When we look at modern "Christianity" we often see a very blurry picture when compared to the Word of God. In a day when the unsaved world needs Christians to truly be different from the way of the world, the supposed Christian community are living a lifestyle that is a mirror image to the philosophy and ideology of the secular world around them. It is time for us to consider where we stand and where God wants us to stand
Though not all modern Christians appear as this article presents, it is safe to state that there are many who seem to have the following characteristics:
- They reject that God’s Word can be absolute truth in favor of general truth. They would state that each translation is equally as valid as every other translation, regardless of its textual foundation or translation method. It does not matter which translation you use as long as you read one, because if its easy to understand and grasp then it is God’s Word.
- They reject that a relationship with God MUST be based upon both spirt AND truth, because how you feel about God overrules the truths of certain absolute doctrine. They would state that if you “feel” God and your style of worship makes you feel closer to God then it is valid worship regardless of doctrinal purity. It does not matter what elements are a part of that worship, even if those elements were first used in paganism or are not biblically sound.
- They reject absolute truth is IN EVERY doctrine. They would state that only certain “key” doctrines are necessary and any others are either unimportant or secondary. It means that if a person/church believes in the “key” doctrines then rejection or disunity on secondary doctrines should be ignored.
- They reject the biblical definition of holiness is necessary. They would state that if people are “coming to Christ” then God must be in that. It means that even if the people being added to that group are not leaving behind their sinful life or thinking, all is well, because the people are “coming to Christ” and being “saved.”
- They reject that the local church and the direct participation in that local church are necessary for Christian growth. They would state that since they think that the church is also universal in nature, whatever aids in personal “growth” is from God and therefore good, even if that pulls them away from the local church. It means that the measure of Christianity is not in our participation with others within the local church but in our level of personal comfort and joy.
- They reject that Bible knowledge is not the measure of spirituality but the feeling of being close to God. They would state that since God is a spirit, if our spirit feels close to Him then we are more close to Him. It means that God places our personal “closeness” ahead of our Bible knowledge and they are not equal in nature.
Please note that none of these things above are found in Scripture but they are clearly found in much of modern Christianity.