For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…
Romans 1:21-22
In London England, circa 1928, unbeknownst to anyone at the time, an accidental discovered by Dr. Alexander Fleming, would revolutionize germ warfare and be the catalyst that would usher in 20th century modern medicine and ultimately save millions of lives around the world. The discovery was called penicillin. This tiny, accidental medical breakthrough may arguably be the single most transformational discovery in the whole of the history of the humanity; based simply on the sheer number of lives it has saved. It’s estimated that, since its proliferation in 1942, penicillin has saved more than 200 million lives worldwide, which translates into approximately 2.5 million lives being saved every single year for the last 80 years. Prior to the discovery of penicillin, it would not have been uncommon for people to die from what we would consider today to be nothing more than routine occurrences of daily life. An event as innocuous as a paper cut or as normal as child birth could prove to be deadly. Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, it would be fair to say the world, as a whole, has made exponential advances in everything from medicine, to the clothes we wear, to the food we eat. I think it would also be fair to say that every generation since its discovery, believes they are the most advanced generation in history; present generation included. And every generation would be right. So with all of these incredible modern advancements and life changing inventions we now have access to, I want to ask the question; Is Jesus still relevant in our lives today? Do we still need him? Have we advanced so far as human beings we no longer need concern ourselves with such nonsense as a cross and a Savior? Has the science and technology of today surpassed the need for Jesus? Has the obsolescence of Jesus become so pronounced, he has now been reduced to nothing more than a historical figure that some people follow; much like they do Deepak Chopra? Have we figured out this Jesus guy and understand him to be just another good teacher among many good teachers?
We’ve Got This
It seems as though everyday there is some new understanding about how to cure what ails the human condition. Can’t concentrate? No worries, we have pill for that. Don’t have any peace in your life? Are you feeling emotionally unstable? Maybe what your lacking in your life is some religion? Not a problem. American Franciscan priest Richard Rohr will walk you through various steps on how to get peace and emotional health from a bevy of religions and resources; Christ is simply one way to achieve this, but he’s certainly not the only way. Can’t afford your dream car? Need a promotion? Do yourself a favor and grab a book by Joel Osteen or Tony Robbins and learn how the universe wants to give you your best life right now. Are you not being affirmed in a way that makes you feel important? We are so sorry. Please, allow us to create a safe space for you to exist so you can live as your “authentic self” without the fear of reprisal, criticism, or challenge from anyone who does not agree with you. Do we really need a Savior when most everything we want can be gotten from the right combination of medications, social programs, therapy, and universe juice? Oh sure, there may be a few scant outliers who need a Savior, but that’s because they live in fear; they just don’t want to go to Hell (which we scarcely believe in any longer); or maybe they’re just too lazy to do the work they should so they can live their best life now? Essentially, the salvation of Christ is only for those weak-minded individuals who really have no other choice but to believe in Christ. They’ve tried everything available and have run out of options. Christ is more-or-less their last ditch effort to get off of drugs or to fix their marriage or to bump their bank account. All other attempts to self-cure have failed, and now, the only thing they’re left with is this “salvation” that Christ offers. Maybe Jesus can fix everything? Maybe he can finally get me what I want?
As best I can tell, aside from the current inaccurate and misleading social functionality of why Christ came to earth, there seems to be no apparent use for the salvation of Christ in our world today. His death on a cross has been reduced to nothing more than a Greek tragedy of folklore; which, outside of making for a great Charlie Brown story and being helpful to a few people, adds no significant value to the world of today. His salvation message is not message of hope for lost sinners who, without accepting the sacrificial death of Christ on their behalf, are nothing more than dead men walking and destined to spend an eternity in Hell, but is instead a message of social justice, and love for the “marginalized” so they too can have upward mobility. A message that encourages you to love yourself and everyone around you just as they are because, after all, we’re not really sinners, we’re just broken people trying to recover from our mistakes. Jesus has become nothing more than a means to and end. He is the train, and the cross is the tracks to get me to my best life now. We teach Christ’s life was the template God used as a way to demonstrate to us how we are to empower the marginalized and to bring them up to a place of prominent social standing. The entire salvation experience now pays homage to me. I am the center of the universe. My peace, my success, my health, my prosperity are all defined by my worldview, and it is up to God to deliver.
