“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20 ESV

 Did you know that it's possible to edit an article on Wikipedia?

I discovered this when one of my teenage sons jokingly made a few edits to a random page. After a few laughs and a little parenting on my part, he changed it back. No harm done -  in this case. It turns out that anyone with an internet connection can change things around. Some pages have gatekeepers who monitor and correct inaccurate edits, but the fact of the matter is we're living in an era that considers truth relative and definitions fluid. Even issues once considered black-and-white are now seen as gray. 

 At the top of each Wikipedia page is a tab that invites readers to "edit" its content. The moment I tapped that link, this pop-up message appeared: "Anyone can edit, and every improvement helps. Thank you for helping the world discover more."

My stomach lurched as I read that message the first time.

Though it sounds affirming, it's actually disturbing, because not all "corrections" are correct. Changing a definition has the power to change people's thinking and ultimately their living. While some believe this sort of open-mindedness is progressive, not all steps forward move us closer to truth. Today truth is relative and open for interpretation, and that is dangerous. "Every improvement helps" is not always true. Some edits hinder and hurt. Some edits are unholy, especially when they lead us to call evil good and good evil.

Truth is being "deconstructed." Truth with a capital T is being edited with a lowercase T to include one and all. It's being taken apart, broken down, rewritten, and reevaluated through the lens of any given individual's life experiences, opinions, wounds, and wants. And this isn't just happening on Wikipedia; it's also present within the church. In many Christian circles, deconstruction is considered "progressive." It's seen as moving us forward in the areas of authenticity and inclusivity. However, this movement, labeled "progressive Christianity," threatens regression, backing us out of biblical truth altogether and into the current of cultural edits.

Deconstruction works like a bulldozer, knocking down historical Christianity. Then it invites churches and churchgoers to reconstruct a more palatable version of our faith. Unfortunately, clearing the ground will eventually leave us with no solid ground on which to stand - unless we hold firm the unchanging Word of God. But the only way to do that is to know God's Word and hold it as our standard for truth.

Do you see why these forty days of feasting are so important?

This isn't about developing a sweet tooth for some feel-good Bible experience. We must learn to regularly ingest God's authoritative Word for ourselves if we are to know what is true and what is not, especially when the cultural sands shift beneath our feet. Without that biblical bedrock, we'll find ourselves slipping on the edits that slip into our local churches and Christian communities.

We must be on guard, my Bible-believing friends, because progressive Christianity identifies itself as real Christianity, but it is not. Progressive Christianity does not attempt to understand the world based on what the Bible says but looks to understand the Bible based on what the world and our emotions tell us is true. This is why we must actively study the Word for ourselves. The more we understand what God says, the more prepared we'll be when our emotions or those around us attempt to edit God's Truth to align with their "truth."

Minister E. Paul Hovey once said that people "do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself but because it contradicts them." Goodness, isn't that the era in which we find ourselves today? We are so offended by biblical truth that contradicts culture that we're willing to edit what the Bible says to better accommodate our cultural values. This is why we must cling to the truth of the unchanging Scriptures. We must not reject God's Word, even if it hurts our feelings and contradicts our desires. We don't get to pick and choose what's comfortable and leave out anything that makes us uncomfortable.

In the aftermath of deconstructing one's faith, what is typically rebuilt is not the gospel of Jesus Christ, but a self-made gospel suited to each person's preference. In her book Another Gospel?, author Alisa Childers wrote,

In the context of faith, deconstruction is the process of systematically dissecting and often rejecting the beliefs you grew up with. Sometimes the Christian will deconstruct all the way into atheism. Some remain there, but others experience reconstruction. But the type of faith they end up embracing almost never resembles the Christianity they formerly knew...

Progressive Christianity is not simply a shift in the Christian view of social issues... It's an entirely different religion - with another Jesus - and another gospel.

