Pop Christianity

[SavedByGrace3]

Pop Christianity:
Take a couple million believers from every imaginable denomination, creed, and flavor.
Throw in a few thousand teachers, preachers, and evangelists carrying old and new slants, spins, and colors.
Open a couple thousand Christian bookstores and offer hundreds of books on every topic from Abraham to Zeus.
And don't forget the never-ending drone of Christian radio and Christian TV.
What do you end up with?

"Pop Christianity"

What are the typical symptoms of being caught up in this Christian subculture?

One I have come aware of is the watering down of the power of the gospel.
In an effort to completely rationalize and legitimize scripture, vital truths are rejected, passed over, or canceled out.
For example:
God is Love... but not really... (Sometimes He does some very unlovely things!)
The devil is bad... but not always... (He heals, blesses, and prospers people!)
God forgives and saves to the uttermost... (Except for when (fill in the blank)!)
We all called to be perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect... (Except He can do evil and we can't!)
Jesus is the exact image of the Father... (But the Father is not the exact image of Jesus!)
God is all-powerful... (Except He cannot do some things!)
God is all knowing... (Except He does not know some things!)
Jesus did everything necessary to save, sanctify, and perfect us... (Except we have to do some things toward these ends ourselves!)

These examples and many others lend toward a very fuzzy and unpredictable theology. Especially when the nature and will of God is concerned. I find most believers have a very fuzzy image of God. Which is odd when we see that we have been given the exact image of God in the person of Jesus!

Faith is something that has to be well defined and that can be declared in a confession of faith.
Because of all these "ifs", "ands", "buts", "excepts", and "not-reallys".... it is very difficult for your average "pop-Christian" to actually define his faith. He just does not know what to believe. He believes everything and nothing. He can prove and disprove anything he wants from the Bible.

Another might be hyper-apologetics... where the life, beauty, and simplicity of the gospel is analyzed away. By the time they are done... scripture means nothing. It is all symbolic, metaphorical, or simply non-applicable to us.

I guess "doctrine by popular consensus" is always there. What does the mass of believers think? We have clear statements in the scriptures that in the last days that many will fall away from the faith and follow doctrines of devils. I do not think that the pop-Christianity of the masses is necessarily a safe place to be.

There are the never-ending stream of fad teachings and doctrinal slants. Not that these are all wrong... but these fads tend to follow the latest best selling book title or personality... and not any particular move of God.

I just wondered if anyone else is seeing this. I would appreciate your observations and opinions.
Thanks!

 

[tulc]

Sounds like the Church from the first century on. What's your point?
tulc

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Today at 02:19 PM tulc said this in Post #2

Sounds like the Church from the first century on. What's your point?
tulc

Humm... never thought of it in terms of history repeating itself.

I really have no point in particular tulc... just an observation I seemed to be catching. Wondering if anyone else was seeing this thing.
Thanks

 

[9-iron]

GREAT POINT hobart, I was telling someone the other day the exact same thing. We have become to be identified by the 'stuff' rather than being identified as 'Sons'.

 

[Caedmon]

Today at 12:58 PM hobart schmedly said this in Post #1

Jesus did everything necessary to save, sanctify, and perfect us... (Except we have to do some things toward these ends ourselves!)

Well, we are called to add our sacrifices to Christ's, and to do good works. Grace saves us, not our works, but our works make us open to grace.

These examples and many others lend toward a very fuzzy and unpredictable theology. Especially when the nature and will of God is concerned. I find most believers have a very fuzzy image of God. Which is odd when we see that we have been given the exact image of God in the person of Jesus!

Faith is something that has to be well defined and that can be declared in a confession of faith.
Because of all these "ifs", "ands", "buts", "excepts", and "not-reallys".... it is very difficult for your average "pop-Christian" to actually define his faith. He just does not know what to believe. He believes everything and nothing. He can prove and disprove anything he wants from the Bible.

IMHO, if individual, personal spirituality was not "fuzzy" and "unpredictable" at times, I'd be in Heaven by now. "Ifs", "ands," "buts," "excepts," etc., are necessary when we are discussing culpability and the mercy of God. There is no clean cut version of the soul and spiritual reality. Spirituality is organic, flowing, confusing, intricate, complex... It is a journey that is by no means easy or clear. It is not something that can be cured by a single "sinner's prayer", or a single spiritual experience, IMO.

