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Denying the Name of Christ
01/09/2008
“As Christians, we publicly acknowledge our relationship with Jesus Christ through the very name we carry.”
- Dan DeHaan “The God You Can Know”
2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, EVEN DENYING THE MASTER WHO BOUGHT THEM, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
The term “Christian” has become a dirty word nowadays. And not just for the world but by those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ! For two thousand years it has been a banner carried boldly by those who had taken up their cross and surrendered their life to Christ. But now people who want all the benefits promised to followers of Christ but none of the stigma have begun to denounce the name for which previous generations have been persecuted and martyred. They prefer to not have any so-called label at all (clarity and definition being the ultimate enemy of the postmodern mind) but if one MUST be used then call them “spiritual” or, if you really corner them, “Christ followers.”
This is especially true in the media and what is loosely called “the arts.” I first noticed it three or four years ago when what used to be called Contemporary Christian Musicians (CCM) started “crossing over” to secular labels. They complained about how they were not getting the airplay and distribution (i.e., making the money) that they deserved because they were relegated to a “Christian ghetto.” You see, since they had gotten their start playing for Christians and churches and people thought they were Christians and some of their songs had to do with Christianity, the recording companies that were most interested in them were those who focused on the “Christian” market. So their music only got played on Christian radio stations, their CDs were only sold in Christian bookstores, and they were only booked for Christian arenas and tours.
Well, it’s hard to “reach the world with your message” if all you’re playing to are Christians, right? So when certain CCM artists began to get so popular that some of their songs began to get airplay on secular radio stations, most of CCM took notice and the secular labels began to smell profit. The bands that had started within Christianity began to actively court the secular labels and vice-versa. But, you know, that whole “Christian” thing really put a lot of their potential market off so they stopped calling it that. In interview after interview, solo artists and bands almost fell over themselves in an effort to distance themselves from the term “Christian.” It started with saying “we’re musicians who just happen to be Christians” and that they didn’t want to “limit” themselves because their songs are “about life.” And slowly…year by year…their disdain for the term Christian became more vehement and their desire to be accepted and admired by the world grew until today CCM is dead. With few exceptions, there IS no difference between what once was Christian bands and their secular counterpart. They look, act, and talk the same…they use the same management companies, agents, recording labels, and distributors…they get paid for the same commercial endorsements…they play tours with non-Christian bands and play in the same arenas…their songs are about the same things but they still broach “spiritual” concepts in some of their songs in an ambiguous way. But if you asked them, they would say they still believe in Jesus but now they’re “reaching the world with their message” (getting the admiration and money that their secular counterparts were getting has nothing to do with it) and they’re being “salt and light” in the music industry. I’m sorry, what message is that? And didn’t Jesus say that once salt has lost it’s flavor its only good for the dung pile (Luke 14:34,35)? CCM used to be considered a ministry (something meant to glorify God and spread the gospel) but now it has become only an industry (something meant to glorify and profit man).
Now we’re seeing it in “Christian” movies. Historically, some of the greatest films of all time have dealt with Biblical stories and Christian themes such as “The Ten Commandments” and “Ben Hur.” But the contemporary Christian movie industry, very much like CCM in it’s infancy, has been considered to be amateurish in quality and limited to evangelical audiences. However, the same process that occurred with CCM has begun within the film industry. No longer satisfied with the low budgets and limited audiences afforded projects produced by ministries (and in the name of “reaching a wider audience”) they have sought after mainstream media companies. And they, in turn, have begun to realize that there is money to be made in “family value” films. I guess it’s a result of the film industries continual pushing of the envelope concerning sex and violence but a significant percentage of people are feeling a certain nostalgia for the days when you could take your child to a movie without having them barraged with every form of obscenity imaginable. So movie makers are looking for films that embody “good family values” and, if possible, a few ambiguous religious references as well because, as everyone knows, “a little religion” is good for you! So now we’re seeing new companies by all the major film studios specializing in those markets. But they seem to be running into a problem…the films are not producing the sort of numbers that their envelope-pushing counterparts are and it appears to be because they are being labeled as “Christian” films. So, as with CCM, everyone is now tripping over themselves to say that they are movie makers who just happen to be “Christian” but that their movies aren’t. They are “about life” and should be enjoyed by people of all beliefs. And they’re going through some impressive gymnastics to avoid using the term “Christian” in describing their films while still trying to appeal to “church goers.”
The result is the same as it was with CCM. The message becomes so ambiguous as to be of no effect and any thought of ministry is completely dismissed. Any Christian message has been replaced with a message espousing the value of self-improvement without realizing that it is just as much the enemy of the Cross as Satanism. But if you asked, they would say they still believe in Jesus but now they’re “reaching the world with their message” (getting the admiration and money that their secular counterparts were getting has nothing to do with it) and they’re being “salt and light” in the film industry.
I think Oswald Chambers said it best in his classic “My Utmost for His Highest:”
“The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ.”
