Changes in Christianity Remain the Same
Several years ago, I taught a series of Bible study lessons called “Doctrines of Contention” with my friend Dan Hamm. The lessons attempted to explain why there are so many variants within the Christian faith. The premise I operated under assumed that most change in occurred because people were trying to find a workable answer to difficult problems either inside the church or within the culture.
Change Usually Happens Innocently
Most of the time, changes did not happen because someone was out to subvert Christianity.
Take baptism as an example. Some denominations sprinkle infants in a baptismal ceremony. Other churches pour water over an individual. Other churches engulf the person in a body of water for the baptism. Some only baptize adults. Why are there so many differences?
Virtually everyone agrees that in the New Testament, people were immersed into water when they were baptized. The Greek word “baptize” means “to immerse, to dip.” The word was used to describe the process of changing the color of a cloth by immersing it into a dye.
Because there were no church buildings, the early believers baptized new converts in a nearby river or body of water.
Persecution Hastens Change
But then Roman persecution of the church intensified. By 65AD one could not go to the Jordan River to baptize lest they be killed. In trying to do the right thing, Christian leaders decided to bring the Jordan River inside, and sprinkling and pouring became modes of baptism. It would be 300 more years before Rome would quit persecuting the church.
By then, no one even knew that people used to be immersed.
The church has also tried to make compromises with a culture who has a difficult time believing in either a God or the supernatural. Let’s make our Christianity more acceptable to those who don’t accept it. I assume the motives were good – let’s help more accept Christ and Christianity.
Change Strangles a People Whose God Doesn’t Change
About twenty years ago, Episcopalian bishop John Shelby Spong published the book, “Why Christianity Must Change or Die.” Spong, a theological liberal, said congregations would grow if they abandoned their literal interpretation of the Bible and transformed to meet the changing times.
Studies in Canada and the United States have found that while liberal churches are dying, conservative churches are growing. Changes in Christianity have not helped. In addition, a recent study has shown the same to be true within Judaism. The orthodox Jewish branch, more biblical than either Reformed or Conservative Jews, is the only group consistently growing.
Our God’s Not Dead
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.” The rest of his paragraphs don’t imply that the death in an entirely good thing. He saw the basic belief systems of Western Europe in real trouble. He was right.
Some things just don’t change, do they?
Peter proclaimed, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:37).
Cut to the heart, the people cried, “Brothers, what can we do?”
Since the days when Jesus was here, lots of people have done their best to get rid of God.
Superman Without His Super
Please understand whenever a comparison is made, there will be weaknesses to the analogy. Realize there are limits to the analogies I am about to share. There is certainly no Godly disrespect meant.
Take away God’s miraculous nature and His ability to expect transformation of our lives and you are left with a Superman in a room laced with kryptonite. Keep him in that room and there is no reason to read the story.
We love the Marvel Universe, don’t we? There is a part of each of us that wants heroes. We long for someone who can overcome adversity. We expect their motives and perspective to be pure. More importantly, we want them to win in the end. Didn’t you walk out of the movie, Infinity War, feeling rotten about how the story ended?
We wouldn’t watch Iron Man without the outfit and power. He would just be Tony Stark and he wouldn’t make a difference.
We need a God who can make a difference. The Lord needs to make a difference in our wayward, messed up culture. He needs to be the difference in our future, and in me. If you rob Him of His power to do that, there is no reason for me to be interested. I can mess up on my own.
A God Who Saves
But keep God with His power to save.
And I will repent, because He has promises and blessings for me and my children and their children and their children.