We recently posted a video that showed young Christians (millennials) offering their view of Christianity, as if their views were orthodox. However, their views were decidedly unorthodox. In fact, what they believe comes right out of the liberal play book. So the young people are actually liberal “Christians.” But they want to be known as “progressive Christians” or better yet: “social justice Christians.”
We must face the sad fact that a large number of lambs have had the proverbial wool pulled over their eyes by wolves in sheep’s clothing As I said before, if we examine the views held by a large number of millennials we find very few Bible believing Christians among them. Instead what we find is that our younger generation out right rejects the clear teaching of Scripture. And tying to reason with a liberal is like trying to get a mule to walk when it’s made up its mind to stand.
In the piece that follows, blogger John Wesley Reid points out 5 ways Christian millennials are hurting their delivery of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
Recently a video went viral with a message about what Christians are not. Typical trendy rhetoric followed that while perhaps had good intentions in breaking down the barrier between the Church and the world, the message was very problematic: “I’m a Christian and I’m queer. I’m a Christian and I like Beyonce.” A very well written critique to the video can be found here.This piece is not a critique of the video but rather a holistic response to young Christian millennials who often sacrifice their Christian values for the sake of being relevant to the world. I will remind you, oh beloved children of God, that Jesus himself said that the world will hate you because of your love for Him. You can love the world like Jesus loves the world and still be hated. It’s not your fault, so don’t change your method. Your advocacy for Christ should never come at the expense of your relationship with Him. Here are 5 ways that many Christian millennials are hurting their delivery of the gospel to a world that desperately needs it.
1) Tolerance
Tolerance flies in the face of the gospel because it is apathetic both to brokenness and holiness, and when we don’t recognize our brokenness then we will never recognize our need for holiness…and thus Jesus becomes, at best, superfluous. Millennials have it in their minds that hating people’s sin means hating the individual. This message is due in part to the liberal media
but many young Christian millennials sing the same tune. Instead of hating sin for the separation that it causes between us and God, they accept the sins of others in the name of “loving them for who they are.”
But the problem with that is when we accept people for who they want to be, we neglect the people that Jesus made them to be.
Jesus was the prime example of love, but never does He display an ounce of tolerance. (see: Jesus, The Epitome of Intolerance) Indeed the cross was proof of His intolerance. What type of tolerance prompts a king to step off his throne to die for his people? Tolerance was never part of the story! The gospel does not boast “come as you are, stay as you are” but rather “come as you are TO BE RESTORED!”
We don’t get to make up the narrative here, folks! The story has already been written- and it is beautiful!
2) Neglecting Theology
Consider the etymology of the word theology; theo- God, logy-study: the study of God. A trendy message among young Christians these days is “theology is good, but loving like Jesus is better.” The problem here is that the two are not mutually exclusive. Not only are they not mutually exclusive but rather they are dependent on each other. The more we know Jesus, the more we love Him and the more we love Him the more we want to know Him and so the cycle continues. Our desire to know him (theology) should be an implication for our love for Him. And the more this continues the more we will desire to live like Him and thus love His people AS HE loves them.
You wouldn’t show your love for a spouse simply by how you talk about them, you’d show your love by knowing them, spending time with them, and serving them.
But when theology is neglected, the ramifications are made known in the way we treat others. Even with a Christian label we only love on them with a wishy washy love that promotes no agenda for change and restoration. When theology is neglected Christian millennials succumb to weak cultural ideas and defective scriptural interpretation such as “Jesus just said to love people, so why should we be opposed to gay marriage?” and “the Bible says not to judge, so don’t tell me that I shouldn’t be sleeping with my boyfriend!” when the Bible actually tells Christians to judge each other other (Matthew 7:24, I Corinthians 5:9-13). A good theology will inform the individual that not only are they wrong in their sin, but that Jesus wants so much MORE for them; more joy, purity and intimacy with Him. Continue reading
Related
Who Are the Genuine Children of God? By Mike Ratliff
The following is from Spurgeon’s sermon,
“NOMINAL CHRISTIANS — REAL INFIDELS”
Professing Christians, the love of this world is enmity against
God. You PROFESS to love God, yet you are as worldly, as fond
of its fashions and its frivolities, as pleased with its pomp
and its fooleries, as hungry for its honors and its fripperies,
as you can well be.
“Whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.”
This verse teaches that if you continue to sow sin
you will have to reap the result of it, and that, unless
through divine grace you are led to give up your right-eye
sins, and to cut often your right-arm lusts, you will perish.
Christ only bids you give up that which will ruin you;
he only asks you to do that which will make you happy.
The Son of God was nailed to the cross, and out of love to you
he demands that you forsake the sin which will destroy you.
God demands Repentance.
Repentance is a change of mind—
the changing of your mind with reference to SIN,
caring no more for its pleasures, despising it and
turning away from it.
Repentance is a change of mind with regard to HOLINESS;
seeking your happiness in it.
Repentance is a change of mind with regard to CHRIST,
so that you shall no longer look upon him as without
form or loveliness, but as a most precious Savior,
such as you need.
Christ demands of you that you should throw out your
Ornaments of Self-Righteousness, and wrap yourself in the
sackcloth of humiliation, and cast the ashes of penitence
upon your head, and cry, “Unclean! unclean! unclean!”