Ten Major Mistakes within
Modern Christianity
From a Biblical
perspective
Forward
As I
was speaking with my mother the other night, one major theme stuck
out in our talk. That of the ultimate sadness that is modern
Christianity. Other religions were not our focus because other
religions do not have Christ as their savior, nor do they use the New
Testament as guide for working out their salvation. In effect, they
keep God, 'up there' and us 'down here.' This is a fundamental
problem with every religion besides that of Christianity. So the
focus of my talks here will not be on those other religions because they
don't come up to the standard of God's full salvation as seen in the
new Testament. Jesus as God and savior is not their central theme. As our talk
continued, I noticed that we veered off into a sort of list of things
wrong with modern Christianity. The talk was on a note that was sad
and depressing because of how short the revelation is in the teachings of modern Christianity. The fact is that our brothers and
sisters in Christ are actually in a situation of degradation and
decline, and they simply don't know it. Furthermore they are
actually dead in function, numb with regards to the full truth, and in
many cases mislead and taken advantage of by the charlatan preachers who are really just the fierce wolves whom
Paul warned about in Acts 20:29. This is a most serious situation
among the body of Christ.
As I pondered this situation, I
realized that there are a few readily obvious examples of this
degradation within Christianity, which come to light when measured
upon the yardstick of the Bible itself. When speaking with non believers it is almost always brought up that the Bible can't be a source to prove God's existence. But when speaking about believers the Bible is free to use as a means of communicating truth. So in these writings I will attempt to
bring that truth to the nominal Christian who does not otherwise have
the knowledge of these misconceptions. I
have compiled a list, with Biblical reference and examples
to attempt to free up some from the snares of untruth or
mis-education within Christianity. I pray that all genuine believers
in the Lord Jesus would get into these points with a grave attitude
and to come out of the deadening situation in modern Christianity and
into the pure church. I hope we as a nation, and internationally
around the whole earth can learn from these points the real truth
regarding the Bible and that those so called leaders within the
church would drop their own glory and self estimations to return to
Jerusalem out of Babylon. I say this as a type or allegory for the
real situation of modern Christianity is that of captivity, whether
known or unknown. I would that all of God's pure children of the
second birth come out of the stagnant and broken situation of
Christianity and into the life pulse and life flow of the lowly vine.
Introduction
The errors here are
most obvious to those with a correct translation of the Bible and if our spiritual eyes are open to the actual practices of modern Christian
churches. Anyone who has the seeking heart to actually go and visit
different churches and compare and contrast as the Spirit did in
Revelation the true conditions of the believers in each situation
would see that in each different sect, within each different church
there are myriads of false teachings and subtle erroneous practices.
That simple statement itself lends to an obvious error: “in each
different sect, within each different church.” For there is only
one church, i.e. one body (Ephesians 4:4). What this means is that all genuine believers are one in the spirit, and brothers and sisters of one another. The church is one body. So why are their divisions? Some of these divisions (I
will call them divisions because in each case they take a name other
than the genuine body- 1 Corinthians 1:13- that is, the unique body,
of which we all are members; the church) are purposeful misreadings of truth within the
Bible, in order to gain money or fame, others are unaware, not knowing of how they error or whom they lead
astray. Never
fully understanding the word of God, their purpose in the universe,
or ever really coming into their ordained function within the body of
Christ. In effect, their portion has been annulled (1 Corinthians
14:1-26), their speaking has been overtaken by the hiring of a so
called pastor, and their spiritual lives have been sold to the wills
of those who “oversee” them, in most cases for the
secret monetary gain of the one(s) imposed upon them to be “superior”
out of so called Bible learning. These are grievous things.
Let us
know delve into the inner workings of these bold apostasies and
subtle heresies with the intent to uncover the guise, remove the
veil, and redirect the children of God into what is known as pure
Biblical truth, with the intention that orthodox Biblical practice
would be gained by some, and that the pure joy which is intended for
all of God's children could be acquired therein.
Mistake
number 1
Not
caring about correct Bible translation
Let us
start with the source of all problems within the church, the Bible
itself. A correct translation of the Bible is paramount in all of
this. Once a believer is saved he or she usually has an insatiable
thirst for the word of God. The word that is God (John 1:1). A person
saved loves their source, and the source is most definitely the word,
which is Christ as God's speaking (1 Peter 1:20, 2 Timothy 3:16, Job
33:4). God became the word, and the word became flesh. God was
incarnated as a real man, but this man was in the beginning with God
as the word. Then, in time, this word who became flesh, and
tabernacled among men (John 1:14). This tabernacling as the
incarnation of God himself resulted in the salvation of the believers
(John 3:16-17), those called out of the world in love past, present,
and future. Love is the source (as well as the motive) of this
incarnation, as only love forgives. It is through this forgiving love
that the believer finds their source back to God, and locates their
creator as source, as well as love itself (1 John 4:8). God is their
source, and the word is what God has given to man in order to know
God, as well as to eat God (John 8:32, 6:37). It is their source, for
the result of the propitiatory death of the word that became flesh is
the ultimate renewing of the inner man and the subsequent atonement
back to our source, who is father God (Genesis 1:26, Isaiah 64:8).
So in
effect, the believer's thirst is for Christ himself, as the word. And
through reading the word, one can assimilate the spirit of Christ and
thus be fed. However, a huge problem herein lies. That of the
translation work of the Bible itself. Many overlook translation as a
nominal issue, or not an issue at all. But this is where most error
since the translation of the word of God is quintessential to a
proper understanding of God himself and God's purpose. For this we
have to adhere to the original writings in Aramaic, Greek, and
Hebrew. This is all too important, and all too often overlooked. The
difference in a misquoted translation is crucial to the understanding
of the original thought behind the passage, as well as to misleading
many to the understanding of the full thought of the context of the
verse within the chapter, possibly leading to the misdirection of the
entire book, let alone the thought behind the particular passage.
