Spiritual Correctness
Society encourages a new image for manhood. A hairless, manicured and tamed servant. The world blurs the lines of gender differences, praising the modern man for coming in touch with his sensitive side.
Is it any wonder that a passive Christian is now culturally expected? We are allowed to say “love”, “peace”, “joy”; we're even allowed to ask “What would Jesus Do?” But when it comes to acting like Jesus would – now that's unacceptable.
Society is diseased with political correctness. What political correctness means today is: being nice. Or what has been labeled “nice”. Extreme measures to restrict the potentially offensive person. No radical opinions. No sure convictions or absolutes, or calling bad “bad”, or good “good”. Only appropriate nice words. And for those who are too rough and rude: Sensitivity training. You ask conservatives why political correctness is rampant today, and they will tell you that political correctness is shutting people up. People have been bullied, shamed and silenced. To represent a dissenting view is primeval, ignorant and offensive.
Political correctness oppresses by redefining. Look at what is considered politically correct and see the twisting lies. Tolerance is now acceptance of evil. Diversity is now segregation. Free speech means I can infringe on your rights, choice means I can plan to murder my baby. Those who can see pass the subterfuge are repulsed. Political correctness only reigns because of our compliance. People would rather set up their fortress and hide there. It's safer. They soothe their conscience with mental dissent to what goes on about them. The world's atrocities are easily bemoaned at the dinner table.
Why bring up Political correctness? Because a similar epidemic has spread inside the church. We're diseased with Spiritual correctness.
Spiritual correctness oppresses by redefining. Good works: flesh. Warning of judgment: condemnation. Obedience to God: Self righteousness. Non-conformity: Disunity. Disobedience to limited authority: rebellion.
It has pressed Christians into a tiny box of acceptable worship. A check list Christianity. It's a broken system. Someone recently asked me if we can find a good church and be okay in sticking with the system? Of course. God can use anything. He could use a tyrant to bring about good things: but does that make tyranny a good system? Of course not! And does that mean we should do nothing against tyranny just because it's potentially useful? No.
Western Churchianity has created groupies instead of disciples. Blind Yes-men, instead of a body of individual members. It has tamed Christianity into predictable acts, set apart for a certain time in a certain building. Christians are now the “nice guys”. A sensitive servant with all the nice vocabulary and motivational cliches.
The all-so-often-ignored truth is that Jesus was not only meek, but also a non-conformist; unafraid of confrontation, he called men what they were. And someday He is coming back as a lion, with the tongue of a two-edged sword. So many talk of a gentle Jesus. Was He gentle? People today confuse meekness, compassion, and love with weakness, softness, gentleness. “Be like Jesus” and you're not going to become the passive pew potato that conventional “Christianity” manufactures today. It's a feel-good Christianity. Even in our self-denial we worship feelings, because in our “death to self” we now feel spiritual.
We give homage to traditions because we've never taken the initiative to discover the difference between biblical practice and man's expectation. Spiritual correctness touts “peace at all cost” and promotes compromise.
Once upon a time, Christians were lights on the hill. Now churches are trying to mimic the dark to appeal to the world. The church has failed to BE the church because they are obsessed with GOING to church. It has become a community of hidden lights. The Christian now condones national disobedience – sin that will bring about the judgment of God. Apathy empowers and condones evil. We can't really be called soldiers of Christ when we act like non-confrontational incrementalists. “Onward Christian soldier” while standing by as our neighbors are massacred? Spiritual correctness has idolized “Love” to the point of redefining Him into another god altogether.
Comparing conventional Christianity to tyranny is not that off the mark. Spiritual correctness has tyrannically bullied it's captives with threats of God. Our way or: you're out of God's will. You don't conform to the system and you're an outcast. Suddenly somehow Satan is gaining victory in your life. Comply or be excommunicated. Opinion is rebellion if it isn't the authority's opinion. You're against God if you don't agree with Pastor So-and-So. Tyranny.
Evil prevails when good men do nothing. We will make little difference in our culture if the majority of us are silent. Our society has a sin problem way beyond petitions or the ballot box. The laborers are few. The church is stunted by spiritual correctness. Satan has us fractured, distracted and enslaved – and it looks and feels so spiritual.
Church – I will do what's right, even if it means it's only me. But I will not stand by and accept your tolerance, you're apathy, your hardheartedness, your disobedience, your spiritual correctness. Why? Because I care about you. I was once there not so very long ago. You are a slave and I would show you freedom. And because God wouldn't want me to stand by. He meant for us to exhort and rebuke one another. I'm praying that you will join the harvest. Because your collective disobedience is hastening on God's judgment on a nation filled with lost souls. And because I will not give-in to spiritual correctness. I will not be the "nice person" at the cost of freedom. Even your freedom. Repent Church. Stand up Church. Let's conquer some giants!
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