#4 Cultural Preeminent Darkness

The Need for Inferiority | Dr. Stephen Phinney: I can assure you the average Christian believes that Christ-followers ARE authentic Christians; “surveys” prove it. I believe this is the greatest lie.

CULTURAL TRUTH | INFERIORITY

People need to feel inferior to receive superior.

The absolute doctrines of God's essential reform start by making humanity feel inferior, a lifelong battle that most resists. The entire educational, social, and parental system is based on improving self-esteem - You are somebody and loved. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. You can be your own person. Meanwhile, Galatians 6:3 fades into post-modernism.

For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

(Galatians 6:3)

Such fading becomes the church's greatest enemy of the Gospel. All the cultural problems today are centered in and around the fruitless attempts of humanity working to be something. However, the meat of the Gospel presents a much more challenging dilemma. Here is what the authentic Jesus said: 

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."  (John 12:24-26)

Our passage reveals the basics, as well as the introduction to salvation:

1. Step one - we must die.

2. Step two - do not love yourself.

3. Step three - hate your life.

4. Step four - save us for eternity.

5. Step five - serve Jesus with an eternal attitude.

Let it be noted the Christ-followers’ group cut and pasted the phrase “Follow Me” and dropped it into the church's vocabulary. Here are the facts: Jesus used the words "Follow Me” because indwelt Christianity did not become a believer's reality until the day of Pentecost. After Pentecost and Jesus's ascension, believers were required to shift from following to walking in the Spirit (Rom. 6:4; 8:4). Big difference - one is external, and the other is internal.

Question: How well do you think the five-step salvation checklist is accepted in our depraved self-esteem society? It isn't. The authentic Gospel has shifted into the Laodicean think-tank of progressivism so simply that the average believer has been duped into the deconstructive philosophy that “follower of Christ” equals authentic Christianity. By the way, this is the group our Christian research institutions survey for their deceptive statistics.

I asked one of these leading research institutions, "What percentage of your surveys are directed toward born-again Christians who claim to have the Holy Spirit living inside their mortal bodies?"  Their reply? “We don't survey this group. We survey those who self-claim Christianity as their primary religion.” Folks, this is a problem.

Since our research engines are surveying followers of Christ while ignoring authentic born-again Christians, the results are beyond elusive. They are confessing to surveying the white side of evil. Of course, their results will be that followers of Christ (non-indwelt believers) are deconstructing their faith. Since this crosses the blasphemy line, the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12:31), the Christian world is couching the deception in deconstructing their faith. Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that Christ-followers deconstruct Jesus if we keep oranges with oranges? What is wrong with keeping to the original codex and the vocabulary of the Holy Scriptures? 

I can assure you the average Christian believes that Christ-followers ARE authentic Christians; “surveys” prove it. I believe this is the greatest lie Satan has integrated into nominal Christianity. Yes! Those that resemble Christianity.

Nominal means “existing in name only.” Not life! Satan has duped the church into thinking nominal Christianity IS Christianity. I hope the lost will discover these simple facts:

First, that nominal is not the norm of God.

Secondly, nominal Christianity must be deconstructed, not the absolutes of God's Word or Jesus Christ.

I implore all those who are leaving the faith – the faith of nominal Christianity, to reexamine the authentic faith - not through internet opinionates but through reading the non-paraphrased Word of God published before the NIV craze propagated in 1956. Typically, I only read translations before the post-modern translators began applying progressive ideologies to their culture-friendly interpretations.  

I am told that somewhere between 2021 and 2025 will be when God separates the goats from the sheep - goats being those “believers" who will forsake their faith, hide behind the Grace of God, or use grace as a license to divide. It appears God is well on His in accomplishing this.

"For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."

(Jude 1:4)

The action required in this mass exodus is that we non-surveyed indwelt believers must be available to help the nominal believers forsake their nominal faith, confirming that their deconstructive efforts are healthy while reexamining the authentic absolute Words of God and the personage of Jesus Christ. That is great news! We cannot forsake something we didn't have to start with, and these nominal believers need to understand that. We need to show them how to receive the indwelling Life of Christ through the Holy Spirit possessing them, and finally, we need to show them how to release Christ's Life through their daily activities. If my memory serves me correctly, the Word calls this discipleship.

Welcome to the culturally neutral society but be on your guard because the devil roams about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). The whom is all of us! 

Review authentic Salvation HERE.

Wade into the quiet pool of inquiry—where ripples of curiosity meet the stillness of introspection. These questions are not mere words; they are the keys to chambers where wisdom resides. So, my reader, prep your fingertips to type your answers:

• How much of your Christian life is spent resisting absolutes?

• Are you a ‘follower’ of Christ or indwelt by Him? Explain.

• Do you resist the Biblical statement of ‘hate yourself?’ Explain.

• Do you tend to strive toward being somebody, when the Bible says, ‘he who thinks he is something when he is noting, deceives himself? ‘ Explain.

Please pick one question and comment on this post with your answers. Your comments will help others in the battle against adopting cultural darkness.

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The End Times Cultural Preeminent Darkness Series tackles demonic doctrines and movements that rise against Christianity head-on. While you would think Christians would be the example of battling the enemy's tactics, research proves they are not. Most integrate demonic doctrines into their lukewarm faith, resulting in a compromised testimony, causing the believer to fade into a social gospel. We are dedicating the year 2024 to battle such challenges. Join us every other Tuesday. On the off Tuesday, Dr. Phinney’s wife, Jane, will host her “My Heart Undressed” series.