Kelly grew up with a Buddhist worldview in China and didn’t know any Christians until she came to America as a foreign exchange student. To give her a taste of an American-weekend experience, some friends invited her to a garage sale. Browsing through all the bargains, she noticed a display of handcrafted crosses. Kelly admired them and picked one out, though it had no spiritual significance to her. After exchanging smiles and a few words, the woman selling them gave her a tract, “The Four Spiritual Laws.” Kelly was tired of living a life of academic performance and was seeking truth. As she read the booklet she thought, “Jesus died for me, who is he, anyway?... It’s my life to live, so why would I give it to Jesus?”

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      Through some Chinese foreign exchange students, Kelly was invited to a Chinese Christian church. She thought it would be comforting to be around her culture and converse in her native language.  As she mingled, she noted the peace that others exuded. They weren’t striving like she was, and they seemed to genuinely accept her. Then she began hearing testimonies of the peace that Jesus gives. They spoke freely of their trials, but they were living with joy and gratitude. She had not witnessed such love and forgiveness before. Kelly knew she wanted what they had, and she began to seek the Lord herself and found the Spirit leading her to the Savior, Jesus. She now is a student of His Word.

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     I’m always encouraged by a story of how God pursues all people. His truth has a way of finding us amid a whole lot of untruth. Sometimes it’s hard to not wander from the biblical truth we profess as Christians, as it seems the adversary has invented every kind of half-truth to twist, turn, and woo us in hopes of finding us unprepared for His return. Paul speaks of why we must be alert: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but have itching ears; they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”  

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     Progressive Christianity is wooing many away from the guiding truths of Scripture, the very thing Jesus said we could not live without (Matt 4:4). This modern theology moves and breathes in all sorts of circles, so one can’t be too formulaic about how it looks. However, it is important to examine how it is impacting church life and how its redefining Christianity.

     A common way progressive theology can manifest in a local church is when the view of Scripture has been lowered. You might hear something like, “Well Paul said that, and that’s his opinion. The Bible contains [some of] God’s word, but there are levels of authority in it.” Historic Christianity says Genesis through Revelation is His full counsel to the church and each author was inspired by the Holy Spirit with no exceptions.

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     Be alert if sermons move away from the theology of sin and redemption toward social justice. An assertion might be, “We don’t need to preach the Gospel. We need to live a life of love.”   “Love” outside a biblical framework means “be non-confrontive.” Historic Christianity believes God’s love transforms us first, not human acts of love. Yes, absolutely we must live out loving service, but this comes from the fruit of our conversion, not because our works can redeem the world.  That is plain arrogant thinking. When you continue with this line of reasoning, it doesn’t take long before you are more vulnerable to accept assertions like, “Jesus’ atoning work is a type of cosmic child abuse, a pagan conditioning to approve of animal sacrifices.” These ideologies make me shudder.

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     If we know the Word, we will not fall for this. It’s clear, no one is good, only God.

     Historic Christianity is under attack and will continue to be, until Jesus returns. Be careful that convincing sentiments don’t pull at your heart strings at the expense of truth. We have instructions in what our response should be. Stand firm and hold out the Word of life.

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     Yet, true conversions are happening all around us, despite the church’s inclination to wander from His truth. My friend Kelly found the historic truth, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, despite the trends in cultural Christianity.  Truth is strong than a lie, no matter how clever or enticing. The Gospel has always been the only transformational hope to the human condition.