Are You a Victim of Cultural Christianity?
The basic difference between Biblical Christianity and Cultural Christianity is that one is shaped by the Bible and the other by culture.
When those in culture have forgotten what the Bible says about Christianity, or when they have conveniently laid its truth aside, they risk the danger of embracing a Christianity that is not Christian at all. This reshaping of the gospel message reshapes the messenger also, for they are one and the same. Thus, the Jesus Christ that modern culture embraces is likely to be an imposter produced out of its own imagination! It is obvious today that, at least in one way, many New Covenant “followers” are no different than were many Old Covenant “followers.” Some devoutly religious leaders of the Old Covenant either forgot or conveniently laid aside the truth found in the scriptures and missed their long-awaited Messiah, though He stood in their midst.
Those Jews of Jesus’ day missed the brilliant reflection of God in His face and hands simply because they were looking for a different kind of god. True enough, they thought they were looking for God the Creator of heaven and earth, the God of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but they expected their Messiah to be packaged quite differently than He was. This was because they did not actually know Him even though they thought of themselves as His most beloved followers. Thus, they could not see Him, and they would not accept Him.
Multitudes of cultural Christians think they have accepted the Jesus Christ that the Jews rejected. But this is not necessarily so. It is obvious that, like the Jews, many cultural Christians have an expectation of Jesus Christ doing something for them that is not in step with what He truly represents. This is due much to a general lack of Bible knowledge, but it is also due to a lack of a genuine willingness to live the life that He called His followers to live, as they know the Bible so clearly states. Jesus said those religious leaders who “could not” see Him because they “would not” were “blind leaders of the blind.” Today, it is much the same.
With all of our preaching and teaching of grace, it is easy to forget that there is still something required of man before he can see God as He really is — he must have a heart that truly desires to know Him as He really is.
It is terribly critical to remember that even though we are on this side of the Cross where grace abounds, evil hearts have not been done away with! Being on this side of the Cross does not erase the fact that deception exists; it does not mean that the enemy cannot succeed in building a religious crowd who believes that they are Biblical Christians when they may not be at all!
Yes! Being on this side of the Cross providesfor abounding grace that begins with the benefit of spiritual sight, but only to those who have a heart to see it and embrace it as it really is! We should guard our hearts, remembering that “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Jeremiah 7:9
It would be wise for us to examine our hearts according to the scriptures to see whether we are truly embracing the Jesus that the Jews rejected or one that the culture has produced. You see, the single greatest reason that modern culture shapes its own Christian savior is also the single greatest reason that modern Jews are still looking for their long-awaited Messiah, who has already come and gone. Each one is looking for his or her own kind of deliverer. Both imagine their messiah and savior to be one who prioritizes making them prosperous in an earthly sense. They imagine their god as one who prioritizes earthly dominion in a way that makes life easy for them. Thus, the cultural Christian message leans heavily toward earthly prosperity and dominion.
The Bible makes clear that blessing and dominion are authentic promises from God, but they must be in proper perspective with His higher priority! They come as He identifies them His way, in His time, based upon His ability to perform His first priority and promise to us—that we be conformed into His image!
If this is not what you are looking for in your savior, then you may be a lost victim of Cultural Christianity!
When those in culture have forgotten what the Bible says about Christianity, or when they have conveniently laid its truth aside, they risk the danger of embracing a Christianity that is not Christian at all. This reshaping of the gospel message reshapes the messenger also, for they are one and the same. Thus, the Jesus Christ that modern culture embraces is likely to be an imposter produced out of its own imagination! It is obvious today that, at least in one way, many New Covenant “followers” are no different than were many Old Covenant “followers.” Some devoutly religious leaders of the Old Covenant either forgot or conveniently laid aside the truth found in the scriptures and missed their long-awaited Messiah, though He stood in their midst.
Those Jews of Jesus’ day missed the brilliant reflection of God in His face and hands simply because they were looking for a different kind of god. True enough, they thought they were looking for God the Creator of heaven and earth, the God of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but they expected their Messiah to be packaged quite differently than He was. This was because they did not actually know Him even though they thought of themselves as His most beloved followers. Thus, they could not see Him, and they would not accept Him.
Multitudes of cultural Christians think they have accepted the Jesus Christ that the Jews rejected. But this is not necessarily so. It is obvious that, like the Jews, many cultural Christians have an expectation of Jesus Christ doing something for them that is not in step with what He truly represents. This is due much to a general lack of Bible knowledge, but it is also due to a lack of a genuine willingness to live the life that He called His followers to live, as they know the Bible so clearly states. Jesus said those religious leaders who “could not” see Him because they “would not” were “blind leaders of the blind.” Today, it is much the same.
With all of our preaching and teaching of grace, it is easy to forget that there is still something required of man before he can see God as He really is — he must have a heart that truly desires to know Him as He really is.
It is terribly critical to remember that even though we are on this side of the Cross where grace abounds, evil hearts have not been done away with! Being on this side of the Cross does not erase the fact that deception exists; it does not mean that the enemy cannot succeed in building a religious crowd who believes that they are Biblical Christians when they may not be at all!
Yes! Being on this side of the Cross providesfor abounding grace that begins with the benefit of spiritual sight, but only to those who have a heart to see it and embrace it as it really is! We should guard our hearts, remembering that “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Jeremiah 7:9
It would be wise for us to examine our hearts according to the scriptures to see whether we are truly embracing the Jesus that the Jews rejected or one that the culture has produced. You see, the single greatest reason that modern culture shapes its own Christian savior is also the single greatest reason that modern Jews are still looking for their long-awaited Messiah, who has already come and gone. Each one is looking for his or her own kind of deliverer. Both imagine their messiah and savior to be one who prioritizes making them prosperous in an earthly sense. They imagine their god as one who prioritizes earthly dominion in a way that makes life easy for them. Thus, the cultural Christian message leans heavily toward earthly prosperity and dominion.
The Bible makes clear that blessing and dominion are authentic promises from God, but they must be in proper perspective with His higher priority! They come as He identifies them His way, in His time, based upon His ability to perform His first priority and promise to us—that we be conformed into His image!
If this is not what you are looking for in your savior, then you may be a lost victim of Cultural Christianity!