Gospel

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I wonder sometimes, why the worldly do not understand Christianity and what we stand for as believers. However, I do not believe they are to blame. No, I think the blame lies squarely on our shoulders. As Christians, we are making Jesus into who we want Him to be to satisfy our shortfalls and desires.

It appears that we have come to the place where we are creating a new, Modern Jesus and with it, a new Word from God and a new movement of the Holy Spirit. Instead of allowing God to mold us into Christ's likeness, we are making Jesus into our likeness; a Modern Jesus who has no problem with our sinful lifestyles and desires. It is as if our thoughts, desires and happiness trump the holiness of God.

In addition, we no longer see God's Word as supreme. Instead, we make it and mold it into what we want it to say. If we do not like something, then we look for ways to add to it or discount it, saying it doesn't fit modern humanity.

From adultery, to fornication (sex outside marriage) to homosexuality, we have decided that holiness no longer applies to our Christian walk. What matters is that God loves us and accepts us the way we are. And if our lives are not perfect, well, no one is perfect, right? Therefore, we're comfortable with our sinful lifestyles, because God wants us happy and what we're doing makes us happy. Therefore, God accepts what we do as normal and natural for us.

How can the world find any hope, if we continue to accept the lifestyle of the world and bring it into the church? Studies show the divorce rate is as high in the church as the world (Barna Research). Homosexuals constantly tell us that God accepts their homosexuality as normal and we should not judge their love for God. Men and women in the church run around on their spouses, view pornography, gamble, and act in a way that looks more worldly than godly. And Christians, in business, use the same tactics as the worldly.

We look to the world and wonder why they do not get us. We talk holiness, we praise Jesus, and then we accept the ways of this world as normal and natural. We bring in yoga, rap music, and other worldly ways into the church to attract people to us. Why? Because we think this is what the people want. So we offer these to bring them in. To those who worship the Modern Day Jesus, it makes more sense than lifting up the Cross.

When I read the Gospel, I do not see Jesus selling out His character, His holiness, or His Word to adapt to the ways of the world. We want everyone to like and accept us. This will never happen. They loved Jesus so much they nailed Him to the Cross. They had so much love for His disciples they put all but one of the original eleven to death. John escaped the executioner. Instead of putting him to death, they boiled him in oil and sent him off to Patmos to die.

Yes, the Modern Day Jesus loves us and accepts our sinfulness. The Modern Day Jesus only wants us to be happy. The Modern Day Jesus has no problem with bringing the things of the world into the church to attract others. The Modern Day Jesus knows that His Word is flexible. It is ever changing. What He said back then was for then. But we're more enlightened. We are more modern. He understands that His Word does not apply today. We only have to look at the circumstances and customs of His day and know that what He said then, was for then and not now.

We wonder why the world does not understand us. I will tell you why. We do not understand Jesus. Sometimes I wonder who is winning the witnessing battle. Yes, we see the world, but guess what, they see us. And if you look at many of our modern day churches, the world is winning.

Most people in church do not know how to get to heaven. They have little understanding of God's Word, do not make their moral decisions based on the Bible, and accept the ways of the world, because they feel it is alright.

Step into the modern day church and most are rich in resources. Yet, they are careful not to offend anyone with their message from the pulpit. There is no talk of sin, no talk of repentance, no talk of hell, no talk of Satan and no talk of the need for salvation. They preach that God is love, tolerant and accepting of who we are. There is no need to change our lives, because God knows we are not perfect. God wants us wealthy and free of any pain or sickness. If we are not, it is our fault. We just do not have enough faith. And of course, God will pay all of our debts if we give enough money to Him.

Every year we seem to have a new movement of the Spirit. We sing music that makes the flesh feel good, but does nothing for the soul. Sermons neither touch our hearts, nor convict us of sin. Instead, they tickle our ears and make us feel good about where we are in our lives. And we wonder why the world does not understand us. We do not even understand ourselves.

Listen to the words of Paul: "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe" (1 Cor. 1:17-21).

God's word tells us that He will destroy the wisdom of the wise. The wisdom of this world cannot stand toe-to-toe with God's Word. Yet, we employ the wisdom of this world to grow churches, to teach the people, and to witness to the worldly. If we use worldly wisdom to reach people for Christ, to preach from the pulpit, or to allow believers to justify their sins, Paul says we empty the cross of its power.

This is what is happening today. This is why the world will not accept our faith. It is because we look like them and they do not like what they see. Plus, the Modern Day Jesus comes equipped with a powerless Cross.

Oh, but you say, the world has always hated us. This is true, they have. But, believers did not change. They died for their beliefs, and are still dying around the world. These faithful would not think about changing their beliefs to save themselves or accommodate the world. No, their deaths were not and are not in vain. Because of them, the church grows. In their suffering the lost and dying world sees a glimpse of the true Jesus...not the One who suffered and died for us...and the church grows.

Today, we accommodate the world. For some reason, we want to look like them and act like them. In our efforts to accommodate their sinful desires, we offer the world a more tolerant, loving, Modern Day Jesus who accepts our sins. But in doing so, we make a mockery of His death and His Lordship.

Paul said he preached nothing, but Christ crucified. He did not raise himself, nor did he lift up the ways of this world. Yes, his message got him beheaded, but so what. He had his mind on the eternal, not the here and now. His message of hope in the crucified and resurrected Christ changed the Gentile world. The Gentiles did not change Paul. Paul did not compromise the Word. He did not preach another Gospel. He preached Christ crucified, even unto death.

Paul writes in Romans the sixth chapter that Christ crucified our old nature so we may no longer remain slaves to sin. Instead, we are servants of righteousness. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

Salvation is only the beginning of our walk with God. Contrary to our modern day beliefs, God will never accommodate our sin. He wants to change us. He wants to mold us and make us more like His Son. If we continue down the path that tolerates sin and brings no one into account, then we will lose. Our churches will continue to decline along with marriage, freedom, and honor. The power of the Cross will remain empty.

If you do not think this can happen to us, look at Canada and Europe. Once they chose to accommodate sin, the Word is nothing but words and their churches are no more than museum relics. In fact, it is illegal to preach from certain texts, in those countries, because they convict others of sin, and this is not right.

Yes, we run to the Modern Day Jesus. We embrace the idea that we can do what we want to do, make up what we want to make up, believe what we want to believe, and only accept in the Word, what we want to accept. This is modern day faith in a Modern Day Jesus. No, the enemy of the Cross is not the world. The enemy is within our own hearts. For we have lost the true, living Christ. And for this reason, attracting a lost and dying world becomes more difficult, because we no longer reflect the light of Christ. Instead we look and act like the world around us. And they already have that.

The Jesus who was, who is and shall forever be the same is the one we should serve. No, the enemy of the Cross is not from without. It is from within. To quote Pogo Possum, a cartoon character by Walt Kelly, "We have met the enemy…and he is us."
Copyright 2005

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