To be clear, I refuse to give deference of any kind to this post-modern, progressive interpretation of Jesus, which bastardizes the Salvation of God and turns it into a fable wherein Christ came to this earth, was ridiculed, beaten, brutalized, scourged, mocked, blasphemed, harassed day and night, had spikes driven through his hands and his feet, and was left to hang shamefully naked on a cross as the very breath in his lungs was stolen from him, while onlookers derided him and watched him die the most violent death imaginable. And why? So we could live a life of upward social mobility and prosperity? So we could have money and power? I can think of no other message which has been proffered to the world and which has brought more disgrace and shame to the cross of Christ, as this pernicious idea that reduces sacrificial and eternal work of Christ to a thing to be had for personal gain and social success. To claim that Christ was anything other than the Son of God come in the flesh to give himself as the substitutionary atonement for a rebellious humanity who, at their core, are enemies of God living on borrowed time, is to denigrate his life and sacrifice, and commit sin of the highest order. He was not a social justice warrior who came to lift the marginalized out of their difficult situation and restore them to a place of social prominence. He was God in flesh who came to bring life and salvation to a world who had rebelled against the Creator of the universe, were dead in their trespasses and were clinging to their and sins. Anything less is simply heresy and should be rejected wholesale with prejudice.
How did we get to this point?
I submit to you, unlike penicillin, we did not arrive here by accident. We are here today as the result of a series of messengers who, in my estimation, have been willfully derelict in their duties. Messengers who left the truth of the Scriptures behind, gave God a makeover, and reformatted the Gospel message to include socially and culturally acceptable doctrine in an attempt to give it mass appeal, and in the process destroyed its efficacy, and truth. After all, we don’t want to offend anyone with our words or our tone. However, this has not always been the case. It has only been in the last few years here in America where this now ubiquitous “Social Justice Jesus” message, which teaches the problem of humanity and it’s suffering is rooted in societal missteps, has inculcated the masses. Evangelical pastors and congregants alike are quickly embracing this new idea of using culturally acceptable language and standing side-by-side with other non-believers who are transforming the message of the Gospel from a message of salvation for lost sinners to a philosophical ideology which affirms rank sin and embraces modern cultural norms. But again, this has not always been the case. Take for example the excerpts below from two very prominent preachers of their day. The first excerpt is from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of the most respected theologians of the 20th century. The second is from Joel Osteen, one of the most prolific preachers of the 21st century, whose messages have reached hundreds of millions people around the world. I want you to pay particular attention to the stark juxtaposition of the language contained in the messages. Notice the focus of the messages.
In the first example below, Dr. Jones addresses humanity from a Biblical perspective and demonstrates (with no fear of offense) the issue of evil in the whole of humanity and the incapability of man to solve his own problems.
Why are there jealousy and envy and misunderstanding? Why lust and passion? Why are homes and marriages broken? Why do little children suffer? Why all the agony and the pain of life? It is because there is this other power in the world that has dragged man down. That is the biblical explanation. You will find it in the Bible from beginning to end. And if that is true, how hopelessly and utterly inadequate are all the remedies that are being offered apart from the Bible. What’s more, the Bible tells us that as the result of that original sin, all of us are in the grip of this evil power. Man, as the result of all this, is quite helpless; he has brought a curse upon himself and cannot escape it. He would like to, but he cannot. Man has been trying to get back into Eden ever since he went out of it. That is the whole history of civilization. That is the whole meaning of philosophy and all political thought and all the blueprints of utopias at all times and in all places—man trying to get back into paradise. But it is worse than merely not being in paradise. Man is under the judgment of God. He thought that he could forget God and that there would be no risk involved. He did not realize that the law of God is absolute. Both man as an individual and the whole world, according to the Bible, are under the judgment of God. You see, in the garden Adam and Eve thought they could eat the forbidden fruit and all would be well. Then they heard the voice of the Lord God, and they cowered and were frightened. Judgment had come, and they were thrust out.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones “The Message Of The Bible”
In this second example notice where the focus lies and who holds the power. In his message, Mr. Osteen would convince you and I that we are not the problem, we are the solution! Humanity is in charge and if your micro-universe is going to change, it’s going to change because you have the power to make it so. It’s simply an exercise in mind over matter and then adding a few scriptures in an attempt to corroborate your story.
