Friday, December 7, 2007

The Other Side of Heresy

An interesting and quite revolutionary concept has come into my mind. You see, a colleague of mine has presented the idea the true Christians are heretics. It is an oxymoron that very well may change the face of Christianity. The definition of a heretic, in part, is to be a nonconformist. So, in a way, to be a Christian is to be a heretic. There a two different ways this is so.
Number One: We are viewed as heretics by the World. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Every time we refuse to live by the standards of the evil and corrupt World System (which is fundamentally anti-Christ), we are heretics. We go against unrighteous living, which is glorified by society. That is why Jesus said we would be hated (Matt. 24:9). The Christian lifestyle goes against anything and everything accepted by the world, even the accepted church. When we refuse to indulge in debauchery, such as drunkenness and fornication, the World deems us heretics. When we reject the weak principles of humanistic philosophy, we are heretics. And when we rebel against worldly influences in the Body of Christ, we become heretics even to the church. This brings me to my next point.
Number Two: We are viewed as heretics when we rebuke and rebel against the religious establishment created by the worldly infection of the Church. By this, I do not mean to undermine the authority of the Church, but rather to resist its “religious traditions.” Much of the American Body of Christ has been infected with the diseases of conformity, tradition, disunity, and Biblical Illiteracy. When we decide to act on the true Word of God and rebuke the traditions of Man, the “Church” labels us as heretics.
So that means that every educated, World hating, free worshipping, unified Christian is a heretic. Do you know what you are? If you are these things, then you just might be a true Christian. I will write about the “Religious Sickness” in essays to come.