In Part 1 of this series, I argued that de / reconstruction is a necessary reaction to the repressive nature of Orthodoxy, and in Part 2, that there are pitfalls to be aware of when we let’s embark on this journey, using attitudes towards sex as an example. In this article, I’ll take a look at what, for me, defines whether or not de / rebuilding gets us right or wrong.

The Bible details several ways in which people go astray in heresy. First, deny that Jesus came in the flesh. 1 John 4, 2-3a,

“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is not of God.

2 John 1: 7, For many deceivers have come out into the world who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. He is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Second, proclaim “another Jesus” than the one we see in the Gospels. 2 Corinthians 11: 4,

“For if the one who is coming is preaching another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit which you have not received, or another gospel which you have not accepted, you may well endure it. !

Third, teach a return to righteousness by works. Galatians 3: 1-3,

“O mad Galatians! Who has bewitched you so that you will not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This is only what I want to learn from you: have you received the Spirit by works of the law, or by listening to faith? Are you that stupid? Having started in the Spirit, are you now made perfect in the flesh? ‘

In the specific example above, some were trying to compel non-Jewish believers to be circumcised – an outward ritual, pertaining to the righteousness earned by obeying the Mosaic law – but Paul’s words apply to all forms of righteousness by works (right with God by our own efforts).

Fourth, deny that Jesus will return. 2 Peter 3: 3b-4,

scoffers will come in the last days, walking in their own lusts and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” For since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.

Fifth, that Jesus has already returned. 2 Thessalonians 2: 1,

“Now, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering to him, we ask you, brethren, not to be quickly moved or alarmed, neither by a spirit, nor by a word, nor by a letter appearing to come from. from us, that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one cheat on you in any way.

Finally, I would add one final identifier of heresy – denying that Jesus rose from the dead. I include this because of Jesus’ declaration that he is “the Resurrection and the Life,” his struggle with the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the body, and because the resurrection is central to the Gospel. If Jesus was not resurrected, neither will we. There would be no Heaven, no great reconciliation of all things under Christ, and the Gospel would come to nothing.

What do all of the above have in common? It’s obvious, isn’t it? These heresies have only one goal: to reduce the life, death and / or resurrection of Jesus. Of course, this is the object of heresy, for Christianity is entirely defined by our belief in Christ – it’s in the name! So it is the diminishment of Jesus that we need to be on the alert for, but unfortunately many believers are willing to step aside from one another on lesser matters.

Heresy is a word too often used, discouraging the person asking questions and dividing believers into groups characterized by mistrust. In my youth, some told me that those who moved in the gifts of the Spirit were heretics, even “of the devil”. This kind of godless and suspicious talk is motivated by fear, and fear alone. Disagreeing with someone is not a reason to label them that way.

I come back to the first verse quoted above, which perfectly sums up the heresy (and shared faith). 1 John 4, 2-3a,

“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is not of God.

So we have a clear reference; heresy concerns belief in Christ, and can be identified by any reduction in his divinity or humanity. So I conclude that if the deconstruction reduces Jesus, or the works of Jesus, it has gone wrong. Unfortunately, I encounter this with some regularity.

Before explaining how this manifests itself, I want to suggest a reason for this departure. Many progressives are former conservative evangelicals, which means their exposure to Jesus is likely to have been limited, depending on which denomination they belonged to. I grew up in a free and independent evangelical church, for example, in which the gifts of the Spirit were not only undervalued but actively discouraged. Some believed that the canonized Bible had replaced the gifts of the Spirit (which is also called the Spirit of Jesus), removing the need for prophecy, miracles, and all direct interaction with God.

That’s a ridiculous claim, but it’s not the topic of today’s blog. I will only say that I am deeply sorry for the believers captured by this delusion. They live in such lightless and restrictive boxes, in which there is no room to stretch their arms.

