progressive christianity
I have observed that a new generation of “progressive” Christians have emerged into society. They enjoy some of life’s pleasures that were once thought sinful. Under the new rules, smoking cigars, watching R rated movies, Harry Potter, GLEE, and the Twilight series are viewed as acceptable behavior.
We all would concede that discernment should always be a part of the Christian’s mindset. Certainly non of us would ever want to offend someone in our liberties (see 1 Corinthians 8:13). But are these things “wrong?” Is that even the correct question?
What if in our new found liberties we filtered our activities through 1Corinthians 10:23
- would anything change?
The verse reads:
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
For example, how do the above mentioned activities “help” or “build up” you, your relationship with Christ, or with others? Paul seemed to have vein of thought in mind when he wrote in Galatians 5:13,
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Remember, Christianity is never about us but rather about what we impart to others.
Let’s make certain that “Liberty” does not become a code word for, “We can get away with that.”
What do you think?
ADDED 11/29/10 Here is a short read by A.W. Tozer that speaks well to this subject READ IT HERE
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- “I SWEAR!!” | Douglas Rea - [...] don’t offend or cause a brother to stumble. You may want to check out my post titled, “Progressive Christianity.” ...
Doug you have packed some profound thoughts and piercing questions into a few paragraphs. These are questions that we certainly need to stop and confront.
The christian community should be influencing the world, not the reverse.
I think a lot of the problem is lack of conviction. When we look back a revivalists such as Jonathan Edwards, Wesley and Spurgeon it is clear there is a lack of real conviction today.
I was thinking about this a lot this week, and I think there are three things that I need to consider.
1)I have to be cognizant of how these activities may offend or trip up those young in their faith.
-If I’m growing in Christ with or discipling someone that has come out of alcoholism, drinking just isn’t worth it. We are always being watched. If someone who looks to me as an example sees me participate in an activity that is somehow holding them in bondage, they may assume it’s okay for them to participate as well. I’m starting to believe that some of these activities just aren’t worth it; while they might not be wrong for me, someone may see me partaking and be led down the wrong path.
2)I need to consider how the enemy might try to use this “freedom” to trip us up
-If we’ve struggled with issues of anger in the past, perhaps violent/angry themed movies or music ought not be something we allow into our spirit. If we’ve struggled with the occult, perhaps Harry Potter isn’t the best choice. Although Harry Potter is innocent fun for many, those who have faced certain issues probably don’t need witch craft themed ideas feeding into their spirit. It might be harmless even for those who have struggled with the occult, but I find it difficult to understand how it might be helpful. Satan will use our weak points and could very well use this form of entertainment as a tool as a gateway to entice us to backslide.
3)I have to consider whether these activities are becoming distractions (or worse, idols).
-If rated R movies, Twilight, alcohol consumption, or Harry Potter are receiving more time than our relationship with Christ, there is a problem. Everything should be done in moderation. If we are reading/watching Harry Potter and Twilight more than we are reading our Bible and praying, then we’ve began to tread into the waters of idolatry.
While it is true that Jesus hung out with drunks, prostitutes, tax collectors, and other sinners, he was doing ministry. If you’re bringing people to Christ by going to the bar, by all means, go. If you’re just going to enjoy a drink every once in a while, but not necessarily making disciples through it, it’s likely that this activity isn’t at all harmful. However, there is still that chance that there may be folks that get tripped up by seeing that. This is especially important if you’ve taken on a form of leadership or serve in the body of Christ in a a more visible way,this becomes especially important.
In light of Corinthians 8:13, it would be difficult for me to defend the exercising of a liberty to someone that doesn’t have that liberty. I can’t “teach” freedom to those who are bound, but I can check myself and do what I can to not tighten the hold.
Thanks for the input. I also thought about Galatians 5:13,
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
I even added it to the post