespasses and sins.” Apathy, complacency, indifference, spiritual drowsiness, and insensitivity are lulling the church of the Lord Jesus Christ to sleep.- Page 11

“In the Christian community there is an inordinate amount of posturing about the problem of indifference in the ranks. Yet, there is a shortage of remedies for that compiacency. Will “the last trumpet” be the only instrument to awaken slumbering, groggy Christians? Is there a road away from the debilitating effects of casual Christianity?

This book ” Confronting Casual Christianity By Charles F. Stanley” confronts the head-on the complacent variety of Christian discipleship found in our churches. As antidotes to the poisons of apathy and complacency, Stanley suggests two words: commitment and obedience.

Chapter 1, “Committed,” defines the seriousness of commitment to Jesus Christ Chapter 2, “The Call to Commitment,” pivots around Moses’ call to lead the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt Daniel is the example of commitment in Chapter 3, “Motivation for Commitment,” as his obedience to the Lord was weighed. Jonah, the petulant prophet is the focus of Chapter 4, “Resistance to Commitment” Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac is the central scene of Chapter 5, “Commitment on Trial.” The healing of Naaman the leper is the key event of Chapter 6, “The Rewards of Obedience.” Finally, the Epilogue is a recap and summation of the previous chapters.

This book offers resources, which open the eyes of the reader to free our minds that we may think on Him, loosen our tongues to sing His praises and witness for Him, activate our feet to “go” for Him, and energize our entire being to confront casual Christianity in our lives and in those of our brothers and sisters in Christ!

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