Is the brand of Christianity being practiced today in much of the world an authentic portrait of the first century church? In the last few centuries many new teachings have infiltrated Christian theology and have resulted in a disjointed and disconnected body of Christ that seems far removed from the believers recorded in the book of Acts. There are literally thousands of Christian denominations worldwide, each claiming unique insight and truth.
Most western Christians never experience persecution, overt spiritual warfare, or engage in meaningful servitude. Rather than fighting a battle in the trenches, a great many Christians today prefer to avoid spiritual conflict, continually flirt with slavery to sin and even fraternize with the enemy. Many aren’t even aware there is a war going on. The amalgamation of Christianity with worldly values has tragically resulted in a complacent and spiritually inept faith for countless believers that is contrary to scripture.
This passive brand of Christianity can be compared to the lukewarm church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:15-17. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am going to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” It is “Christianity lite.”
INCREASING DEPRAVITY
The increasing depravity of secular society has impacted the modern church more than the church has influenced today’s culture. For example, at one time, premarital sex was considered taboo by Christian standards and is forbidden in the Bible, yet today multitudes of church goers find it acceptable to fornicate before marriage. Add to that the extreme validation of same sex marriage and the ordaining of gay and lesbian pastors and you have Churches that blatantly contradict God’s word.
Today’s culture of inclusivity readily declares that what was once deemed moral depravity ought to be recognized as acceptable and even honored. The prophet Isaiah warned, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20).
Our society takes great pride in celebrating abnormal behavior and attempts to normalize perversion in the name of human rights. However, as it embraces deviant and sinful behavior, it also welcomes the demonic entities that provoke this behavior. And these spirits are anti Christ.
The Bible says that the spirit of antichrist was already at work in the world in the first century (1 John 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:7), and it has been ramping up for two millennia. As this spiritual rebellion gains momentum, it will eventually culminate in the manifestation of the man of lawlessness. This phenomenon was predicted by Jesus (Matthew 24:24), the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:26-27) and the apostle Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
There is a massive indifference and lack of insight in today’s society into the interconnectedness of world events and the dark spiritual powers that influence humanity. A tremendous naivete regarding the potency of demonic entities. Numerous Christians are guilty of dismissing the notion that evil spiritual powers exist. They aren’t mentioned in most sermons, nor are they discussed in many Christian circles.
THE POPULAR GOSPEL
The popular gospel today is the one that preaches that God sees us as perfect beings, made in His image, and that there is absolutely nothing He requires of us in order to save us from condemnation; that Christ died for everyone, therefore everyone will be welcomed into heaven. While there is a certain element of truth to these statements, they are convoluted enough to imply that no one is destined for hell.
Grace theologians attempt to bridge the impossible chasm that exists between worldly values and godly values by insisting that grace trumps sin, therefore repentance is redundant. They claim that we cannot accomplish what Christ already succeeded in accomplishing on the cross. These half-truths neglect to acknowledge Luke’s gospel and the book of Acts, where nearly one half (25/58) of the primary uses of the term “repentance” in the New Testament are found.
Prosperity preachers proclaim that God wants believers to be rich financially and fallaciously link faith and affluence. Through the misinterpretation of scripture, they surmise that material possessions indicate strong faith and attribute poverty to a lack of faith and that faith in Christ guarantees material wealth and prosperity in this life.
Through erroneous hermeneutics, for instance, 3 John 2 is cited as a proclamation to all believers regarding financial prosperity, however, in this epistle John is simply wishing Gaius good will in his greeting at the opening of the letter. The Greek word ευοδοω (euodoō), translated as prosper, does not explicitly refer to financial wealth, but implies general well-being or welfare. This is further underscored by the use of the Greek πάντα (panta), qualifying the intent to prosper “in all things,” or in all aspects of life, including spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.
Another misapplied passage of scripture is Abraham’s wealth (Genesis 13:2), which is amplified at the expense of his faith. Abraham was wealthy however his wealth was never credited to him as righteousness. His faith was. The apostle Paul never mentions Abraham’s wealth but proclaims his faith (Romans 4:3). Abraham was not justified by what he accomplished but rather, for believing.
These are just two of many passages of scripture that are twisted to propagate a narrative that is contrary to the teachings of Christ. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters…. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24). Furthermore, in the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-26), Jesus declares, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
THE EARLY CHURCH
This advice was taken literally by the early church as Acts 2:45 testifies: “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” Proverbs 30:8-9 offers sound instruction for the fallible nature of humanity. “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches; but only give me my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”
The apostle Paul advises, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:3) and Jesus taught that we should store up treasures in heaven because where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also (Matthew 6:19-21). And James 4:4 warns, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
Furthermore, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). We can’t have it both ways, with one foot in the world and the other in God’s kingdom. This posture is unstable, yet today a significant percentage of Christians prioritize wealth as paramount to experiencing God’s favor.
Philippians 4:13 is a case in point. This verse is often used to encourage believers to achieve anything they desire, however the context suggests that Paul is referring to enduring hardship and persecution. Paul’s perspective never indulges in financial gain but considers godliness through contentment a virtue (1 Timothy 6:3-10).
By emphasizing personal privilege and lacking spiritual discernment, a watered-down church has succumbed to the leadership of false teachers. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3). It is a church that is lukewarm in its commitment to God’s moral standards and has grown complacent through its affluence. It has embraced materialism, naturalism and worldly values, precisely what scripture warns against.
Rather than a Christianity that is fully engaged with the forces of evil, walking by the Spirit, denying the desires of the flesh, and serving the vulnerable in humility, a large contingent of Christians have opted for “Christianity lite”. A shallow rooted and superficial religion that puts “me first” and God second. It is a movement that has amalgamated with worldly values and is not biblical.
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