27 Oct, 2020 How To Stop Killing Christianity
by Bethany Dumbleton
What do you mean, stop killing Christianity?
I plan on getting to that, but we need to set the stage first. What is Christianity about to begin with? At its very core, it’s all about truth. If Christianity is not true then the fact that we are killing it would be no problem. But, Jesus said it himself,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 ESV
I think most self-proclaimed Christians can agree on that. We love the truth and we want it no matter the cost. Or do we? If we want to stop killing Christianity, we are going to have to admit that the statement I just made is not always true.
The Harsh Numbers
A recent poll was done by the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University to study a variety of churches on 51 different behaviors and beliefs. Among them were evangelicals, Pentecostals and charismatics, the mainline Protestants, and Catholics. One question they were asked was if there is an absolute moral truth that applies to everyone all the time. The results are alarming.
Evangelicals came in at 52% saying no, there is no absolute moral truth that applies to every person, all of the time. Protestants were not far behind at 58%. The Pentecostals, charismatics, and Catholics both hit 69%. Welcome to American “Christianity” in the year 2020. If you are still wondering how we are killing Christianity I will tell you. It’s called relativism.
The Reality of Relativism
What the heck is relativism and how does it have anything to do with killing Christianity? Relativism is the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist concerning culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute. I will give you some examples. For one, we are celebrating homosexuality instead of calling it sin. Relativism justifies doing that by saying it is up to the individual to decide if it is sin. Second, one might say, “I will not apologize because I don’t see anything wrong with what I did.” Do you see the problem yet?
This is where everything goes haywire. When we can choose what is right and wrong based on our own feelings, experiences, and ideas, we lose the possibility of justice. Truth, genuine truth, no longer exists in a world run by relativism.
Killing Christianity is really easy to do and “Christians” are doing it every day. We disregard scripture as the ultimate authority for truth. Relativism is a different religion all on its own. It is not biblical. It is motivated purely to please our favorite idol, which is ourselves.
How Do We Stop
We must test ourselves to see if we are in the faith. The bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5,
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”
How do we know if we are passing the test? If we are in the faith then Christ will be in us. The process of sanctification will be taking place. Ask yourself, do I crave to lay down my desires for the sake of following Christ? Or am I trying every way possible to make my desires fit into the Christ I want to follow? Am I a slave to relativism or am I a slave to Christ?
For example, 1 John 2:4 tells us,
“The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
In short, we have to get back to Sola Scriptura if we want our Christianity to be alive. The Word of God is the only source of truth that we can rely on. It has never changed and it never will. It sets the standard for everything. Therefore, if we want to stop killing Christianity, we will have to give up relativism and submit to God’s word as the only truth.
Ask yourself, am I killing Christianity?
Bethany Dumbleton is the Chief Operations Officer for Counter Culture mom. She is first and foremost a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.
Her husband and two children are her main ministry which overflows into her life ministry. She knows that our children follow our example. She strives to help parents grow in Christ, so they may shepherd their children biblically.
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Duane Smith
Posted at 16:29h, 28 OctoberThis form of idolatry is quite disturbing. However, Satan often works in more subtle ways. One of the most subtle ways I’ve seen is people reading their scriptures and say they are being spiritually fed. To say we are spiritually fed by reading the scriptures is like going into a restaurant, sitting at a table, and reading from the menu. While reading the menu we can enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant and smell the sweet aroma of foods being prepared in the kitchen. After reading the menu, we leave the restaurant and say, what a wonderful experience that was reading the menu. We can read the scriptures, feel the Holy Ghost testify of its truthfulness, but then close the scriptures and still die spiritually.
This was a mindset of the Pharisees. They thought that salvation came by the Law of Moses, but totally ignored who was the giver of the Law. They couldn’t stand to leave Christ alone until he was put to death. I never saw a commandment given in scripture that reads, we must read the scriptures. What I have seen in scripture is the command Christ gave to the pharisees and ultimately to us in which he said in John 5:39,
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
Searching is different from reading. Reading is often very passive, while searching the scriptures we actively look to find principles that we are to apply in our lives. It is the difference of just reading from the menu, and making an order, or reading a recipe, and following it.
We see this example from Jesus Christ the great exemplar as found in John 4. His disciples went to get some food while Christ taught the Samaritan woman at the well. Afterwords, we see this account:
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
We see here that to be spiritually fed is to live Gospel principles. It is advised to have a notebook handy as we search the scriptures and right down ingredients and directions from God’s great recipe and then apply them. We will not find all the ingredients and directions in one place. We must search all of the scriptures to find them. We can experience different flavors of their own and also as we meld different ingredients together. This helps us understand how important each ingredient is. Many ingredients and directions are hidden in symbolism, and we must study carefully what the symbols mean to get to principles being taught. I have found the more effort it requires to find the ingredients and directions, the greater the flavor. Most great recipes I’ve seen requires salt. You want to be sure yours has not lost its savor. As one leader taught, the fullness of the gospel is not found in the scriptures, but in peoples lives as they live the teachings of the scriptures. Then we see in John 7:17,
“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”
Here is simple thought attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.”
This is the very essence of Christianity. Julie De Azevedo put this idea to music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xalIWxC73Bo
CCM Team
Posted at 09:51h, 29 OctoberYou are exactly right! Thanks for the video link!