The 'Following' Church
Following vs. The Life of Christ Within You.
Dr. Stephen Phinney
There are a plethora of articles published today regarding the condition of the “church.” However, it might be the case of the blind leading the blind.
A while back, I asked a leading “Christian” research group why they didn’t survey the ‘Christ in you’ teachers & church attendees. They said we don’t survey this group.
While we can gain some benefits from these surveys, the fact is, the results of these reviews are solely based on followers of Christ versus those who He indwells. Another reality is, the authentic Body of Christ is rarely surveyed, and this research group admits this.
Since the new norm is referencing the church attendees as “followers,” the authentic doctrines of Christ’s indwelling have been removed from what researchers classify as the church. It is certainly in this that the Exchanged Life communicators have morphed into a “cult” or minimally a group of teachers who advance “strange teachings.”
The “church” has been divided. into two primary groups Followers (Social Gospel) & the Exchanged Life communicators – those who teach Jesus IS the Truth.
As many of the authors reveal in their articles, the “church” has shifted into using its sermons to address Social Justice issues. Today, attendees believe stories over that of hearing sermons that offer the offensive Truth that sets people free. They are quick to make a stand on picket sign issues over being brought to repentance in Christ, tap His indwelling presence, and be transformed by this reveal. Preachers today are more interested in making sure their theological concepts are presented regarding the doctrines of Christ versus releasing the Life of Christ to teach when they are at the pulpit. The organic result is – preaching about Truth instead of giving the Life of Jesus as the Truth.
I deeply appreciate the reviews of “followers of Christ.”
It helps me see where the “church” is and where they are headed. It also helps authentic teachers of the Gospel address cultural issues by connecting each to the indwelling Truths of ‘Christ in you.’ However, suppose the preacher makes the social issues the main theme, well. In that case, the best they can expect from followers is holding up a picket sign, demanding rights Christ has not given them and doing what they can to defend the liberties of Christ-followers. And…the last I read, real Christians are to expect persecution, distress, and difficulties. If we learn from the Nero period of the first generation believers – we shouldn’t be out to change a culture but be willing to lay our lives down for the sake of the Gospel IN a depraved culture.
Your ”average” Christian has been duped into protecting the Gospel. Jesus does not need protectors; they need to be protected by the erroneous modern teachings of theology first, activism second. If we are to preserve the Gospel of ‘Christ in you,’ we need Christ in us to preserve His doctrines in all that we think, preach, and advance. If we ignore this basic Truth, we will default to the Christ-following masses, AND their ridiculous claims that believing in Christ does not necessarily require His indwelling presents.
I committed to Dr. Solomon shortly before he died to be steadfast in separating the goats (Christ-followers) from the sheep (The authentic Church) – the real Body of Christ. Also, to unite the real-deal teachers of Christ in you. The first order of action is to address this issue worldwide. Then, we need to put an end to the childish movement of fellow teachers of the Cross from the sin-filled acts of betrayal, competition, and demonizing fellow teachers of His indwelling Life.
I have taught for years that complaints without solutions lead to betrayal. My action regarding this demise is to start an Exchanged Life Commission. Meaning, a group of ‘Grace Guys’ meeting regularly to discuss the condition of the Church while exploring solutions to pass on to Exchanged Life teachers worldwide – through their ministries. Since faith without works is indeed dead, we need to be proactive in offering the authentic preachers solutions to battle this end-times modality.
What thinks, thou? Leave a comment.
