The Ancient Paths is the biblically based, God-ordained path to decisively defeat habitual sin (specifically, sexual sin). At its core, it is the rediscovery of real discipleship: the authentic following of Jesus Christ. This is something the Reformers were acutely aware of, but the church has largely forgotten, having exchanged discipleship for church membership.
We rediscover the spiritual disciplines and approach God the Father in faith through the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting that He will accomplish a thorough transformation of our heart, mind, and soul through His Word and by the power and activity of the Holy Spirit.
We learn that it is a walk in repentance as we discipline ourselves in this ancient process which
leads to progressive sanctification; something which we cannot do on our own. There are three
components to the Ancient Paths:
- It is a curriculum of exercises, chosen from some of the best pastors and teachers from the Reformation to the present day. The exercises help to rediscover discipleship and how that process obliterates the evil desires of the heart.
- It is a fellowship of men who walk together towards purity in the context of community, and a platform where men can discuss, pray, testify, and walk together. If you are a man caught in the snare of sexual sin and would like more information, click here.
- It is also a fellowship of women who walk together in the context of community and with their husbands towards the restoration of marriages into holy matrimony. It is also a platform where women can discuss, pray, testify, and walk together. If you would like more information on the women’s group, click here.
The Ancient Paths ministry is administered by men known as Watchmen (Jere 6:17; 31:6). These are men who are experiencing progressive sanctification and can guide other men on this path.
The Ancient Paths curriculum is free. Some exercises utilize modestly priced books where other books can be found for free. We highly encourage local churches to adopt this curriculum and start the conversation the church has been reluctant to have.
FOR PASTORS/ELDERS:
I have interviewed hundreds of men from every corner of Christianity. They are all saying the same thing: The church is an unsafe place to talk about besetting sin, particularly sexual sin. Consequently, the church has lost its voice and has ceded ground to all manner of worldly philosophies and its practitioners. I challenge you to change the environment in your church. Here are some simple recommendations:
- Repent from making church members and start making disciples. You are accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ for shepherding every soul the Lord has led to you. You will give an account.
- Make the church safe by quoting the recent statistics on how sexual sin is ravishing the church. Then tell your men it would be safer to assume that every man is struggling in this area. There are several common threads: They are withdrawn, having no fire for the gospel and no testimony of how they are growing in grace; their conversations are superficial; they lack personal evangelism. That is what besetting sin does. It also applies equally to women. Therefore, we must talk about it honestly, with both humility and transparency.
- Meet with your men and ask two questions:
a. What is keeping you from surrendering completely to Jesus Christ?
b. What are you ashamed of that is preventing your surrender? - Learn how we got here and how to escape. I invite you to obtain a copy of “Revival and Revivalism – The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism” by Iain H. Murray.
Once you realize how steeped the church is in revivalism, then you will know reformation is desperately needed. We MUST return to true discipleship and rid the church of impurity. - Adopt the Ancient Paths in your men’s group or direct your men into one of our Newcomers meetings. We will disciple them with the intent of sending them back to you as a mentor for your church. For free. We would love to serve Christ and partner with you in this holy endeavor.
In Christ,
Michael Durham