This is a warning bell for us to wake up and actively guard our hearts and minds with biblical truth. If we want to progress in our faith, moving forward in Christlikeness, we cannot progress beyond Christ. For many people today, moving forward in their biblical worldview actually moves them out of the Bible entirely and into the world. That's not for us. We must not edit truth to align with our lives, but rather edit our lives to align with the Truth. And the only way to edit our lives is to lay them down on the altar of God's transforming Word. The Bible was given to change us, not the other way around. God knows we're the ones in need of a holy edit.

So how do we guard ourselves against the pull of progressive Christian culture? While it's good to be aware of false narratives, false teachers, and false doctrine, it's better to focus on what's true.

I've heard it said that when a person is hired to work in the counterfeit department of the US Treasury they are given a stack of currency to study. However, the bills they receive are not what you might expect. Instead of being handed counterfeit bills, they are given the real deal. The idea is that when someone who knows what is true comes across something false, they will know it because they are so familiar with what the real deal looks like, feels like, and sounds like. We must be seekers of truth in a world full of frauds. The apostle Paul put it this way:

 “For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and  accurate instruction (that challenges them with God's truth); but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves (many) teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold.” ( 2 Tìm. 4:3 AMP)

 We live in an era when good is called evil and evil is called good, light is considered dark and dark is considered light, and bitter tastes sweet and what was once savored as sweet now bursts with bitterness (Isaiah 5:20). That’s why we’re looking at the basic tenants of progressive Christianity. As we hold them up to the lamplight of God’s unchanging Word, we will discover that this new gospel is not the gospel at all.

 The progressive gospel is not centered around the atoning cross of Christ but merely aims for Christikeness. However, Jesus didn't come to set a good example, He came to set us free. Jesus set us free from our bondage to sin, and He used the cross to do it. He is more than a role model, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life that ushers us into a forever life with the Father (John 14:6). Yes, we want to walk as He walked and live as He lived and treat others the way He would treat them, but that all requires the cross of Christ.

Progressive Christians focus on moralism and good works, especially regarding issues of social justice. Bible-believing Christians are well aware that they are sinners saved by grace alone. It is only because they have been made right that they are able to live right, with the ongoing help of the Holy Spirit. Being a good person is impossible without the redemptive work of Jesus. We must cling to the cross that many are attempting to edit away.

Progressive Christians don't just downplay sin, they take offense when Christ followers suggest that sin separates humanity from God. While they sincerely believe they are being kind, eternally speaking, this is the unkindest thing a person can do. To disregard sin is to reject the reality of our separation from a holy God.

When we do that, we no longer need a savior. As a result, sinners remain in their sin, separated forever, never knowing the love of a redeeming God.

When we deny the presence of sin, the gospel ceases to be good news. But when we believe the truth of the old adage that God hates the sin but loves the sinner, we see that the most loving thing of all is to hold firm to a biblical view of sin, that we might share salvation with those still stuck in sin's shackles.

Brothers and sisters, we simply have to know the truth of God's Word so we can recognize falsehood when we encounter it. Though culture tells us that its hateful to confront sin, God tells us cleary that every single one of us "have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). There's no mistaking the consequences we deserve, “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). That’s right! God demonstrates his own love for us in this: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). As Bible-believing people, we know that if we confess with our lips that "Jesus is Lord, and believe in [our hearts] that God raised him from the dead, [we] will be saved" (Rom. 10:9-10). There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). Only Jesus.

The progressive movement of today invites everyone to come as they are, while refusing to address what they are: sinners in need of grace. The invitation must remain, "Come as you are," but through the reading and loving application of God's Word - praise Him - we don't have to remain as we are! This is the good news of the gospel. Let's not let the world edit away that loving truth!

Lord, help me to progress only down the road of biblical truth. Help me stand firm against falsehood and unbiblical edits. In the name of Jesus, the Truth, Amen.

 “The 40 - Day Feast" By Wendy Speake

Susan Kumba on: Apr 1st, 2024 01:24pm

Excellent blog! I am currently reading Deconstruction by A. Childers. We certainly do need to test all teachings by the inerrant Word of God.

Susan Kumba on: Apr 1st, 2024 01:24pm

Excellent blog!