Here I Stand

Simul justus et pecator - Simultaneously saint and sinner.

Christianity in Cult's Clothing

Posted On: February 10th, 2007 at 6:42 pm

We’re Lutherans. It’s only natural for us to feel a bit special. It’s not Catholics and Protestants, it’s Lutherans…and everyone else. If you belong to a particular denomination, this generalization might stretch to even those of other Lutherans. It might be Lutheran Church Missouri Synod…and everyone else. Of course, any other denomination equally applies to adopting this logic.

The clincher is not particularly who may be more theologically correct. It may simply be the way a Christian advertises the truth to the world. I find myself cringing more at a bubbly charismatic Pentecostal than an atheist at times. Is it possibly because, as a Lutheran, I feel the Pentecostal does more damage to the Christian faith than an atheist? How is the Lutheran approach to the Gospel and evangelism superior or even critical to reaching non-believers?

If we’re looking for a particular component that sets Lutheranism apart from other mainline denominations, starting at the Law/Gospel distinction is helpful. From our perspective, the distinction is simple. In its most basic definition, Law is everything we do, and Gospel is everything Christ does for us. However, remembering other Christians may not necessarily perceive Law/Gospel the same way can be important in recognizing the underlying flaws in evangelism approach.

While observing law-oriented Christians, one might notice how incredibly happy they are all the time. The youthful spring they are drunk on is “God.” Inserting the word “God” somewhere in any sentence can be both exuberant and annoying: “I am so full with God today.” “I am in love with God.” In the same way, the word “Jesus” can also be used frequently and in statements of positive excitement. Gospel as what “Christ does for us” quickly turns into a concept of unconditional love. While this is certainly an example of grace, the status of man’s inability to do anything is not taken into account when discussing the Gospel. There is no use for the Gospel, indeed, the Gospel is nonexistent without our need for a savior. God is certainly praised by Christians as omniscient or all-powerful, and if this is the case, why must man be doing so much to continue the happiness they enjoy from their religion?

The charismatic techniques in both evangelism and youth organizations may seem almost foolproof. In youth situations, normal teenagers from a variety of backgrounds actually want, by their own omission, to go to Bible study and engage in all the other fun activities which come after. They choose to devote their lives to “God,” who, in turn, gives some helpful advice on how to live those lives. If the afore mentioned is reaching young people, many youth leaders wonder why they can’t integrate the same approach into their own groups. Youth are consequently underestimated in their capacity to learn theology, and anything deemed too “stiff” or “confusing” is not taught. Thus, while youth are learning how to accept Jesus and be a good person, there is no insurance for the times they sin, doubt, or fear - outside of finding help within themselves.

Every once in awhile, a documentation of a dangerous cult leader emerges in the news. The background of some leaders lies in affiliation with a mainline or non-denominational Christian organization, and some have even been Christian leaders. While their history and evolution into the occult is certainly disconcerting, what’s most frightening is how people are fooled into thinking the former Christian leader’s cult may offer some of the same Christian dynamics.

How can the lines be blurred so easily? The first thought that comes to mind is one of the main complaints from atheists: How can you be so sure your religion is the truth, if every other one is the same, just with different interpretations? If a person grows up under the impression that Christianity is good-life philosophy, the basis of faith is not set apart from other religions.

We have before us the reality of life versus death. It occurs for every human being, at any time, everywhere. How does one deal with this often painful realization of eventual death? Do we work as hard as we can to make a difference in the world before we die? Even atheists think this. Do we hope that somehow we’ll get to heaven, if we’re good enough? Even Muslims think this. Do we want a paradise on earth, and will pick and choose verses out of context from the Bible to make us feel better? Even the Jehovah’s Witnesses think this. It’s all subjective, and all about what we can shell out.

The common denominator is earth, what we’re familiar with, and our surroundings. We have no experience in heavenly affairs. We’ve never been there. It’s barely explainable in any language. It must be too good to be true. But it isn’t.

Christianity has a lot going for it. Christ is a God who saves, and does not expect personally achieved salvation. He is a savior, not an overseer. He is a judge, not a coach. He sees the righteous clothed in Christ, not from the number of times they donated to charity.

Certainly, as Lutherans, we teach a Gospel-rich, Christ-alone theology. How is the message being proclaimed to a sinful world?

I’ve heard the illustration of a young boy, a pastor’s kid, playing in his father’s office while he wrote a sermon. Realizing he didn’t have his study Bible next to him, the pastor asked his son if he would go retrieve it from the next room. After several minutes, the pastor wondered what was taking so long. He walked into the next room, noticing his son reduced to tears, sitting next to the book. “What’s wrong?” the pastor asked. “The book is too heavy,” the boy explained. “I can’t lift it.” The pastor then carried both his son and the book, and walked back into his office.

As humans, we’re a lot like the little boy. We’re helpless. It’s Christ who paid the price, and does the hard part. The stripping of all worth makes us realize what faith really means…

…and why Christians must be different.

Comments:

Re: Christianity in Cult's Clothing

Posted On: February 22nd, 2007 at 3:09 pm by Seth
Great post.

Sure it's scary to see pentecostals go on their way, with their rolling in Spiritual ecstasy and speaking in tongues. And ultimately, it's a ploy to gather more members.

Scarier, though, that our own LC-MS Albaze missions are slowly heading down that same path. Gradually, we'll they'll end up doing what they claim to be against.

Now that's scary.

Seth

Re: Christianity in Cult's Clothing

Posted On: February 23rd, 2007 at 6:57 pm by Rachel Engebretson

Great post.

Sure it's scary to see pentecostals go on their way, with their rolling in Spiritual ecstasy and speaking in tongues. And ultimately, it's a ploy to gather more members.

Scarier, though, that our own LC-MS Albaze missions are slowly heading down that same path. Gradually, we'll they'll end up doing what they claim to be against.

Now that's scary.

Seth

Thanks, Seth. :)

I agree with you. Although I won't discuss denominational politics here, I think it's safe to say that any Christian can easily fall into the trap of relying their faith on too much emotion. It can result in a very confusing Christian, one who doesn't offer much for the religion beyond what everyone else can.

Re: Christianity in Cult's Clothing

Posted On: March 01st, 2007 at 3:51 pm by Seth
Agh... Did I do a bad thing by mentioning church politics?

My apologies.

Re: Christianity in Cult's Clothing

Posted On: March 31st, 2007 at 11:54 pm by Rick Weiss
I have attended Lutheran church for 55 years. I really , really disagree with you. I am now in Lutheran Lay ministry school.

My Question is:

Are you not a Christian? Who attends a Lutheran church?
or are you a idol worshiper at the feet of Luther? If Luther was alive today I would chastise him for his treatment of the Jews. We as Christians we are grafted onto for salvation?