Progressive Christianity is NOT Christianity - A TRIBUTE to Progressives during their so-called "Pride Month"

I'm sure this blogpost would be unpopular with many of my friends who have been poisoned by a modern heretical trend called "Progressive Christianity". It should rather be called Progressive ANTI-Christianity as it has all the markings of being 'antiChrist'. The Apostle John describes them in the 1st Century in his first Epistle and it describes them today in the 21st Century. 

1 John 2:18-26 - Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He made to us — eternal life. 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

I know that many who I know who have been influenced by the Progressives, have not yet wandered into apostasy. It is to them and for their sake that I write these things. The leaders in this movement are lost already. They have shipwrecked their faith, they are the "wolves" the Apostle Paul often references. They are deceived and are working to deceive others.

How are Progressives ANTI-CHRIST? 

1. First of all, as John writes "they went out from us" (v. 19).

The progressive movement consists of those who started out in orthodox Christianity. I can't imagine that they are out converting non-Christians as they don't believe non-Christians need to convert to anything! Disgruntled people who have been hurt by the church find their way into their ranks. People who no longer want to believe and/or live out what the Christ and His Apostles believed and taught, drift into progressivism. 

Paul speaks about "not being conformed to this world" (Rom. 12:2) - Progressives are the epitome of those who have conformed to the the world, to the convictions/beliefs of a godless society. They have adopted the beliefs of the cultural Marxists, Socialism, Gender Theory, Critical Race Theory, the LGBTQ+ movement, neo-Darwinism. Sure, they will "baptize" all of these ideologies and use words such as "compassion", "inclusion", "tolerance" all under the guise of love. Their misuse and abuse of the word love is only exceeded by our godless culture's definition of what love is.

Progressives' beliefs just continue to morph into whatever values popular culture is endorsing. They embody what is means to be"Woke" today - they wear this as a badge of honor. 

So, the Apostle is clear - they were with "us" (meaning part of the Body of Christ) and "they WENT OUT from us" (no longer a part of the Body of Christ). This is not John blessing them for finding a new way! They have wandered into a place of lies, deception and the denial of God Himself. Read on. 

2. Secondly, they DENY Christ the Son and the Father. The Apostle John calls their teaching "lies" that are "not of the truth" and refers to such people as "liars" (v. 20-1). If you've been around Progressives they talk a lot about Jesus. They will talk a lot of God. But they surely don't like to talk about the Son and a Father as such terms of offensive to many - patriarchal terms. What about the feminine? And of course, today this is all having to be rethought by Progressives and they are having to spin things again because the vast majority still believed in 2 genders (male and female) until very recently. Just wait until Progressives have somehow attributed dozens of newly identified genders to God. He will no longer be the Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit but some multi-gendered creation of their own imaginations. (I am sure it has already been done).

But the primary way they deny the Father and the Son is that they no longer believe in the revelation that was given to humankind by God - that includes God's moral teaching about what is right and wrong, what is moral and immoral, and what is true about God and what is false. They don't accept the Scriptures as the inerrant Word of God. And when they use the Scriptures, they twist its meaning to fit their beliefs. They no longer believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation. They have become "Universalists" meaning that all will be saved. They have redefined sin - and for them the most grievous sins are what the popular culture defines evil. 

In no place is this more obvious than in what they have done with the Bible's teaching regarding human sexuality and especially homosexuality. The Old and New Testaments condemn ALL homosexual behavior as sin. As it also condemns ALL heterosexual behavior outside of marriage between one biological male and one biological female (yes, you have to specify these things in such a woke culture). 

It is so-called "Pride Month" right now where the culture is celebrating LGBTQ+ values and their ideology. Many of these "churches" will have their rainbow flags out, preaching sermons celebrating full acceptance of homosexuals and now 'Trans' individuals into the life of the church - without any requirement to change, to repent, to turn from their sexual sin. And don't worry, eventually pedophiles (so-called "Minor Attracted Individuals" will be accepted and those who practice beastiality (sex with animals) as well. It is just a matter of time. When the culture embraces it, the Progressives are soon to follow. 

For anyone who has been affected by their poison, especially as it relates to re-interpreting the Bible to condone homosexuality/gay marriage, I would recommend the Robert Gagnon's, The Bible and Homosexual Practice. There is no other book currently available that more thoroughly addresses the Biblical teaching about homosexuality than his. 

This battles continues to rage within the so-called Evangelical wing of the church where many "professing" Evangelicals are now teaching that homosexuality is compatible with being an Evangelical. Those teachers are NO LONGER Evangelicals. And they are affecting the beliefs of many! This is why teachers will be judged more harshly (James 3:1) - their teaching affects the faith of others. I know far too many that have become deceived by these lies. 

So to return to 1 John - these progressives who are denying the Father and Son (their identities, their natures, their morality, their revelation, their means of salvation, their prophets/apostles, etc.) are antiChrist (v. 22). If you essentially deny everything God has revealed, you cannot claim to believe in Him. This leads to another point.

Thirdly, these Progressives "are trying to deceive you" (v. 26). They podcast, they blog, they write books, and they hold conferences for the purpose of freeing orthodox Christians from their morality, from the theology, and the rest of what we believe. They call us names - we are racists, supremacists, nationalists, bigots, homophobic, intolerant, anti-Science, unloving, lacking compassion, and blinded by our "privilege". 

The irony of it all is that in their celebration of inclusion and tolerance, they end up being some of the most exclusive and intolerant people you will ever meet. They will "cancel" anyone and everyone who doesn't agree with their "enlightened" ideas.

Finally, the Apostle John is clear that "the promise" of "eternal life" (v. 25) is for us and by clear implication is not for them. Am I saying that progressives are not Christians (or no longer Christians)? Yes, for many that is now the case. They believe things and endorse practices that the New Testament clearly teaches will result in people "not inheriting the Kingdom of God" (i.e. Galatians 5:19-21 and Romans 1:18-31). Of course to be fair, there are many "professing" Christians in orthodox Christian churches who need to realize that they also need to live according to the teachings of Christ and His Apostles and who need to repent and obey God's Word. 

But the progressives are different and stand in far worse place of condemnation because they are calling things that Christ and His Apostles called sin as no longer sin. They are condoning practices that the Bible says will result in people not receiving eternal life. This is the epitome of deception. 

I know lots of people who are walking in darkness and in bondage to lifestyles that God calls sinful rebellion, but they realize they are in sin. They know they must repent. Condoning many things that God is not pleased with - sinful practices, unBiblical beliefs/ideologies, etc. This is EVIL.

Progressive Christianity ends up telling people living in ongoing, willful sin that they are okay - regarding many things, not simply the homosexuality that they are condoning this month in their sermons. They are teaching that God is fine with lifestyles and beliefs that God . This makes them far more diabolical. 

Isaiah 5:20 captures this phenomenon well - "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"

This is precisely why Progressive Christianity is NOT Christianity. It is anti-Christ. It is deception. It consists of lies. And to whatever extent it has infected you, abandon it. If you have been in one of their "churches", come out from it! If it has empowered you to live in sin, it is time to repent.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:15).