Another might be hyper-apologetics... where the life, beauty, and simplicity of the gospel is analyzed away. By the time they are done... scripture means nothing.

Hmmm, I'd say you're mistaken. Literary criticism was, is, and always will be, an integral part of Christianity. Such study helps Scripture come to life for me.

It is all symbolic, metaphorical, or simply non-applicable to us.

Yeah, I hate it when they do that to John 6:55.

I guess "doctrine by popular consensus" is always there. What does the mass of believers think? We have clear statements in the scriptures that in the last days that many will fall away from the faith and follow doctrines of devils. I do not think that the pop-Christianity of the masses is necessarily a safe place to be.

This was confusing. What do you mean by "mass of believers"? And if "pop-Christianity" is wrong, then who is right? Which groups follow "doctrines of devils," and which do not?

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Yesterday at 09:42 PM humblejoe said this in Post #5
........

thanks for the comments HJ!

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

Yesterday at 01:58 PM hobart schmedly said this in Post #1

Pop Christianity:
Take a couple million believers from every imaginable denomination, creed, and flavor.
Throw in a few thousand teachers, preachers, and evangelists carrying old and new slants, spins, and colors.
Open a couple thousand Christian bookstores and offer hundreds of books on every topic from Abraham to Zeus.
And don't forget the never-ending drone of Christian radio and Christian TV.
What do you end up with?

"Pop Christianity"

What are the typical symptoms of being caught up in this Christian subculture?

One I have come aware of is the watering down of the power of the gospel.
In an effort to completely rationalize and legitimize scripture, vital truths are rejected, passed over, or canceled out.
For example:
God is Love... but not really... (Sometimes He does some very unlovely things!)
The devil is bad... but not always... (He heals, blesses, and prospers people!)
God forgives and saves to the uttermost... (Except for when (fill in the blank)!)
We all called to be perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect... (Except He can do evil and we can't!)
Jesus is the exact image of the Father... (But the Father is not the exact image of Jesus!)
God is all-powerful... (Except He cannot do some things!)
God is all knowing... (Except He does not know some things!)
Jesus did everything necessary to save, sanctify, and perfect us... (Except we have to do some things toward these ends ourselves!)

These examples and many others lend toward a very fuzzy and unpredictable theology. Especially when the nature and will of God is concerned. I find most believers have a very fuzzy image of God. Which is odd when we see that we have been given the exact image of God in the person of Jesus!

Faith is something that has to be well defined and that can be declared in a confession of faith.
Because of all these "ifs", "ands", "buts", "excepts", and "not-reallys".... it is very difficult for your average "pop-Christian" to actually define his faith. He just does not know what to believe. He believes everything and nothing. He can prove and disprove anything he wants from the Bible.

Another might be hyper-apologetics... where the life, beauty, and simplicity of the gospel is analyzed away. By the time they are done... scripture means nothing. It is all symbolic, metaphorical, or simply non-applicable to us.

I guess "doctrine by popular consensus" is always there. What does the mass of believers think? We have clear statements in the scriptures that in the last days that many will fall away from the faith and follow doctrines of devils. I do not think that the pop-Christianity of the masses is necessarily a safe place to be.

There are the never-ending stream of fad teachings and doctrinal slants. Not that these are all wrong... but these fads tend to follow the latest best selling book title or personality... and not any particular move of God.

I just wondered if anyone else is seeing this. I would appreciate your observations and opinions.
Thanks!

Yes Hobart, I have observed this too. 

It is so much easier when we just believe what God says, and live accordingly. 

Romans 3:4 (NKJ) Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "that You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged."

(Amplified) Let God be found true though every human being is false and a liar, as it is written, That You may be justified and shown to be upright in what You say, and prevail when You are judged [by sinful men].

Quaffer 

 

[SnuP]

The thing that bothers me the most is that there is no passion in one's faith.  People no longer serve God because they are passionately in love with God.

And consequently their so called "relationship" is one sided, relegated to church attendence, bagging for help, and half hearted praise.

