While preparing for an upcoming teaching I decided to review “Progressive Christianity” websites to have a better understanding of their theology and beliefs. As I read some of the information provided, and watched a few of the videos they had posted, I realized I was getting upset with what I was reading and hearing. It was at that point I realized, I was being hacked.
These sites were an assault on my beliefs, and my values. After some consideration I determined why I was negatively affected by this doctrine. It was Theological Malware. This is a term I just made up, but it fits. Malware is any software intended to deceive the user for malicious purposes. As a software developer and IT administrator I am very aware of various methods hackers and spammers use to mislead computer users. The material posted by progressives is a spiritual deception with the intent to direct the reader to falsehoods that appear to have the reader’s best interests in mind. This is very similar to internet malware designed to make a user believe they have been infected with a virus and need to download the software they offer to remove the virus. Instead, the user is infected even further.
There is nothing actually Christian about Progressive Christianity. They deny the virgin birth, and the resurrection of Jesus, in essence denying the deity of Christ. They replace salvation through Jesus with the idea that being good people is all you need. To them, Jesus was an enlightened, wisdom teacher…nothing more. And they don’t stop there, they deny the creation of the earth and the creation of Adam and Eve, and support the theory of evolution.
As malware corrupts the ability to use a computer as desired, progressive Christianity corrupts the foundation of biblical integrity and the assurance that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Progressives argue that men wrote the Bible, and it hasn’t been changed to keep up with the times. One thing is for sure, the Bible is as relevant today as it was in the first century.
The problems we experience today are the same issues that were addressed all the way back to Genesis. Progressive Christians are not new. Two thousand years ago they were called Gnostic’s. They purported to have information not available to the average human. They infect our modern world with stories that sounds good to the casual listener, but directs them away from the truth of the Bible to trust in a lie devised by man. Jesus told us to expect this when He said, “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11). Paul also warned Timothy, “Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20 – 21)
My mother had a computer so laden with malware that she could hardly use it. The primary way to prevent malware is to have anti-malware software installed. Christians can protect themselves from the assault of the enemy through faith in the Bible. Romans 10:17 tells us “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Paul wrote this warning to Christians: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Gal 1:6 – 8).
Since the enemy does not have the ability to keep Christians out of heaven, the next best thing is to render them useless on earth, keeping them from sharing the truth with others. Progressive Christianity is one of the tools the enemy uses to achieve that goal.
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