REINTERPRETATION OF EVERYTHING
We have been exploring the effects of left-leaning progressivism on Christian churches, particularly in the West. Though progressivism is normally and fiercely ‘secular,’ it has made big inroads into some churches. While the change is incremental, the results are large. It starts with a desire to reach the world, often by worldly methods and mindsets. Relevance is a chief goal.
After that, the move towards progressive Christianity has a fresh look at Scripture, often resulting in a ‘low-view.’ One progressive Christian leader said that the Bible condones war, slavery in both testaments and relegates women to a second class status. When Scripture is despised and demoted, the ‘little boy’s finger in the Dutch dike’ is removed, and the sea water begins to pour in.
In this article, we will explore how progressivism seeks to redefine and interpret everything. In lock-step with postmodernism and progressivism, key phrases and key doctrines of the Christian faith come under the scalpel. ‘The virgin birth,’ the resurrection of Jesus,’ ‘heaven and hell,’ the ‘inspiration of Scripture,’ even ‘love,’ as well as hot-button issues like ‘abortion and homosexuality’ are looked at and, where necessary, reconfigured to fit the progressivist mindset. Doctrine will be spiritualised or explained away. Hell is dismissed because ‘God is love’ and the ‘resurrection’ is seen as a concept rather than a reality. Sin is almost never mentioned because we want people to ‘feel good about themselves.’
For example, for the first 1,800 years of church history, the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture was upheld by Christendom as a whole, including the Catholic Church. Yet, thanks to The Enlightenment and the elevation of human reason to a place higher than Scripture itself, doubts began to creep up about Biblical inerrancy. Now, historic churches and a few evangelicals no longer believe in inerrancy. As Harold Lindsell in his seminal book The Battle for the Bible, described as ‘The book that rocked the evangelical world,’ says:
I will contend that embracing a doctrine of an errant Scripture will lead to disaster down the road. It will result in the loss of missionary outreach; it will quench missionary passion; it will lull congregations to sleep and undermine their belief in the full-orbed truth of the Bible; it will produce spiritual sloth and decay; and it will finally lead to apostasy (Page 28 The Battle for the Bible: Defending the Inerrancy of Scripture by Harold Lindsell; Santa Ana: Calvary Chapel, 2008).
Lindsell predicts that if the church would fully, consciously, and proactively return to inerrancy of the Scripture and orthodox doctrine, revival will break out. Evangelism and mission would spread, and there would be manifestations of holy power before the world (Ibid., page 157).
Social Justice
This has been the war-cry of progressivism and has particularly taken hold of the younger generation. From their mind, ‘social justice’ means ‘income equality’ or even ‘income redistribution.’ It becomes a Robin Hood mindset – take from the rich and give to the poor.
Justice is very much a Biblical concept but not in this regard. True justice decries covetousness and stealing; instead, it is seen as rewarding the righteous and punishing the (impenitent) wicked. It is also laced with humility, faith, mercy and peace. These things are what matter to God. It is more important to please Him and be ‘spiritually correct’ than to be politically correct.
Micah 6:8: He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Sound advice.
What Next?
If you think your church is going down the ‘progressivist road,’ and this is of concern to you, what should you do? First, talk with someone who has authority to deal with the situation – often the pastor, elder, or board member. Explain what is the problem and why. Make sure you have a good attitude and humble spirit – you are not a rebel.
If you don’t get anywhere, then go to another higher authority. If that doesn’t work, then you will need to pray and fast about whether to stay in the church. This is a drastic step, one that this author rarely recommends, but at the end of the day, we need to be faithful to God above all. Above all, pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17).
(Culture War series will be continued)