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Ron Writes

One of the biggest threats to Christianity today is a new way of looking at the Bible. Rather than looking at culture through the lens of the Bible, the Bible is now being interpreted through the lens of culture. Culture has become more important than Scripture. Bible passages that are counterculture are now being reinterpreted to harmonize with the latest cultural beliefs. The current trend is for theology to be based more on personal conscience, experiences, and cultural norms. Secular Christianity values inclusion and self-actualization. 

For many American Christians this new form of Christianity feels fresh and relevant. Secular Christianity is full of cultural conformity. It is friendly, comfortable, non-judgmental and easy to live with and feels super awesome, except the Bible doesn’t support it. James warns that “friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God” (Jm. 4:4).

Did you ever wonder how God’s people in the OT could fall for idolatry over and over again? When you hear that Baal is God from those around you, it’s easy to begin to think there must be some truth to it. When your neighbors and the culture around you tells you again and again that Baal is God, it’s not too long until you begin to say it yourself. It’s time to get rid of our outdated beliefs and old bias and embrace Baal. The battle is the same today.  For instance, if everyone around you is saying that a man can be a woman, social pressure is great enough that you’ll begin saying it too. 

This is a new version of an old problem. There are numerous warnings in the Bible. Paul cautioned “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that” (2 Tim. 3:5)! Isaiah warned long ago, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isa. 5:20). It’s nothing new. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:3).

Jesus warns us to be aware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. If they kicked the Bible to the curb, they’d lose a lot of followers. Instead, secular Christianity retains the vocabulary, but changes the meaning. Secular Christianity uses religious sounding terms and Christian vocabulary, but it exchanges the power of the gospel for human wisdom.