YOU are What’s Wrong with Christianity

We are living in a time right now where the Christianity Faith is becoming exceedingly unpopular. Not that it is untrue. Not that it is in danger of disappearing. God will certainly preserve His Church and His people in the worst of times. But I think we are more concerned about confessing an ancient faith in the middle of a people who make us feel stupid, or anti-intellectual, or unloving, or brainwashed. There are so many stereotypes running around about Christianity these days, and the culture around us is brutal and unforgiving.

So what’s wrong with Christianity? Upon first reflection, it is those people who don’t understand it. I talked not too long ago with our high school youth group about this very subject. They were quick to share how they recognized the hostile environment, where their peers turned everything upside-down, eventually coming to the conclusion that Jesus followers were un-progressive and law-loving. My youth group kids were appalled because they couldn’t speak the truth of Jesus without this insane opposition and labeling. From those unbelievers.

And this is problem, for sure. That God’s truth is hidden from the world around us. Consider what St. Paul said in the beginning of Romans: 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. So they are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” (Romans 1:18-23)

So the foolish outsiders just don’t know the truth! It is frustrating to us Christians who love and fight for what is true. They are foolish. Sin makes you stupid, and they are missing what God has revealed. It is as simple as that. But St. Paul goes on, because the world outside directly opposes reality.

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

“For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.” (Romans 1:24-27)

Does this sound familiar? That those people are given up to the lusts of their hearts? The dishonoring of their bodies? The exchanging of natural passions for shameless ones? If this is not a description of our current culture, I don’t know what is. Political opinions and groups have been pushing for this direction against the Christian faith as of late. This is certainly a problem for Christians who understand the truth, and who must oppose the world outside of them.

But St. Paul goes on, to recognize the foolish sin that hovers over the world. Christians have much to deal with that goes against the faith.

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28-32)

It is clear, to a Christian, what should be done and what should not be done. Because we have these righteous decrees from God, and His commands. But what is strange about the people outside of the Christian faith, is even though they don’t observe God’s laws, they still project a morality upon the world. They still abide by a right and wrong according to self, or love of the community, or whatever foundation they have chosen. But notice in the book of Romans – they not only do these things, but give approval, make laws, and shame others into following the moral flavor week. Those people.

But I actually don’t think it’s that simple. What’s wrong with Christianity? It may be more accurate to blame those Christians . Because it is easy to judge the world outside as struggling with sin, but aren’t Christians just as guilty? How many times have you heard of a Christian doing the very same thing that we condemn the unbelieving world for? If we are honest with humanity, Christians can be just as bad.

It is no doubt, that Christians are hypocrites. They say one thing, to love God and follow His commands, but then they end up doing the opposite. Did you know that is the number one complaint against Christians is that they are hypocritical? The Christian lifestyle does not always match their beliefs. In response, the world outside has a hard time believing that this is all true, if we can’t practice what we preach. For example, how many Christians do you know have broken one of the Ten commandments? Exactly my point.

But worse than being hypocritical, Christians become judgmental. Looking at others who aren’t as “good” as them. I had a friend years ago who started coming to church and it was promising and good for her, until people found out she was divorced and now pregnant, by another man, who was never intending to be her husband. Suddenly her experience with those Christians changed from love and acceptance to a gentle scolding and scorn. Even from the women who had been through similar situations! The judgment of hypocrites sheds a bad light on Christianity.

This misrepresentation bleeds, then, into the public forum. Politics and law-making all happen in the name of enforcing the Christian worldview. But instead of preaching the pure faith of forgiveness through Christ, those Christians end up pursuing causes. The law of God, is regulated to keep control of the masses. In the political sphere, Christians push people away with polar views of what is “good and bad”. But on the other side of the coin, those other Christians react to the rigid standards with a compromise in doctrine for the sake of love. Instead of upholding the standards of the Christian Faith, they are quick to change the words of God to make people feel better. All for the sake of preserving Christianity. Those Christians are making a confusing mess of our faith!

We may even find these controversial topics preached in the pulpit, instead of Christ. Christians, Churches, and Leaders of the faith, focusing our eyes on something other than Christ and his salvation. It is an abomination of what we are all about. Those Christinas who are judging, hypocritically, and changing the message of the gospel, to make people follow the law. That is what is wrong with Christianity!

However, I think the real answer is the one you don’t want to hear. What is wrong with Christianity? We are. You are. I am. It is much easier to look outside and complain about the foolish unbelievers, or the foolish Christians that sit over there. But what about your foolish mistakes? Quite possibly, you are the worst problem.

“You have no excuse, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same thing. You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who hate idols, what do you really worship? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the world, because of you.” (Romans 2: 1, 21-24)

What’s Wrong with Christianity? You are. Don’t pass this off to your pastor, because it’s his job to talk about God. You believe that this is the truth. And you are just as hypocritical as those other Christians, and as the world outside. There is no one righteous not even one. You teach others, you raise your children, you talk to unbelievers, and you judge and misrepresent Christ every single day. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you study or pray. You are the problem.

You weigh and measure other Christians, you judge them for the faithfulness of their unfaithfulness. You judge your leaders and your church, according to the law of God and also the law of your preferences. You are hypocritical, maybe not in public practice, but somewhere hidden from the light of day. You have chosen your cause, have drawn your lines, whom to vote for and whom to love. You do all the things you hate about the assault on Christianity. And now it’s time to take responsibility.

What’s wrong with Christianity?

You have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

But You are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 

This is Christianity. And there is nothing wrong with it.

The paradox is that the more you see your fault, the more you can see your Savior. When you recognize that you are the problem, with no ability to fix it, then you have found the center of the Christian faith.

You are not any better than another sinner, any other person. You are just as lost and helpless. When you can say that YOU are the problem, that is the perfect position to speak God’s Truth to your neighbor in the pew, at church, or out on the street. That we are all sinners, and we have been saved, not by our works or actions, but only by the blood of Christ.

The benefit of confessing that YOU are what’s wrong with Christianity, is that you are able to live in true freedom and peace. The message is exceedingly simple, if you are strong enough to admit it. Your clever works and solutions are not the answer. It’s just, only, and always Jesus. Instead, take full responsibility for your sin, and others will respect you. Here, in honesty they will connect with you. When you take full responsibility for whats wrong with Christianity, you are proclaiming trust in Christ Crucified. 

Let me leave you with the Apostle Paul’s words, as he connects with and encourages the sinners in Corinth:

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)

There is nothing wrong with Christianity, when Christ Crucified remains our one and only hope.