NeoChristians
Does an influx of new Christian statements blur the lines between conversion, discipleship, and the appropriation of faith?
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Matthew 7:15-20)."
This warning from Jesus is as important today as when he spoke it 2000 years ago. We must be on guard to protect the integrity of the church. We should also pray that we see revival and reformation in our nation. The fields are white for harvest. We hope that more will come to faith, “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).”
A true profession of faith includes the name of Jesus Christ and a proclamation of his saving grace and lordship over our lives. “Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).” We have fairly clear standards for fellowship in the faith. We should welcome new Christians with open arms and expect that they will conform their views to the credal standards of mere Christianity over time. If they are resistant to learning and correction this is a sign of their duplicity or hardened heart.
We should pray for the salvation of our friends and family, as well as influential leaders in our nation and others. I’d love to see more professors and comedians reject wickedness, confess their sins, and come to the Lord. I pray for Donald Trump more and more, asking the Lord to work on his heart giving him the vision and power of the Holy Spirit to lead this country. He is still being confronted with his sin and need for a savior at age 78. He would rather play golf than attend a local church or host a Bible study at Mar-a-lago. God may use his love for this country and general acceptance of Jesus Christ as a historical fact to help preserve this nation for another generation. His policies are favorable to the Church in many ways.
When we look at allies of Christian values in the world today, many would not qualify as elders. Most do not represent orthodox views. Some are more solid and based than others. Some are confused. Others are liars. But, if one is convicted of their sin and turns to Jesus, they are on the right path. Christians should treat converts as young believers even if they are established figures with a large platform to project their views. “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways (1 Corinthians 13:11).”
Jordan Peterson is one of the most prominent advocates for the practical and psychological value of Christianity. He often dumps a word salad of ethical ideas and acts “as if” God exists and the Bible is true. But he is not willing to associate with Christianity or any denomination directly. He has published lectures on Genesis, a series on Exodus, and written a book on man’s relationship with God. Through his partnership with Ben Shapiro and Daily Wire, he produced a historical, philosophical, and theological series on the roots of Western Civilization from Jerusalem to Rome. This is a political maneuver on his part. His friend Jonathan Pageau is an Orthodox Christian, his wife Tammy is Catholic and his daughter Mikhalia is an evangelical Christian. She has struggled with her marriage like many in Gen Z have eventually getting a divorce, but her faith is developing and hopefully, her judgment is improving.
We should be aware of people who create disunity from within the church too. Megan Basham’s recent book warns that evangelical capitulation to progressivism has destroyed the credibility of many para-church organizations. Some people who claim to protect the faith are the ones really watering it down. "I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them (Romans 16:17-18)." But, this warning is to hold fast to the authority of the Bible as God’s Word if you are new to the faith or raised in the church covenant. This is the standard for the church and all Christians - do you have a Biblical worldview?
Another recent Christian convert is Russel Brand. His background is checkered by a past filled with drugs, alcohol, and sex with some rock and roll and off-color comedy thrown in for good measure. Yet he has been baptized into a broad Christian faith in a country that is attached to the Church of England. He seems to be open to various protestant ideas but he is influenced by New Age theology. He often babbles psychedelic nonsense and stumbles into truth through meditative practices and redeemed yoga. His prayer with Tucker Carlson was beautiful and optimistic. We must, "Beware lest any man deceives you through philosophy and vain conceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8)." I am cautiously hopeful that he will grow into this faith he so desperately wants. I do not think that he should be held up as a model for most Christians but instead as an example of AA-style recovery for prodigal sons who have gone astray.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an even more incredible story of God’s grace. Ali was a severely abused Muslim woman who hated the religion that nearly destroyed her. She fled to the Netherlands where she joined Richard Dawkins as an atheist advocate for human rights. But she became disenchanted with secular globalism and now chooses to believe that Christianity is true because it would save Western Civilization without knowing entirely why this is correct. Her dread of Islam is felt by many Europeans who are nominally Christian at best in nations that were once part of Christendom. Many may run to the church to protect them from the jihadist onslaught. We should welcome them into our doors and teach them why Jesus is the answer to their fears, questions, and doubts.
Tucker Carlson is another prominent figure who is more Christian today than he ever was. Carlson said he was raised as a secular hippy in a family under his father who worked for the Reagan administration. He is now Episcopalian. He married his high school sweetheart Susan, and they have four children together. After leaving Fox News he has embarked on a spiritual journey to gain independence from the media complex. He is now advocating for a religiously informed view of American values and associates with various conservatives of different denominations and faith traditions. We should pray that his faith deepens and his family remains strong.
Finally, Richard Dawkins is an atheist who says he’s a cultural Christian and enjoys cookies and songs at Christmas time. He is opposed to the demand that he becomes a secular Muslim — as if that were possible. In a nation that is being colonized by Islam, Dawkins recognized the threat of religious persecution by extremists. Just because he’s British with a fancy posh accent does not make him sophisticated and smart. He missed the implications of his anti-God positions decades ago. In the vacuum left by the absence of a strong Christian church radical attacks by Mohammed’s followers have filled the gap.
This lack of foresight and arrogance permeates Dawkin’s writing and speech. Often it is the cowardly and weak men that create the biggest problems. The Bible is filled with caution against betrayal by your countrymen. God warned against backstabbers in Israel, "Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer (Jeremiah 9:4-5).” We are in an era where lies have become aggressively promoted by media and technology. Yet some people still wish that Christians would defend them when the time comes.
Therefore we must band together to protect the church and share the truth of scripture with others. If people want to join us then they must bend the knee to Christ and submit to his authority. We can see this across the world. Christianity is not tribal. It is a global movement that requires the abandonment of family loyalty if it is in conflict with the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our loves must be properly ordered, with God at the top of the list. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).”
Broadly, Christians should judge the profession of faith by behaviors, “You will know them by their fruits… (Matthew 7:16).” Then local churches and governments can be built that support a nation whose God is the Lord. America was once blessed, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance (Psalm 33:12-22).” While Jesus will hopefully return soon, an increasing number of nations may turn to Jesus and our world will be transformed. Pray that we will return to our first love. And, pray for those who are learning more about our God that their faith is strengthened and their perseverance is assured.