Speak blessings over your life, and as you do, you’ll go out with more confidence, you’ll be more congenial and, in turn, you will attract new friends. When discouragement comes, instead of sitting back and accepting it, say, “No, I’m a victor and not a victim. I may have been defeated before, but the past is the past. This is a new day.” It’s not enough just to think it; you need to hear it, because what we constantly hear ourselves saying we will eventually believe. Some people live in a perpetual state of financial crisis. They can’t seem to pay their bills — always living “under their circumstances” and constantly speaking defeat. If you are struggling financially, remind yourself repeatedly, “I am the head and I am not the tail. I will lend and I will not borrow. Everything I touch will prosper and succeed.”
Joel Osteen – Change your Words, Change Your World, Shape Your Future
The messages of these two sermons could not be more diametrically opposed to one another. They not only focus on different causes for the human condition, they offer completely different solutions as well. Dr. Jones understands that, from a Biblical perspective, what ails the human condition does not lie in what we are doing, but instead lies in the fact that we are “hopelessly and utterly” sinful creatures and therefore desire to only please our flesh. Our moral failing are the product of our sinful human condition not the cause. Mr. Osteen erroneously teaches that what ails the human condition is what we are or are not doing. He is attempting to reduce Christianity to nothing more than behavior modification. Do this, don’t do this. Say this, don’t say this. Do these things and you’ll have everything you want. In other words, you really don’t need a savior, just a mental reset. Dr. Jones on the other hand, understands we are separated from God and are helpless against the evil powers and the sin at work in us. The result of such separation from God has brought a host of problems upon humanity and we now live in this fallen world, which has but one solution, the salvation of Christ. Mr. Osteen simply says “remind yourself repeatedly “I am the head and not the tail…”” He ignores altogether the need for a Savior.
More Science Less God
Progressive Evangelicals appear to be of the belief that the Bible is progressive in its application. That is to say, what was understood to be true about the Scriptures or what was known to be doctrinally sound theology not two generations ago, is no longer applicable today. Take for example the now very controversial passage of Scripture found in Ephesians regarding the relationship between a husband and wife.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself
Ephesians 5:22-23, 25, 28
Less than two generations ago, you would have been hard pressed to find a Christian living in the United States who did not believe the above passages to be the foundation on which marriages were built. But, because we have allowed sin and other human philosophies such as feminism and homosexuality into the church, we are now compelled to reinterpret and redefine terms in a way that makes them more agreeable to modern philosophies. For example, marriage is no longer defined as a God created, God instituted covenant between a man and a woman. We now define marriage as a bond between two individuals who are “committed” to each other; this could be two men or two women, it makes no difference to the progressive Christian. The simple fact that two men love each other is enough, in their eyes, to make it a marriage. In short, through the redefinition of marriage, progressives are now able to do away with Ephesians chapter five in its entirety. And if you think the destruction of Ephesians chapter five is the only passage of Scripture progressive are going after, you would be wrong. There is no end in sight for the amount of Scriptural erosion taking place in many churches today. Progressive Christians are content to replace authoritative truths found in the Bible, such as “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure…has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” or “The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…” with neo-truths that employ culturally appropriate language. By default, what is being created is a god who is mutable. One who is able to and needs to adapt to the current age; as though what He said in times past is no longer applicable and must be edited if it is to be relevant in today’s world. Again, we’re smarter now. We understand better. What Paul really meant to say was… (insert personal interpretation here). The result of taking this approach is we reject the veracity of Scriptures which conflict with our modern worldview and simply reinterpret what was said. We ignore the basic principles of language in an attempt to redefine terms in order to make the Scriptures say what they were never meant to say. The result of such degenerating work creates innumerable moral hypocrisies and contradictions; not to mention the absolute destruction of the sacred. It would be like using color Crayons on the Mona Lisa and then convincing everyone around you’ve improved the painting; except without the long-term ramification of creating doctrine that sends people to eternal destruction. Ironically enough, this is not a new concept, it’s just more widely accepted now by Evangelicals at large and is being proffered as truth.
