He is the Progressive Christian or a Liberal Christian – the cunning wolf in Christian spiritual attire.
Progressive or Liberal Christianity cannot be ignored. We cannot label them as non-threatening. They are real and they pose a terrifying challenge to our spiritual wellness.
Who are progressive Christians? A progressive Christian (or about to be one) would utter the following comments (thanks to Alisa Childers’ blog), which disagree with the core tenets of Historic Christianity:1
1.
Sin
doesn't separate us from God—we are made in His image and He called us good....
2.
God
didn't actually require a sacrifice for our sins—the first Christians picked up
on the pagan practice of animal sacrifice and told the Jesus story in similar
terms....
3.
We
don't really need to preach the gospel—we just need to show love by bringing
justice to the oppressed and provision to the needy...
4.
God
wouldn't punish sinners—He is love....
5.
Sure,
the Bible is authoritative—but we've misunderstood it for the first 2,000 years
of church history...
6.
It's
not our job to talk to anyone about sin—it's our job to just love them....
7.
The
resurrection of Jesus doesn't have to be factual to speak truth....
8. The
church's historic position on sexuality is archaic and needs to be updated
within a modern framework...
9. The
idea of a literal hell is offensive to non-Christians and needs to be
re-interpreted....
10. That Bible verse doesn't resonate with
me....
11. I thought homosexuality was a sin until I
met and befriended some gay people....
12. I just can’t believe Jesus would send good
people to hell....
13. I disagree with the Apostle Paul on that issue...
Whenever we are in a discussion with our Christian friends, we should red-flag these comments if our friend utters one or more of them because that should remind us that he/she could be a progressive Christian.
Another way to identify a liberal or a progressive Christian is by observing his loyalties,
which would oppose the Historic Christian and align with the Progressive worldview. A progressive Christian would typically believe
that:
1. Jesus is not the only way to heaven.
2. Jesus will save all mankind (Universalism or Inclusivism).
3. Jesus will not send people to hell or there is no hell or another variant of this.
4. LGBTQ practices are legitimate. {They will subsequently approve ‘Polyamory’ (the practice of engaging in multiple romantic (and typically sexual) relationships, with the consent of all the people involved.) and even Pedophilia!}
5. Abortion is legit (pro-choice).
These are a few examples.
In essence, the progressive or liberal Christians would hold to a lowered view of the Bible, which means: [Emphasis Mine].2
A. REINTERPRET THE ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES OF HISTORIC CHRISTIANITY: Progressivism challenges core doctrines of Christian orthodoxy. The Scriptures teach that Jesus was crucified to atone for our sins, but progressives tend to argue that Jesus’ death was merely a martyrdom. The Scriptures claim that Jesus is divine, but often progressives only emphasize the humanity of Jesus–unitarianism grew up with Western liberalism. The sinfulness of humanity is generally downplayed by progressives, who tend to think that all people are basically good and not really in need of salvation.
B. HISTORIC TERMS ARE REDEFINED: Progressives often are beholden to the ideology of science and to the most recent sentiments of the age, so they constantly reinterpret the Scriptures to keep up with Western sensibilities.
Often progressives use biblical language, but they shift its meaning: the resurrection becomes a metaphor instead of a historic fact, holiness becomes liturgy instead of sexual purity, and the like. Same language, but new meanings.
A big one is “love.” If we allow a 21st century definition of love to be imported back into historic, biblical Christianity, we may end up with something quite different from what the Scriptures mean. “Love” in the Bible means putting the needs of others first, but “love” in 21st century thought means accepting or embracing whatever a person wants you to accept and embrace.
That’s not biblical love.
C. THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE SHIFTS FROM SIN AND REDEMPTION TO SOCIAL JUSTICE: Justice is a central concern of the Scriptures, and it should be a central concern for disciples of Jesus. But “social justice” is a relatively new term — one not found in the Bible. It’s a fine term if it means treating people fairly, fighting racism, standing for life, and the like.
But often the term “social justice” means little more than political ideology that is largely disconnected from biblical justice. Progressives tend to focus on social justice to the exclusion of the Gospel. The Gospel is not about God making paradise of this world, but God raising us into a new heaven and earth. When social justice replaces the Gospel, you won’t get the Gospel, but you also won’t get justice.
How dangerous is Progressive Christianity? Would a progressive Christian go to hell? This is a significant question. (If progressive Christianity does not have any significant eternal ramifications, then why are we wasting our time striving to refute it?)
Progressive Christianity believes that Jesus is not the only way to heaven. They do not believe that the Bible is the only book that Christians should believe and follow. They believe in the other religious books as if they are just as valid as the Bible. Sin and redemption are not the essential ingredients to the gospel. Social justice is the crux of their gospel. Progressive Christians believe that other religions are just as valid as Christianity is.
This version of Christianity is diluted, warped, and distorted. It removes a Christian away from the Bible.
This is not Christianity.
Those who believe and subscribe to progressive Christianity may call themselves Christians, but they are not Christians in the biblical sense.
The final argument for suggesting hell as an eternal destination for progressive Christians is this:
Progressive or Liberal Christianity alludes to the notion that Christians can sin freely and without any guilt. They are not compelled to believe in Jesus or the Bible.
Progressive Christianity espouses the notion that people can abuse God until their very last breath, yet not be hellbound. For instance, Richard Dawkins, in his book ‘God Delusion’ abused God as, “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
If Dawkins (if he is to be an Atheist or a Christian - hypothetically speaking) continues to abuse God until his very last breath, progressive Christians would believe that Dawkins will go to heaven or at the very minimum be annihilated (post his death), once and for all.
A religion that teaches or even allude to the notion that one can abuse God, yet go to heaven, is a false religion that worships a mythical god!
These beliefs of the progressives are against the core tenets of Historic Christianity.
So sincere Christians, beware of the enemy within – the progressives!
Endnotes:
1https://www.alisachilders.com/blog/5-signs-your-church-might-be-heading-toward-progressive-christianity
2https://christianchronicle.org/is-progressive-christianity-dangerous/
Websites last accessed on 11th November 2020.
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