Regarding the Christian Religion
In his March 20th Christology Journal, Chip Brogden addresses a reader’s question that I believe is a quintessential discussion for this season. Here is the Q & A followed by my comments.
Q: I have seen religion for what it is; but I can’t get away from the fact that God calls us to fellowship with others. You talk a lot about “What’s Wrong With the Church” but you don’t offer any solutions. Do you believe the problems are too great to be solved?
A: I do offer a solution, which is: obey God’s call to “come out of her” and embrace His original purpose for the Ekklesia. I am not a reformist; I am not trying to fix what’s wrong the system because God has no desire to salvage something that is fleshly. I am not much of a revivalist either, not in the since of pumping life into something that is carnal to start with. “That which is OF the flesh IS flesh…” He calls us to something that is Spirit and Truth, not a cleaned up, reformed version of man’s religion. If you have seen religion how can you remain in the religious system? The reason people in that system feel like they MUST have fellowship is because they have never been taught how to abide in Christ. The Church system wants you to have a relationship with IT, not with HIM. There is a price that has to be paid and that price must include being ostracized from the people and the system that keeps them in spiritual darkness. This is not my saying, but His. Jesus warned His disciples that they would be expelled from the synagogue, just as He was despised and rejected. That has application to us today.
There is a spiritual fellowship of those who are learning to walk with Christ in simplicity. Rejecting the religious system is not a rejection of true spiritual fellowship, but a rejection of all that passes for “fellowship” taking place under false pretenses.
The essential discussion is: How do we interface with those brothers and sisters still trapped in the bondage of the Christian religion? Difficult as it may be to admit, there is something called the Christian religion – and it is no different from the other religions of the world. It has a clergy and sacred spaces. It has liturgy and sacraments. It has traditions that are themselves rooted in pagan ritual and religion. It is in many ways a modern day Tower of Babel, complete with a vision of uniting the faithful under the singular vision of building a structure that shortens the distance between God and man. And it is equally as futile.
I agree with Chip that we cannot reform that which God never formed or revive that which was never alive. I also firmly believe that as long as we abide in that system we will never come to maturity individually or corporately. Yet, there are many sincere brothers and sisters who function within the Christian religion who simply do not see. Is that their fault entirely or do we who have seen bear some responsibility? And if so, what are the boundaries of that responsibility?
I have heard it said that we should not preach against the church system. I have heard some question our of sphere of authority. But I clearly see Jesus speaking directly against the religious system of the day – and on more than one occasion the scribes and pharisees questioned “by what authority do you do these things?” I have been counseled to “start your own church” so that those who want to hear what I have to say can do so – and “those of us who don’t” can be left alone. It seems to me that most leaders within the Christian religion are quite content to let us do “our own thing” in so much as we leave them and “their flock” alone. But by what authority do they lay claim over “their flock” – man’s or God’s?
Now, as you can probably imagine I have a personal position on these matters. But I am curious what you think. I encourage you to share your thoughts and I will follow up with mine in a secondary post.
I think this is an important question also. I guess what I have found myself doing at this point in my life is to take it one person at a time. As the Lord places people in my path who are visibly suffering from their reliance on “the church” I take the opening I feel I have and I say something. I do feel, for whatever reason (I can’t say it is born of the Spirit), that a time will come when more radical measures will be necessary.
Hey Douglas – This is a great Topic – First let me thank you for being faithful to set up a site where this can take place. I have enjoyed not only your thots but the sincere group of seekers and thier thots just as much! leveling the playing field.
I have been on both sides of the fence both in leadership and as far as being inside and outside of the IC-Institutionalized church.
The NT pattern was one church per city, with a multiplicity of leeadership among the flock not a position but a function. That model has been completely lost in that now we have churches all over the place with little generals of each unit of the army.
The whole structure is one of hierarchy born out of Pagan copies and worldy order. Instead of seeing the Body as one with many members. It is these little separate corporations run by the indivduals CEOs and it being “HIS” Christ body completely lost.
‘My church’ is the demonstration of this carnal mindset. Instead of feed the church of God it is I am feeding my church and I deserved to get padid because I am its leader.
I could get into the Biblical pattern as far as being a kingdon/nation of priests unto God each ministering the grace of God. But will try to stick with the topic at hand.
Peace to All
Interested in hearing your “secondary post”
[...] in April I wrote a post referencing an article by Chip Brogden titled Regarding the Christian Religion. Therein I asked the question, “How do we interface with those still trapped in Christian [...]