It is easy to imagine the journey of such a believer, from conversion to deconstruction. Let’s say they meet God and give their lives to him, but as so often happens, the initial joy (which is genuine, arising from a true divine encounter) is quickly eroded by lifeless traditions and loveless doctrine. The joy fades and the grinding begins, characterized by heightened cognitive dissonance, as they are exposed to sad and cruel ideas such as those advanced by Calvinism.

When that person reaches the point of utter disillusion, he or she will either completely abandon the faith or find their way into progressive Christianity, where the voices they hear are softer and kinder. They reframe their faith, but never having experienced a deep and intimate connection with God, due to a lack of connection with the Holy Spirit, have little to carry from one expression of Christianity to another. You cannot bring what you never had.

This kind of believer therefore enters new and uncertain territory, without knowing the voice of the Guide. They went from an unsatisfying experience of faith to a freer one, never touching the intimacy God wanted us to experience. In this sense, evangelical conservatives and ex-progressive conservatives have the same problem – lack of experience of the divine and a faith built on ideas but not on a mystical and satisfying connection with the God who loves them.

For this reason, Charismatics / Pentecostals make much better progressives, in my opinion, as they have more to do in the transition, and an abundance of divine help when reframing. When Jesus is diminished, the Holy Spirit will cry out against him, and they will know his voice.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth. If a person walks closely with God and knows the voice of the Spirit, they will continue to be guided by him while moving to a more progressive perspective. If a believer has never really heard the Lord or felt his love, has never prophesied, does not know the daily, two-way communication with the Holy Spirit, how will he be properly guided?

Instead, they will be exposed to deleterious messages about Jesus and might be seduced by ideas that attempt to explain miraculous elements of the Bible. I have encountered the writings of many progressives, for example, who see the Gospel accounts of miracles performed by Jesus as analogies, or fictional stories with a message, rather than actual events.

Fortunately, I have been preserved from these disappointments. Before deconstruction, I had prioritized and developed a deep relationship with God. Over the course of several years, I have grown from an arid spirituality to a rich and continuing knowledge of the loving presence of God. I felt (and still feel) his presence around me like a coat, every moment of the day. Time spent in the all-consuming presence of God is a wonderful and continuous reality for me, and because of this, his leadership is protecting me at all times.

Within this intimacy, I have seen many miracles and extraordinary answers to prayer, and I cannot perceive a reason to reframe the Bible stories of Jesus’ life as anything other than factual. However, many progressives, whose religious backgrounds did not encourage this type of active spirituality, simply reframe anything that does not fit the modern mindset, including direct divine action in our lives, and l ‘call wisdom.

This departure of Christ disturbs me intensely, because a Christian is above all a disciple of Jesus. If we reduce it, we reduce ourselves and our expectations of walking with God.

In the transition to a more progressive view of the scriptures, the Spirit-led believer had many treasures to take with him. They drape it around their necks, adorn their wrists and wear it like a dress; their connection with God not only surrounds them but keeps them safe. Personally, I have been grateful for his companionship at every step of rethinking, and through his guidance, the overall trajectory has been one of greater closeness to Jesus, and even more filling of the Holy Spirit.

When I listen to progressive voices, I hear a lot of meaning and, in general, a commendable message of compassion. Progressives ask important questions that the Church must grapple with – about the nature of the Scriptures, Hell, Heaven, and Judgment. They challenge simplistic ideas that are not really biblical, and yet are accepted (without apparent reflection) by much of the evangelical movement.

In many ways, I have more in common with the Progressives than the Orthodox, except in this; I will not accept any diminishment of Jesus – His life, His works, His words, His miracles, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His lordship, and His intercession. He is the Great I Am, the very image of the Father, the Lamb of God, and the Name above all Names, and he will always deserve my full devotion.

My hope is that the Progressive movement, which currently seems more interested in a Universal Christ (“another Jesus”?) Than in Jesus Christ, will find and cherish the Lord of All.

Next time – the cross.