Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” That’s not just Paul writing to the Ephesian church two thousand years ago—it’s God speaking directly into what we see in today’s church. It’s one thing when the world runs after every new idea, philosophy, or ideology that surfaces. We expect that. But when the church itself begins to adopt those same ideas, to cater to the culture rather than confront it, that’s where we start treading dangerous ground.
And let’s be honest—there’s a growing trend in many churches to embrace “woke” ideology. It comes in the form of redefining what God has already defined, watering down hard truths so nobody feels offended, and crafting messages designed to keep people comfortable rather than convicted. That’s what Paul warned Timothy about when he wrote in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” Entire denominations are splitting because one side wants to stay true to Scripture while the other bends under the weight of cultural approval.
But notice Paul doesn’t just say, “Don’t participate.” He takes it a step further: “Expose them.” That’s an action word. To expose is to bring something into the light so it can be seen for what it really is. It’s not enough for the church to quietly distance itself from compromise; the church must boldly declare the difference between truth and error, between light and darkness. Otherwise, silence itself becomes a form of approval. Isaiah 5:20 gives a sobering warning: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” That’s exactly what happens when the church blends in with the world—it blurs the line until nobody can tell where God’s truth ends and man’s opinions begin.
And here’s the deeper truth we have to face: if Christianity had been invented by man, none of this would even be an issue. Think about it. Man would never have written a faith that demands dying to self, carrying a cross daily, forgiving your enemies, or turning away from the very desires your flesh craves. If man had built Christianity, it would be easier, lighter, and far more appealing to our natural selves. It would be all blessing with no burden, all promises with no obedience. We would have kept all our sins but renamed them “struggles.” We would have preached a god who applauds our choices instead of calling us to repent. We would have built churches where nobody ever feels out of place—not because everyone has been transformed by the Spirit, but because nobody is ever challenged.
But Jesus said the opposite in Matthew 7:14: “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” If man had written the script, the gate would have been wide, the path easy, and the rules negotiable. But God didn’t leave salvation in our hands. He gave us a faith that calls us to holiness, a gospel that exposes sin, and a Savior who bore the cost we could never pay. And yes, it is a struggle. Romans 7:19 shows Paul himself admitting, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” The Christian life is a battle—but that battle points us back to our need for Christ.
The constant struggle against sin is not proof that Christianity is too hard; it’s proof that it’s real. It humbles us, breaks us, and drives us to the cross where we find forgiveness and power to keep going. If Christianity were man-made, it would have made us proud. But the Christianity of the Bible leaves us dependent on the Spirit every single day. And in that dependence, we discover what Jesus meant when He said in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The burden isn’t light because God lowered the standard. It’s light because Christ Himself carries us through it.
So when today’s church tries to make Christianity “easier” by removing the offense of sin, bowing to cultural ideologies, or preaching only what people like to hear, it’s not helping anyone. It’s robbing people of the gospel. It’s giving them a man-made substitute that may soothe their conscience for a while but can’t save their soul. The true gospel is not comfortable, but it is powerful. It is not popular, but it is eternal. And when the church has the courage to expose darkness and stand firm on the truth, it becomes what Christ intended it to be—the light of the world.