 

[Didymus]

a couple of years ago a missionary friend of mine and I went to the local Christain bookstore. she was pretty disgusted with a lot of the items for sale . she called it fluffy Christianity. all pretty and feel good but no meat or even bones to it.

 

[Andrew]

no comments really but I believe that the church is generally getting better and more glorious as we near the time the Bridegroom comes to sweep the church off her feet.

perhaps moving in both extremes.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Yesterday at 07:18 PM Didymus said this in Post #9

a couple of years ago a missionary friend of mine and I went to the local Christain bookstore. she was pretty disgusted with a lot of the items for sale . she called it fluffy Christianity. all pretty and feel good but no meat or even bones to it.

fluffy...

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Yesterday at 09:00 PM Andrew said this in Post #10

no comments really but I believe that the church is generally getting better and more glorious as we near the time the Bridegroom comes to sweep the church off her feet.

perhaps moving in both extremes.

I think you are correct Andy... there is the very good, and then the very fulffy.

 

[shout2thelord]

Today at 12:11 AM SnuP said this in Post #8

The thing that bothers me the most is that there is no passion in one's faith.  People no longer serve God because they are passionately in love with God.

And consequently their so called "relationship" is one sided, relegated to church attendence, bagging for help, and half hearted praise.

yep i see this happening Snup, esp i the church of England, which was my old church denom.  

 

[SnuP]

But on the other hand there are some people (mostly younger) who are so on fire for God that they can't stop blessing Him.

I guess I really agree with Andrew. Its kinda like watching the ten virgins as they just wake up. Some have oil and some have none. All are waiting for His return but some will miss out because they are too busy trying to get what they should of had all along.

 

[shout2thelord]

yep i guess its sad. my friend stephanie sed that some churches in germany have all youth in and are on fire but they have no older people with the wisdom as well.
Then there are other churches that arent as alive but they only have a few young people and mainly older people.

 

[SnuP]

We as young people don't need alot of older people to help guide us.
Just a few that really love God and are on fire also.

And we definately don't need people who would put out our flames for the sake of their traditions.

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

Yesterday at 07:11 PM SnuP said this in Post #8

The thing that bothers me the most is that there is no passion in one's faith.  People no longer serve God because they are passionately in love with God.

And consequently their so called "relationship" is one sided, relegated to church attendence, bagging for help, and half hearted praise.

SnuP,

That statement is a mouthful.  There does indeed seem to be a lack of passion.  A concentration on everything but God.

However, as also stated for those who are afire, it is wonderful to burn for Jesus.  His baptisim of fire burns out the dross and leaves a sweet smelling savor for the Father and the world. 

When the world smells the savor of the burning fragrance of Jesus in our lives, they will be drawn to Him. 

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Today at 11:37 AM Quaffer said this in Post #17



SnuP,

That statement is a mouthful.  There does indeed seem to be a lack of passion.  A concentration on everything but God.

However, as also stated for those who are afire, it is wonderful to burn for Jesus.  His baptisim of fire burns out the dross and leaves a sweet smelling savor for the Father and the world. 

When the world smells the savor of the burning fragrance of Jesus in our lives, they will be drawn to Him. 

What a wonderful breath of fresh air!

 

[SnuP]

How many people have heard the call, "Come away with me, my beloved," But ignored it. How many people have trusted in their religion rather than God. It is easier to worship the idol of ones belief system then to trust the faint voice calling from within the spirit.

I was satisfied with worship, untill I saw real worship. I was saticfied with my knowledge untill I realized I didn't know God.

How long will the rest of christiandom remain satisfied.

I hear the voice of one calling in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord." And I hear the voice within, "Come run with me long the mountain tops." And I realize that the way that must be prepared is accually in me.

The vision must be fulfilled, of absolute abandoning to the purposes of God.
The intensity of the relationship must continue to increase untill it overwelms the heart and crushes the old man and his will. Passion for God being glorifed must be the only thing that is left. Untill then, it is not enough.

I want to live with in the garden of the Most High.

 

[Caedmon]

Though I don't totally agree with the Word of Faith moment, I think that y'all's passionate love for God is beautiful.