“...They looked for a way to take the man into the house where Jesus was. But they could not find a way to take him in because of so many people. They made a hole in the roof over where Jesus stood. Then they let the bed with the sick man on it down before Jesus.”
-Luke 5:18-19
People often refer to Christianity as a “religion.” It isn’t. Religion is synthetic, i.e. a system of values, beliefs, ideas, and practices created by man. New Atheism is a religion. Secular humanism is a religion. Environmentalism, Hedonism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, Marxism, Libertarianism, Nationalism, Spirituality, Transcendentalism, Scientism, Existentialism, Objectivism, Animism, Theosophy, Unitarian Universalism, Scientology, and Skepticism… Those (and countless others) are all religions. They are all inherently toxic and ultimately fatal ideologies as they undermine and circumvent the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as The Way, Truth, and Life.
Like Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code, religion takes a piece of truth and then twists, mangles, and perverts it beyond all recognition. Adherents of Judaism, for example, took the truth of God Almighty and gnarled it to the point that when the Messiah of Hebrew Scripture arrived, they not only didn’t recognize Him but they plotted and planned His execution. It wasn’t an overnight affair. Instead, Israel’s rebellion dates back to the origin of the nation. Whether in slavery or freedom, in the wilderness or Promised Land, with or without a king, in exile or back home, hearing directly from God or in silence… rebellion, sin, and idolatry were ever-present.
The same thing is going on across the board with so-called “Christian” churches. Many denominations have willingly jettisoned the authority of Scripture and substituted false doctrines. Perversions of orthodox Christianity, such as the Prosperity Gospel, Progressive Christianity, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), the Word of Faith Movement, Universalism, the Emergent Church Movement, Christian Mysticism, the Hyper-Grace Movement, and Moralistic Therapeutic Deism are all false gospels.
Progressive Christianity tends to prioritize social justice and inclusivity. It reinterprets biblical truth and historical apostolic orthodoxy to conform with modern cultural values such as racial justice (there is only one human race), gender fluidity (when there are only two genders XX & XY), victim mindset, and environmental stewardship - even at the expense of the Great Commission and the integrity of church membership (reserved for those who have: a) repented of their sin and rebellion against Christ Jesus our Creator, b) been born again by grace through faith, c) manifesting the Fruit of The Spirit as devoted servants with a local body of faithful followers of Christ).
When we take bits of truth out of context and reinterpret the Divine Author’s (God) objective meaning, we end up with wonky, misguided, and demonic worship. An example would be taking the story from Luke chapter 5 of the friends making a hole in the roof of a house to lower their friend into the presence of Jesus and then creating a religion around making holes in rooftops. The hole in the roof wasn’t the point. The point is that Jesus Christ alone is capable of forgiving sin because He is God, and those who recognize that reality will stop at nothing to bring our friends, family, and neighbors into His redeeming and life-giving presence. The point is NOT that every roof should have a hole in it or that we should go around making holes in rooftops.
Christianity isn’t about the forms. That’s why there is so much beautiful diversity in worship across cultures worldwide. God’s desire isn’t that we get locked into legalistic forms, ceremonies, and rituals, but rather that we lavish our praise and adoration upon Christ Jesus through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father… and that we do it together as members of His Body & Bride.
The questions to ask ourselves are:
“Is my worship authentic?”
“Am I truly worshiping the God of The Bible in Spirit and Truth?”
“Is what I’m doing directly bringing people into the presence of Christ Jesus?”
“Am I just making holes in rooftops and calling it worship?”
Blessings & love,
Kevin M. Kelley
You can listen to my messages and sermons >HERE<
You can also watch them on YouTube
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