With so many Christian denominations, you can get the impression that nobody agrees. That’s not the case. There are 3 main differences between Christian denominations and one question you can ask to decide between them.
Viewing entries tagged
progressive Christianity
Brian McLaren says, “The kingdom of God is not a ticket to heaven but a call to transform this world through love and justice.” Have we got it wrong? Are Christians too preoccupied with the life to come? If we stop talking about heaven will that make us more useful here on earth? The Bible presents an interesting balance.
Is faith about seeking answers or embracing uncertainty? Progressive Christianity celebrates questioning, but the Bible speaks of a faith once delivered, to be believed and defended. This post examines Scripture’s view on truth, doubt, and whether certainty is narrow-minded.
Philip Gulley tells the story of his debates in Grade 6 with his best friend Joe. Philip was a Catholic and Joe was a Jehovah’s Witness. Each tried to convince the other that they were wrong. While Gulley would go on to abandon his beliefs in God, he would often think about Joe and reflect on their playground arguments. And he concluded that their attempts to convince each other of right and wrong were misguided. He longs for a world where we don’t “concern ourselves with the perceived errors and heresies of others.” Something about his story and his conclusion ring true, but are they? Are we too uptight about discerning what’s true? Should we just focus on being better people? I’m not convinced that kindness and goodness can flourish apart from the truth. Here’s why.
It’s easy to put other Christians and other churches who have rejected God’s commands in a different category from ourselves. We say things like, “I can’t believe they did that,” but our surprise says more about us than it does about them.
At first, the idea of a trendy God seems like just what we need. But how long would you follow Jesus if He wore skinny jeans? We need a classic God, not a trendy one. A God who keeps up with the times is like a dad who tries to talk and dress like his teenage son. God makes no attempt to keep up with the times because He exists outside of time. But because God doesn’t change, you can be confident that He won’t change His mind, and so you can rely on what He says.