Now, we’re beginning to see a disdain for the term Christian within it’s last bastion…the church! Starting with the younger postmodern seekers within the Emergent Church (http://www.cyshift.com/emerging.html), church goers are increasingly dropping the title “Christian.” Books such as “unChristian” (http://www.unchristian.com/) and “They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations” tell them that the world sees them as “anti-homosexual,” “judgmental,” and “hypocritical.” In fact, the word “Christian” has become so negative that it would be best if they just drop it all together. Call yourself something else…anything else. And apologize to the world on your way out. To call something or someone Christian now is to illustrate that you’re out of touch and ensure that it or they are rejected by the majority of society.
When I first heard the accusations in these books I was dumbfounded. Most Christians and churches that I know of (and keeping abreast of developments within Christianity is a passion of mine) are bending over backwards to avoid anything that might be construed as judgmental! When is the last time you heard a sermon on sin, judgment, or hell? Whenever I hear anything about homosexuality it’s usually another church telling them how welcome they are and how God condones it. And we’re hypocritical? Again, most Christians I know of are hiding the fact pretty well and most sermons make no demands of its hearers. And it’s hard to call the world hypocrites when everything is relative to them. So what is the root of these accusations?
I think the answer is threefold. First, the media makes sure that every person who has any kind of Christian orientation is portrayed as evil, insane, overbearing, tyrannical, petty, manipulative, etc. etc. and we get most of our world view from there. Secondly, we live in a society where a perverted idea of tolerance is the last vestige of morality. Any sin or perversion or philosophy MUST be tolerated (with one notable exception). Therefore, they’re going to see anyone who claims that there is but one true God, that morality is an absolute given by God that doesn’t change, that all people are inherently evil, and that everyone who doesn’t repent of their sin and worship Jesus will spend eternity in Hell, as judgmental. Thirdly, as Romans 1:20 alludes to, each person knows within themselves what is right and wrong and that they are rebelling against God. It hurts them and makes them angry. They can’t get their hands on God so they accuse His children of making them feel bad. They know homosexuality is wrong and that they are under God’s judgment so they accuse of us of hating homosexuals and being judgmental. Christians seem to be the only ones talking about absolute morality so whenever the world sees that we are unable to meet the standard of God’s holiness that we profess then the “Accuser of the Brethren” nudges them to shout “hypocrite.”
John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
But hasn’t the church ALWAYS been accused of such things? For two thousand years the church has consistently been called judgmental and hypocritical. Hating homosexuals is a relatively new accusation because until this generation even non-believers acknowledged that it was wrong. Does that mean that Christians are without sin? Of course not! But does that mean we need to apologize and follow the worldly advice “if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all?” Not that we’re saying much of anything nowadays…NO! If we owe the world an apology, it’s for not having the boldness to preach “the whole counsel of God.”
Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”
John 7:7 “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.”
John 15:18 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”
Acts 20:26,27 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
I have been accused of speaking out too much against sin and being too judgmental of both the world and the church. I admit, I often find myself speaking of sin, repentance, judgment, and Hell. But it is only in an effort to bring into balance our presentation of the Gospel and the Christian walk. I’d love to talk about God’s mercy, grace, and love but I’m drowning in a sea of sermons about it! Don’t you know that there can be no mercy or grace without repentance? And that there can be no repentance without an understanding of the depth of our sin and its consequence? What use is a touchy feely emotional love if we’ve so gutted the Gospel as to make it indistinguishable from humanism? We’ve put the cart in front of the horse and tried to sell ourselves and the world on a Christianity where you get everything you want and it costs you nothing! This is not the Gospel…it is a false gospel which can only birth cultural Christians that inside are “full of dead men’s bones.”
What a subtle and insidious Enemy we have! The church has swallowed lie after Satanic lie in an effort to stay relevant and make the world like us. We’re are so concerned with “staying positive” that we reject out of hand anything which makes people uncomfortable or gives offense. Negative = wrong = not of God, right? So once more we genuflect to the world apologizing profusely for having offended them and promise not to do it again. Believe it or not, the words “negative” and “positive” are not in the Bible yet we have built our whole theology on it (http://www.cyshift.com/positive.html) . Mark my word, you will see the name “Christian” being used less and less within Christian circles because, like the Cross, it is offensive. If the Lord tarries, it will disappear entirely except as a historical reference or a curse. And this move to call us “Christ Followers” is only an intermediate step. Compromise doesn’t happen all at once and it rarely is stated explicitly. This path leads inevitably to denying the very name of Jesus.
For two thousand years, people have been made social outcasts and endured derision, been taken from their homes in the middle of the night, endured torture and the loss of all of their worldly goods, seen their families murdered, been killed in the most cruel ways imaginable…all for being called Christian. But now we can’t use that blood-stained title because it keeps us from selling enough CDs or movie tickets or causes our friends and co-workers to think less of us. Christian isn’t a dirty word…it is a badge of honor and if you suffer scorn for it then consider yourself blessed knowing the price that has been paid by your brothers and sisters who proceeded you and by those enduring real persecution around the world. And if you think being called a Christian causes you problems now, you haven’t seen anything yet…
1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Matthew 10:33 “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
References:
“Have Crossover Artists Sold Out?”
http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/commentaries/crossoverartists.html
“Fox Faith: Is It Working?”
http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/news/foxfaithworking.html
Christian No More video
http://faithvisuals.com/41581#download
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