This can, and has thrown the whole Bible off. We must remember that
the Bible is a whole book. Not just separate books pieced together,
but a whole. Each book is a part of the whole. Each book is crucial
to the understanding and ultimate placement of the whole. Some more
crucial than others, yet all indispensable in their individual
placing.
Mistake
number 2
Nullifying
the function of the believers and uplifting the clergy-laity ideology
as a hierarchical system within the church
Paul
says explicitly in 1 Corinthians 14 that all the believers can
function. What is it to function? It is to have a portion to bring to
the meetings. Whether that is a verse, a psalm (a song), a teaching,
a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation is up to the individual
believer and his direction according to God, or we may say God's
leading within him. Yet under what circumstance can that believer
bring his or her portion to the meeting? Surely it's not in a
situation where only a pastor speaks and everyone else listens. This
is the practical and most obvious annulment of the believers
function. This is the clergy-laity system. This system was gradually
brought into modern worship over the centuries by Ignatius, the Roman
Catholic church, and the Anglican church. It is a biblical deformity
and is in fact completely un-biblical.
Mistake
number 3
Uplifting
certain “gifted” speakers as false oracles of God's true move
Christianity
constantly talks about revivals. A revival! A revival! The church
does at times need to be revived. But from what does it need to be
revived? From the deadness, the oldness, and the erroneous concepts
and teachings within it. It needs to return to the pure orthodoxy of
the original church, and meet as the believers met in the book of
Acts in oneness, simplicity, and with thanksgiving. It needs to hold
Christ himself as the unique head, and by his spirit advance in
growth and conformity to Jesus Christ himself. Yet, in modern times
we see outstanding examples of man's pride in the form of feaux
leadership, man being puffed up with his own erroneous Biblical
concepts and the false knowledge that is derive from distorting the
word, or simply not understanding the word of God. All of this is not
according to God's full revelation in the Bible. This to the dismay
and derailment of millions and millions dear seekers who otherwise
don't know any better. How horrible and disgusting it is to distort
the word into a vehicle for self gain. Or to cut off God's hand with
regards to his move in order to set up personal churches for ones own
means. No “pastor” or great speaker owns any church. Likewise a
speaker should be restrained in his gifts in order to not just edify
the body, but rather to instil into the body growth. Edification is
one thing, growth is another. We may need character lessons from time
to time in an outward sense, but lessons can never satisfy our inward
hunger, and it can never bring a quench to the sinners deep thirst.
It can only 'wash' the outward man and beautify it while the inner
man can easily go on as dirty as ever.
I have
seen this first hand and it is a shame truly. These may be our
genuine brothers, but without the scope of the full economy and
purpose of God, literally all of their speakings are worthless. I do
not trust one “famous” speaker, and I know some of their names,
which I won't mention. It may be that from time to time something
good is spoken. Something heart warming, something that causes peace
and brings some healing to a few. This is good, yet if each speaker
does not transmit Christ himself into the listener, then ultimately
that ministry is short. Many ministers need education in the spirit
of Christ himself. Education to live, breath, and act within that
spirit. I dare say most fail at this very thing. To convey Christ
himself is the unique requirement of a speaker. No message that is
void of Christ is a timeless message. The message may help
temporarily, but the next day, or the next week, or the next month
the listeners problems will come back. Only Christ himself as the
spirit can cause growth, and can truly edify the listener in an
intrinsic way. This is what it is to be a genuine New Testament
minister. All others are more or less just counselors, not ministers.
They might counsel on the word, but do they literally minister the
word (who is Christ himself) into the believer? This is the yardstick
of the ones speaking.
It is
the saddest thing to have a charismatic movement in order to gain
money. In order to gain a monetary benefit and “get rich” off of
the church. As if God's hand is short in saving (Isaiah 59:1). In 2
Timothy chapter 2 Paul laid out a kind of model for the New Testament
teachers. They are ones who suffer evil as good soldiers and they
become approved to God (v. 3, 15). How many teachers are ones who
have not left the world? How many are those who are not edified
themselves in what they attempt to edify? One who is a soldier as a
teacher has to be above reproach themselves. In verses 16-22 we see
that some have given themselves over to erroneous teachings that are
not God's full truths. We see this over and over in modern
Christianity. Mainly because they do not have the full truth! They
see as through a veil, the things of God. Even distorting God's pure
truth for their own bent towards monetary gain.
In my
estimation the majority of these teachers are nothing more than self
help counselors. They do not see Christ as the spirit, nor do they
teach the word of God from the advantage point of Christ himself as
the spirit to be everything to the believers. They are more or less
all 'big brother' types trying to encourage the believers to grow
more wealthy, or to become better people, or to get better jobs. This
is neither here nor there with regards to God's purpose on the earth.
Mistake
number 4
Mixing
paganism with church practices and not fully leaving the world behind
What
is the world? The world is the system set up by man (with Satan's
influence) in order to deviate from the true need of man, which is
God himself. Geneses 3.
Mistake
number 5
Taking
other names
Mistake
number 6
Not
seeing that God is three-in-one triune
Mistake
number 7
Overlooking
the truth of pre-tribulation rapture
Mistake
number 8
Not
dealing thoroughly with idol worship
Mistake
number 9
Not
holding Christ as the unique mediatior between man and God
This
goes back to clergy-laity.
Mistake
number 10
Not
understanding fully that salvation is once and for all
