“I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6
I do sincerely understand that form of compassion and optimism of those who believe the opposite of what Jesus said about himself. They wish to put the circle of God’s acceptance around all of mankind. Everyone is in. They believe this is truer to the God they want to follow, less embarrassing before the world, properly removes the awful stigma of Christians preaching the gospel as if people had to have it or be judged, and is the best way to explain the Love which God exhibited in Christ. But the one who is that love gift to the world says otherwise.
I’m not speaking here about how Christians view kindness to others and a welcoming heart toward people who are different than them. But the only one who has the right to tell us what the Christianity is like that we are to espouse has made it clear that everyone is not included in the Father’s kingdom. We don’t have a right ourselves to rewrite the eternal plan and mission of God as a kind of deconstruction to fit into our own designer view of God.
Progressive ministers, many very sincere, carry out liturgical forms while speaking of the gospel and follow a church year built around the gospel, yet the gospel is actually absent. Why? Without seeing the gospel as the “good news,” that is, the message of singular hope to bring those outside of the kingdom to the inside — out of judgment and into acceptance, out of darkness and into light — it is presented as a confirmation that all are included, even without repentance. This is a damning message, not a redemptive one. It doesn’t have the power to save, but only to deceive.
But there is hope that this could change. God may very well surprise us and bring awakening through progressives who see through their errant theology. For one thing, he may give boldness to members and leaders of progressive churches who see things perhaps dimly, but rightly, yet are timid to speak the truth. God may, in fact, delight to do that in order to humble us all. As well, there are massive numbers of evangelical Christians who profess Christ but are not truly followers of Christ. Is there anything impossible for God? We should always be servant to this idea: God changes us and our perceptions. Every authentic believer is a living illustration of that.
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