And what we are examining is nothing but pride of intellect. It shows itself in the despising of all who have gone before, and modern scientific humanists are very fond of doing that. Nobody knew anything until they arrived on the scene. They despise their forefathers. This is seen in every realm. They dismiss all previous books, all previous knowledge. Everything is out of date; nothing is of any value. Indeed, there are foolish people who occupy Christian pulpits who are really saying that, in effect, nobody could truly understand the Bible until this generation with its modern knowledge. They dismiss nineteen centuries of Christian exposition and Christian learning. That in itself is enough to put them out of court – their colossal conceit and pride. It is ugly. And God hates it. He sees man standing up and inflating himself, and he pronounces his woe upon it.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones – Humanism: The Fifth Woe
Here in lies one of the greatest lies of all time, that is; our understanding of God and His Word are directly and inversely proportional to our understanding of the world around us. In other words, as our medical, social, psychological, and anthropological understanding of humanity increases, our need for God and His Word diminishes in equal proportion. Because of the many advances we’ve made over the past century, what used to be universally accepted by Christians as sin and lusts of the flesh (stealing, alcohol abuse, sexual deviancy, etc.), is now viewed as a product of societal failings, and therefore those who commit such things should not be held accountable for these moral failings. The message is, people are just trying to survive and if they are failing morally, it is only because they have not been provide with basic human needs. The fix seems to be rather simple, provide them what they want and they’ll stop raping and pillaging. This kind of thinking is not only a colossal oversimplification of how to treat the human condition, it bears no data that would even remotely suggest there is any truth to this claim. You see, we are fully convinced the problem with humanity is a scientific issue; that it can be quantified, studied, and ultimately solved by using human methods. Where this leaves us, is with a reliance upon humanity to cure us. If what we are experiencing is a human problem alone, the expectation is we can solve it by human means alone. History has proven otherwise.
Do We Still Need Jesus?
…but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:23-24 ESV
For countless years now, the whole of humanity has been expending untold energies and exhausting innumerable resources in its attempt to rid he world of the evils which plague it. And for all of these efforts, we have experienced only marginal success at best in any area where it truly counts. Hatred still exists. Greed still exists. Sexual immorality still exists. Abuse of every kind still exists. Poverty still exists. Pain still exists. Fear still exists. Depression still exists. Murder still exists. Dictators, tyrants, and despots still exist. Corruption still exists…you get the point. Not only do all of these things still exist in full force, they continue to gain momentum. Why? Because sin, like a very sophisticated and destructive parasite, has an enormous will to live and an appetite that cannot be satiated. With every new discovery we make, we believe we are winning the battle over sin. But anyone who takes a moment to open their eyes to the reality of the world around them, will soon realize we’ve only been treading water and are no closer to the shores of peace and freedom than we were before. This is because sin never dissipates into nothingness. It just continues to lurk ever deeper in the shadows; all the while it mutates and becomes impervious to any nostrum designed to destroy it. And when humanity can’t defeat the evil on its own, what does it do? It does what we’ve been doing on a militant scale for the last decade; it redefines terms. It calls good evil and evil good. The problem of evil is therefore never solved, it’s just repackaged, redefined and then reintroduced back into the masses; but instead of calling it evil, it is now labeled “normal”. Human efforts are powerless against a spiritual disease.
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who turn darkness to light
and light to darkness,
who replace bitter with sweet
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
Isaiah 5:20-21
There seems to be no shortage of examples in Scripture (both Old and New Testaments), which make it abundantly clear, unless we return to God, through Christ Jesus, there is zero hope for curing what ails humanity. The fact that the world would do everything in its power to convince us they possess the power to bring healing to our lives or bring us to a place of unity and peace, is nothing more than a lesson in jiggery-pokery coming to us on a Trojan horse. There is but one remedy for the human condition, and that is Christ and Christ alone. And for anyone to say we have progressed even one molecule closer in this world to a point where we need Jesus less than we did before, is to willfully and knowingly deny the glaring empirical evidence currently staring us in the face. He, Christ, is in fact the only way for any of us to finding true peace and happiness in this life. All other so-called remedies are like prescribing a regimen of sedatives and cocaine to a patient with a brain tumor. Once the effects of the drugs have worn off, the patient returns to a state of lucidity and is met with the unfortunate reality that nothing has changed. The tumor remains, and the end is ever closer than before. The only recourse you have is to keep the patient sedated so they can remain “comfortably numb.” (Pink Floyd – 1979)
Sanctuary and Stone 