‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ” Matthew 15:8–9 (NAS)

A church that teaches doctrines that accommodate man’s predilections, predispositions, and politics, despite providing an incredible worship experience, is defiled in God’s eyes. If you have a heart for God, you must cling to every word that proceeds from his mouth with all your heart (Deuteronomy 8:3). To selectively “keep” his commandments under the guise of showing “love” is nauseating to him (Revelation 3:16).

Yes, we are to love one another, but not at the cost of dethroning God. But what if we offend someone? What if the name “Jesus” offends by its utterance? Do we not say it? To whom is our allegiance? A heart that is not his might as well be miles away. The essence of God’s precepts is love, but love is worked out practically by strict adherence to the ways and words of Jesus, and he told it like it is.