“Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective.”–Rob Bell
Nearly thirty years ago, Robert Schuller wrote a book called
Self-Esteem: The New Reformation. The book did indeed usher in a new "reformation" -- a reformation of anti-biblical, anti-Christian thought that has permeated the culture and effectively turned out a great many Christians in our generation who are anything
but a reflection of the very first Christians of the New Testament.
So, can the same terminology used in the First Century to describe Christ-Followers be used today? Has the meaning changed? Have Christians changed?
Rob Bell's ministry is the direct result of Mr. Schuller's "reformation" so you do have to wonder what he's really thinking; and how he defines the term Christian. But when Mr. Bell tells us that the word "Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective," it's easy to agree with the last half of the statement. The word "Christian is indeed a poor adjective as used to describe the majority of mainline churches today. Especially when you consider the message of the New Testament Church and compare it with the message of a great number of today's churches.
But the word "Christian" is also an incredibly loosely used noun ascribed to most churchgoers of our culture. . . Thanks to Mr. Schuller's New Reformation and the resulting Seeker-Sensitive Movement. Biblically and properly defined, however, Christian is a great noun.
It really does depend on how you define "Christian."
Mr. Bell is a prominent leader in
The Seeker-Sensitive Movement. Are you familiar with this term?
Seeker-Sensitive Churches give their audience what they want -- what they "seek." They "seek" relevant sermons and exciting programs that may or may not have anything to do with Biblical Christianity.
Seeker churches rarely use expository preaching and seldom do they ever bring up
redemption, or
sin. These are the recurring themes of the Bible, but they are not themes that people "seek." The
Seeker Movement is a church "style" that dominates American churches; and it is anything but reflective of the New Testament Church.
I'm not sure what Mr. Bell is trying to tell us in his quote
Because I'm not sure what he means by "Christian."
Christianity, in the hands of these
Seeker-Sensitive churches has diluted (and in many cases completely misrepresented) the divine message of Salvation as revealed in the Bible beginning in the Book of Genesis!
Seeker Sensitive churches have replaced the Glory of God with the satisfaction of human beings. They have neglected to teach -- or even understand -- the entire Story of Redemption which unfolds in every single page of the Bible. They have effectively done away with the Word of GOD. Except -- of course -- for it's soundbites: those selected "feel-good," "Jesus-loves-you" verses taken out of context to give the audience what it wants to hear.
. . . 'cause who wants to hear the that we are sinners who deserve Hell?
To be sure, the Book of Romans has been
completely ripped out of the Seeker-Sensitive Bible.
John MacArthur calls the trend "quasi-Christian, narcissism" and it is vividly characteristic of the false teaching we are warned about in II Timothy 3 where we are reminded, "Dangerous times will come, for men will be lovers of themselves." (
II Timothy 3:1-2)
And because so much of the
Seeker-Sensitive Movement has infiltrated our churches, the Church of 2010 bears little -- if any -- similarity to the New Testament Christian Church.
In today's culture, the use, meaning and expression of the word
"Christian" is indeed a poor descriptive of a person who has been saved by grace through faith. (
Ephesians 2:8)
"Christian is . . . a poor adjective."
Indeed! . . . so how did this all start?
In his bestselling book, Schuller aggressively attacks the Protestant Reformation which began when Martin Luther published
The Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. Schuller writes:
"It is precisely at this point that classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be 'God-centered' and not 'man-centered.'" (1)
Excuse me?? But. . . *WhaT!!??
In an attempt to define this "man-centered theology," Schuller explains,
"This master plan of God is designed around the deepest needs of human beings -- self-dignity, self-respect, self-esteem." (2)
Again: Huh??
He goes on. . . "Success is to be defined as the gift of self-esteem that God gives us as a reward for our sacrificial service in building self-esteem in others. Win or lose: If we follow God's plan as faithfully as we can, we will feel good about ourselves. That is success!" (3)
So. . . Self Esteem trumps Salvation??!!
Anything but Biblical, Mr. Schuller.
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
~ Jesus
Schuller's not done. Perhaps his most preposterous assertion comes when he writes, "Once a person believes he is an 'unworthy sinner,' it is doubtful if he can rally honestly accept the saving grace God offers in Jesus Christ."
