Several years ago, my
husband and I began attending a local Evangelical, non-denominational church,
and we loved it. We cherished the sense of community we found among the loving
and authentic people we met there, and the intelligent, “outside the box”
pastor who led our flock with thought-provoking and insightful sermons. Sadly,
the church started going off the rails theologically, and after about a year
and a half, we made the difficult decision to leave. Today that church is a
self-titled “Progressive Christian Community.”
Back then I had never
heard of “Progressive Christianity,” and even now it is difficult to pin down
what actually qualifies someone as a Progressive Christian, due to the
diversity of beliefs that fall under that designation. However, there are
signs—certain phrases and ideas—that seem to be consistent in Progressive
circles. Here are 5 danger signs to watch for in your church:
1. There is a lowered
view of the Bible
One of the main
differences between Progressive Christianity and Historic Christianity is its
view of the Bible. Historically, Christians have viewed the Bible as the Word
of God and authoritative for our lives. Progressive Christianity generally
abandons these terms, emphasizing personal belief over biblical mandate.
Comments you might
hear:
The Bible is a human book…
I disagree with the Apostle Paul on that issue…
The Bible condones immorality, so we are obligated to reject what it says in
certain places…
The Bible “contains” the word of God…
2. Feelings are
emphasized over facts
In Progressive
churches, personal experiences, feelings, and opinions tend to be valued above
objective truth. As the Bible ceases to be viewed as God’s definitive word,
what a person feels to be true becomes the ultimate authority for faith and
practice.
Comments you might
hear:
That Bible verse doesn’t resonate with me….
I thought homosexuality was a sin until I met and befriended some gay
people….
I just can’t believe Jesus would send good people to hell….
3. Essential Christian
doctrines are open for re-interpretation
Progressive author
John Pavlovitz wrote, “There are no sacred cows [in Progressive
Christianity]….Tradition, dogma, and doctrine are all fair game, because all
pass through the hands of flawed humanity.” Progressive Christians are often
open to re-defining and re-interpreting the Bible on hot-button moral issues
like homosexuality and abortion, and also cardinal doctrines such as the virgin
conception and the bodily resurrection of Jesus. The only sacred cow is “no
sacred cows.”
Comments you might
hear:
The resurrection of Jesus doesn’t have to be factual to speak truth….
The church’s historic position on sexuality is archaic and needs to be
updated within a modern framework…
The idea of a literal hell is offensive to non-Christians and needs to be
re-interpreted….
4. Historic terms are
re-defined
There are some
Progressive Christians who say they affirm doctrines like biblical inspiration,
inerrancy, and authority, but they have to do linguistic gymnastics to make
those words mean what they want them to mean. I remember asking a Pastor, “Do
you believe the Bible is divinely inspired?” He answered confidently, “Yes, of
course!” However, I mistakenly assumed that when using the word “inspired,” we
both meant the same thing. He clarified months later what he meant—that the
Bible is inspired in the same way and on the same level as many other Christian
books, songs, and sermons. This, of course, is not how Christians have
historically understood the doctrine of divine inspiration.
Another word that
tends to get a Progressive make-over is the word “love.” When plucked out of
its biblical context, it becomes a catch-all term for everything
non-confrontative, pleasant, and affirming.
Comments you might
hear:
God wouldn’t punish sinners—He is love….
Sure, the Bible is authoritative—but we’ve misunderstood it for the first
2,000 years of church history…
It’s not our job to talk to anyone about sin—it’s our job to just love
them….
5. The heart of the
gospel message shifts from sin and redemption to social justice
There is no doubt that
the Bible commands us to take care of the unfortunate and defend those who are
oppressed. This is a very real and profoundly important part of what it means
to live out our Christian faith. However, the core message of Christianity—the
gospel—is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and resurrected, and thereby
reconciled us to God. This is the message that will truly bring freedom to the
oppressed.
Many Progressive
Christians today find the concept of God willing His Son to die on the cross to
be embarrassing or even appalling. Sometimes referred to as “cosmic child
abuse,” the idea of blood atonement is de-emphasized or denied altogether, with
social justice and good works enthroned in its place.
Comments you might
hear:
Sin doesn’t separate us from God—we are made in His image and He called us
good….
God didn’t actually require a sacrifice for our sins—the first Christians
picked up on the pagan practice of animal sacrifice and told the Jesus story in
similar terms….
We don’t really need to preach the gospel—we just need to show love by
bringing justice to the oppressed and provision to the needy…
Conclusion:
Identifying the signs
is not always obvious—sometimes they are subtle and mixed with a lot of truth.
Progressive Christianity can be persuasive and enticing, but carried out to its
logical end, it is an assault on the foundational framework of Christianity,
leaving it disarmed of its saving power.
We shouldn’t be
surprised to find some of these ideas infiltrating our churches. Jesus warned
us, “Watch out for false prophets” who “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). So if you spot any of these 5 danger signs in
your place of worship, it might be time to pray about finding fellowship in a
more biblically faithful church community.
Source: Alisa Childers Check out Alisa’s new book Another Gospel? A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity, published by Tyndale.
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