In response to a recent sermon, I offered the following:
Pastor:
I was taken aback by your reference to Chad Bird’s position, as articulated in “Upside-Down Christianity,” asserting “Christianity is not about a personal relationship with Jesus.” Had the assertion been that it is not “just” about a personal relationship, that would have been tenable.
Your efforts to grant bona fides to his statement were, in my opinion, anemic and unwarranted. I hesitate to critique pastors’ comments and am fully aware that congregants are frequently critical of virtually all pastors. However, in this instance, I feel as though you committed an error that potentially misled many in the pews.
I commend you for referencing Jeremiah 1:5. However, this was couched in such a way as to lend credibility to both Chad’s comments and patent intent.
Chad states, “Christianity is not about a personal relationship with Jesus. The phrase is never found in the Bible. And the whole biblical witness runs contrary to it.” The word “Trinity” is not in the Bible, but the concept is certainly evident. Chad errs in stating the Biblical witness does “runs contrary to it.” 2 Corinthians 5:10, Galatians 4:9,Matthew 6:6, Daniel 6:10-28, among many other passages militate against this view. Illustrative thereof are the following:
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Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God.
Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Romans 8:29-30 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
John 6:37 All the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
John 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose none of all that he has given me, but raise him up on the last day.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, unless the Father who hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 15:16 you did not choose me
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice . . ..
John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10:29 No one can pluck you out of the Father's hand
John 10:30 I and the Father are one.
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Chad also states that “Me and Jesus prayers are impossible.” Was Jesus mistaken in Matthew 6:6 when He instructed us, as individuals, “to go into your inner room, close your door and pray . . ..”? (NASB)
Chad goes on to say, “Heaven forbid that I should have a personal relationship with Jesus. For I know what would happen: I would end up, in my mind, reshaping my personal Jesus into a strikingly familiar image: the image of me.” The Bible makes it very clear that if we do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, we are none of His. ( See discussion supra)
This teaching is dangerous and reminds me of Jesus’ warning to those who cry out “Lord, Lord, . . ..” It is not, as I am confident you know, joining a local congregation, that to which we refer as a church, that is salvific.
I am concerned that your message today comports more with Catholicism than the Bible’s clear teaching on what it takes to enter God’s kingdom. If your intention was to impress upon the hearers that we are saved through administrations of the local church rather than the Spirit’s influence upon us as individuals, replacing our stony hearts with hearts of flesh, I believe that you did a disservice to your congregation.
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