(4)
Mr. Schuller, do you own a Bible?
Have you read it?
". . . for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God."
~ Romans 3:23
Sadly, this "man-centered theology" is precisely the theology that the
Seeker-Sensitive Movement is teaching. And it exists at some level in the majority of mainline "Christian" churches today. Christianity is no longer about Christ. It's all about the
seeker.
What does the seeker want?
What does the seeker think they need?
What is truth according to the seeker?
And how does the seeker feel about that?
If you want to be saved, according to this new "gospel," you do not believe yourself to be a sinner. You just "accept Christ" because "God is Love." And -- more importantly -- you can't ever (ever!) tell anyone else that they are a sinner or even mention the word
hell!
How distorted that?!
Any minister or teacher who waters down the message of Salvation so that it is
less confrontational and
more popular, politically correct and appealing to the
seekers, is doing one thing and one thing only: promoting a cheap imitation of the Christian life, and corrupting the use, meaning and expression of the word
CHRISTIAN.
Mr. Bell's quote is completely dependent on how you define the term Christian.
“Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective.”
–Rob Bell
*~*~*~*~*
"One of our great allies at present is the Church itself.
Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church
as we see her spread out through all time and space
and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners.
That, I confess, is a spectacle which makes
our boldest tempters uneasy.
But fortunately it is quite invisible to these humans." ~ Screwtape,
A senior devil, instruction a junior devil
on how to tempt and trap humans.
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
~ Esthermay V. Bentley-Goossen
© 2010 The Heart of a Pastor's Wife
NOTES:
(1) Robert Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (Waco, Tex.: Word Publishing, 1982), 64.
(2) Ibid., 71.
(3) Ibid., 76.
(4) Ibid., 98.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
God has also told us in His Word that natural disasters would grow in frequency and intensity as the end of the age approaches. This is to happen so that people will be shaken out of their complacency and lead them to seek Him. (See Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:25-26; Revelation 6:12, 11:13, and 16:18.)
Even so, as Christians, we are given these verses of comfort:
Ultimately, God controls everything either directly or indirectly by restraining His grace or allowing Satan a little longer leash. Either way, God is sovereign over everything and happily accepts responsibility for both "human suffering" and "blessings."
I, the LORD, do all these things.
He does indeed rule in the hearts of many including some world leaders. It could be -- and has been -- argued that Satan therefore controls the nations. This would be a stretch! Satan does prowl about like a lion. . . but nowhere in God's Word can we construe that Satan has control of nations or natural disasters.
Satan does not control the weather or rule the nations. God alone is Sovereign.
whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that
these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they
suffered this way? I tell you, No! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them --
do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?
I tell you No! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
When God sends or allows disaster to non-believers, it could be for one of two reasons: either as judgment or as a call to repentance.
Clearly a natural disaster such as an earthquake does not come close to the eternal punishment of hell, but it is a taste of God's wrath. How a non-believer responds to a disaster is far more important than the reality of the disaster in-and-of itself.
When God sends or allows disaster to believers, He does so -- again -- for one of two reasons: to prune/refine us or to take us home to heaven! Christians are never victims of collateral damage and we should never think such. While there may or may not be a primary reason God sends or allows a disaster (Remember: God is GOD!), He always orchestrates every single detail. As Christian onlookers to disaster, we can respond in one of two ways: apathy or kindness.
When God sends or allows disaster -- or judgment -- to come to an entire nation, each individual involved needs to determine why God caused or allowed him/herself to be harmed.
God sends a taste of His wrath to non-believers that they might look to the Cross and find Salvation. God prunes and refines Christians that we will live in greater gratitude for what Jesus did to rescue us from eternal destruction.
As Christians, we should use the tragedy of the recent earthquake in Haiti as a reminder of the brevity of life and the equality of death as it happens on this earth. More importantly, we should use it as a springboard in sharing the ultimate solution to this world's problems.
God seeks to glorify His Son in all He does. Including catastrophes. Catastrophes -- like everything else in life -- are about finding our way to the Cross of Jesus Christ!
~ Esthermay V. Bentley-Goossen
on her blog, Expectant Hearts