“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
When you give a child the choice between a balanced meal and an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet, the outcome is predictable. The candy wins—every time.
That’s much like what happens with many parachurch organizations. While often birthed with good intentions, they frequently draw attention, resources, and devotion away from Christ’s ordained means of ministry—His Church, the Body and Bride of Christ. They may make us feel inspired for a time, but as with a diet of sugar, the long-term effects are spiritually disastrous. When Christians fill up on “spiritual desserts,” they leave no room for the nourishing substance of biblical discipleship that only the local church can provide.
The Problem: Mistaking Corruption for Christ’s Design
Church history has its dark stains. False teachers, greed, and abuse have often obscured the Church’s beauty. Yet we must never confuse what corrupt people have done with what Christ designed. From the days of Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8), men have tried to manipulate God’s work for selfish gain.
Today’s problem is not new—it’s mission drift. Many churches have shifted from a biblical mission (building up Christ’s Body through identification, integration, and sanctification) to a cultural mission focused on self-help, numbers, and feelings.
But the goal of discipleship, evangelism, and ministry has never been self-fulfillment or humanitarian relief. It has always been the edification of Christ’s Bride (Ephesians 4:11–16; Matthew 28:18–20).
Christ’s Exclusive Bride
God’s design for His king was exclusive loyalty. Deuteronomy 17:17 prohibited Israel’s king from multiplying wives or alliances with foreigners. Solomon’s failure (1 Kings 11:1–3) led to spiritual collapse.
In perfect contrast, King Jesus is the faithful Husband who has one Bride—the Church. He established, sanctified, and glorifies her alone (Ephesians 5:25–27). He declared that not even the gates of hell would prevail against her (Matthew 16:18).
Though there are many local expressions of that one Body—diverse in culture, color, and language—Scripture teaches there is only one universal Church (1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Revelation 7:9–14; 21:22–27).
The Rise of Parachurch Movements
Parachurch organizations arose in the 18th and 19th centuries, during an age of religious freedom and distrust of institutional religion. Alongside genuine gospel efforts came the rise of unorthodox movements—Mormonism, The Shakers, Christian Science, and Seventh-day Adventism. The cultural soil that allowed the parachurch to grow also bred confusion about biblical authority and ecclesiology.
Freedom of religion made possible many “good” things—but as Paul reminds us,
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful... not all things build up.”
— 1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23
Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should.
King Jesus warned,
“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.”
— Matthew 12:30
If a ministry is not building up Christ’s Body according to His revealed standard, it is actually working against Him—no matter how “effective” it seems. Popularity never equals truth (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
Vision and Accountability in the Local Church
Many churches today lack a biblical vision for discipleship. Their “five-year plans” revolve around budgets, buildings, and brand—not the Bride.
Proverbs 29:18 warns, “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.”
A godly vision must be measured by Scripture, not sentiment.
Churches should regularly examine every partnership, program, and affiliation by asking:
“Does this build up Christ’s Bride?”
Without ongoing, honest evaluation, churches drift into mere tradition and personal preference. The result is predictable: man-made religion instead of Spirit-led obedience.
The True Standard of Success
When we stand before the Lord, the test will not be:
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How big our sanctuary was,
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How many people we fed,
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How emotionally moving our services felt, or
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How “impactful” our programs appeared.
The test will be this:
“Let all things be done for building up.” — 1 Corinthians 14:26
Success is not measured by our standards but by God’s—whether we have faithfully done His will in edifying Christ’s Body.
Jesus said,
“This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.” — John 15:8
And James adds,
“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” — James 2:17
True discipleship bears fruit in the unity, maturity, and holiness of the Church—Christ’s Bride.
Building the Bride
Ephesians 4:13 declares God’s goal for His people:
“Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”
That’s what it means to:
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Remain faithful to our first love (Revelation 2:4),
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Reject false teaching (Revelation 2:20),
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Refuse lukewarm faith (Revelation 3:16), and
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Be the spotless Bride clothed in fine linen, bright and pure (Revelation 19:8).
Testing Ourselves
Paul exhorts,
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” — 2 Corinthians 13:5
Those who operate as “independent contractors” outside the authority of Christ’s Church may hear the most terrifying words ever spoken:
“Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness; I never knew you.” — Matthew 7:23
When Parachurch Serves the Church
There are faithful parachurch ministries that exist to serve, protect, and strengthen the local church rather than replace it. J. Mack Stiles, in an excellent 9Marks article, highlights key marks of such health:
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They consciously exist to serve the Church, not themselves.
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They make a clear distinction between parachurch and Church.
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They maintain accountability to local churches.
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They guard against drifting from principles to pragmatism.
Organizations like MinistrySafe and The Joshua Project illustrate how parachurch ministries can function biblically and fruitfully under the Church’s headship.
By contrast, others—like The Salvation Army—blur the distinction by operating as both organization and denomination, often emphasizing social work over worship.
Stiles warns, “Almost no parachurch movements that existed a hundred years ago are now found faithful to the gospel.” That sobering truth should drive us back to the Word.
Final Call
“Where there is no vision, the people perish; but blessed is he who keeps the law.” — Proverbs 29:18
If we lose God’s vision—to build up the Body of Christ through the proclamation of His Gospel—apostasy will soon follow.
Even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. Appearances deceive. When we abandon God’s objective truth for our subjective preferences, we end up in the chaos of Judges:
“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” — Judges 21:25
So let us return to our King’s commission. Let us renew our commitment to His mission—the edification of Christ’s Body and Bride.
“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:20–22
Grace & Peace,
Kevin M. Kelley
Pastor
BigIslandChristianChurch.com
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