Reformation

2 Timothy 1:10 “but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (NIV)

Yesterday, I commented on the fact that our Presbyterian faith is plummeting into Deism and Universalism. But what do these terms mean? To me, they encompass the current theological trend that seems to set aside what Christ has done for us, in order to believe in an all-powerful and all gracious God who forgives everyone and who permits any religion on earth to become a legitimate path to immortality and everlasting love. In other words, who Christ is doesn’t really matter and what He did is limited to the Christian sphere.

These kinds of beliefs accommodate all sorts of religions and you end up with salvation soup. People mix together what they want to believe and shape God into the philosophical, theological idol that they want Him to represent. Absolute truths from the past become relative and subordinate. Current trends and cultural pressure becomes supreme.

The Bible informs us of who Christ is and what His work has accomplished. For centuries, Christians have believed that the scriptures contain the truth about God’s plan of salvation. Ever since the end of World War 2, this has been popularly challenged by a society that no longer wants to live by a Biblical code or a Christian ethic.

The trouble is this: instead of maintaining the traditional standards of faith, we have been free-falling as Christians in a frenzy of trying to keep up with the culture. We have allowed ourselves to become overly-anxious about relevance, as opposed to reverence for God. We have walked down a blind-alley that leads to insignificance, instead of holding on to the incarnation of Christ in our world. We have become lazy Christians, who no longer influence society because we are just the same as society.

It’s time to stop this warping of our faith by trying to weave ourselves into the culture of our times. Christians are meant to be different. Christ’s followers have always been persecuted, pinioned, and pelted for their faith. If we become the same as everyone else, and if everyone else is bound for glory, then Christ’s ways, words, works, and worth are completely bogus, unnecessary, and irrelevant.

I cannot, I will not, I dare not subscribe to the irrelevance of Christ and the diminishing of His ministry. He has saved me from my sins and promised me eternal life. I will not turn my back on what He represents. Here I must stand; I can go no further with the cultural chaos that is being bred in the Church today.

I am a sinner in need of a Savior –Christ Jesus, the Everlasting Lord.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, it’s time to begin a new Reformation of faith by returning once again to You. For too long we have fed our own foolishness by believing that everyone is saved and anything goes. Forgive our cultural stupidity and cleanse our hearts of all those things that kill our faith. Grant us the courage to admit that we are all sinners, and at the same time, to declare that we are Your servants, called to be the salt of the world, chosen to be different. In Your Holy Name, we reverently pray. Amen.