Can Christianity progress? Apparently, a lot of people think so.
Over the past several years, there has been a movement of professing believers reexamining and deconstructing the Christian doctrines they have always believed in. They call themselves “progressive Christians,” though the term “Christian” is being used loosely here, as this group now holds beliefs that completely disagree with and go against nearly everything the Church has affirmed for the past 2,000 years.
There are different reasons for why someone has become a progressive Christian. Some of these folks have had bad experiences with the local church and hypocritical, abusive leaders. Some could never make sense of what the Bible teaches and were quickly dismissed whenever they tried asking questions. Others just feel like what they were taught in Sunday School growing up doesn’t match up with the loving, affirming God they believe in. These situations caused them to rethink their faith and ultimately reject the biblical gospel in favor of a progressive one.
What’s so wrong with the progressive gospel? A lot. Far more than can be covered in one little blog post. But there are five progressive Christian beliefs in particular that are absolutely untrue and antithetical to the good news of God’s Word. These five lies ought to be exposed and avoided at all costs by true, Bible-believing Christians.
Lie #1: The Bible is not God’s Word.
The first lie of the progressive gospel is that the Bible is not the Word of God. Progressive Christians essentially believe that the Bible is simply a human book. Sure, it’s “inspired,” just like a beautiful sunrise inspires a painting or a profound experience inspires a song. To them, the Bible is full of human words, and because of this, it contains errors and contradictions. These authors tried their best to understand and interpret the ways of God, but they fell short, so the Bible cannot be considered authoritative. It’s a book about God, not the Book of God.
However, the Bible itself testifies that this belief is not true. Peter wrote in his second letter that the words of Scripture are not man’s words but God’s words, as the authors were “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21, ESV). Paul agrees that “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Because the Bible is indeed the Word of God and it is impossible for God to lie (Numbers 23:19), everything written in the Bible must be true (Psalm 12:6, 2 Samuel 7:28, John 17:17). Nothing in it is erroneous or contradictory. The Bible is inerrant, and infallible, and full of truth.
“The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” Psalm 119:160
Lie #2: There Was No Original Sin.
A second lie that the progressive gospel teaches is that there was no original sin. We are not inherently sinful or totally depraved, despite what some stuffy theologians may say, and our sins and shortcomings do not separate us from God. Instead, progressive Christians believe in something like an “original blessing.” They believe that God has always loved us exactly the way we are, and it is our own personal shame and guilt that has separated us from Him. Being “reconciled” to God requires not repentance of sins, but learning to love and accept ourselves for who we really are.
There is absolutely nothing biblical about this belief. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, humanity gained a sinful nature and became destined for death (Romans 5:12). This sin nature is something we are born with (Psalm 51:5), and it is this sin, not our shame, that separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). Those who argue that they have no sin nature are simply deceiving themselves (1 John 1:8-10). No one is inherently righteous or good (Psalm 14:2-3, Romans 3:10). Apart from Christ, we are dead in our sins and fall short of God’s glory every single day (Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1). But in Christ, Christians gain His righteousness and have the hope of new life.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Lie #3: Jesus is Not God.
Another lie that is perpetuated by many progressive Christians is that Jesus is not God. Progressive Christians often view Jesus as a good moral example, a good teacher, an all-around good guy. We should listen to His teachings and follow His example, but we shouldn’t worship Him. Why? Because they believe that Jesus is not divine. He is just a man, so He shouldn’t be treated as if He were a god. But progressive Christians do believe that Jesus connected with the divine and that we can do this, too, by becoming “Christ conscious” and finding the divine within ourselves.
This is straight up apostasy, and it reeks of New Age spirituality. Jesus repeatedly claimed to be God (John 6:35, 8:12, 14:6) and did things that only God could do, like forgive sins and raise the dead (Mark 2:5; John 5:17, 21). Throughout His life and ministry, Jesus is worshipped by many different people, and He never rebukes them for doing so (Matthew 2:11, 14:33, 28:9; Luke 24:52; John 9:8). However, we do see in the Bible that those who have tried to bow to humans or angels are strongly reprimanded (Acts 10:25-26, Revelation 22:8-9). The truth is that Jesus is and has always been God.
“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58
Lie #4: Atonement Isn’t Necessary.
A fourth lie you’ll hear from progressive Christians is that atonement isn’t necessary. They completely deny the historical Christian doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement because they cannot believe that God would require the death of His own Son for us to be forgiven and redeemed. To them, this is basically cosmic child abuse. How could a loving Father send His Son to be physically tortured, endure unimaginable and excruciating pain, and die a bloody and gruesome death on the cross? Why would this event be required for us to be reconciled to God?
While God is a loving Father, He is also a holy and righteous Judge. We have all sinned against Him, and the only way for us to be reconciled to Him is for blood to be shed (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22). Jesus came and shed His blood on the cross so we might be redeemed and reconciled to our Creator (2 Corinthians 5:19). Now, it’s important to remember that Jesus is not God the Father’s biological Son. Jesus and the Father are both equally God. Jesus’ death on the cross was not an act of child abuse. It was an act of loving self-sacrifice (Romans 5:8). Jesus, who was and is fully God, humbled Himself and laid down His own life that we might be saved and live with Him for eternity (Philippians 2:6-8).
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” John 10:18
Lie #5: Everyone Will Be Saved.
The fifth lie of the progressive gospel is that everyone will eventually be saved. Some progressive Christians ascribe to universalism, which teaches that God will eventually save everyone, whether they believed in Jesus during this life or not. Others believe in pluralism, which teaches that all religions are equal and lead to salvation. Because of these belief systems, most progressive Christians deny that there is a literal hell. Some acknowledge that one can experience “hell on earth” by never letting go of their shame or finding the divine within themselves. But they deny that one can go to hell because of unrepentant sin.
However, this is not what the Bible plainly teaches. Jesus is the only Way to the Father, and it is only by believing in Him that we can be saved (John 3:16, 14:6; Romans 10:9). If we never repent of our sins and submit ourselves to God, we cannot be saved. If we choose to spend our lives following Allah, Buddha, or one of the many Hindu gods, we cannot be saved. And if we go our whole lives without being saved, without being forgiven of our sins, we deserve to go to hell, which is a very real place where God’s wrath is poured out on the wicked and unrepentant (John 3:18; Matthew 25:41, 46). If we desire salvation, if we want to spend eternity with God in heaven, we must turn to Jesus.
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Progressive Christianity is a Lie
Progressive Christianity is on the rise, and I suspect that it will only become more and more mainstream while biblical Christianity becomes more and more unaccepted by the culture. But the progressive gospel is full of lies. Granted, not every progressive Christian shares the same beliefs. That’s the thing about progressive Christianity—truth is often considered relative and able to change or progress over time. But as author and apologist Alisa Childers argues,
“Christianity is not progressive; it’s eternal.”[1]
The truths and doctrines of Christianity are eternal. They do not change or progress over time. That means that the Bible is the Word of God. That means there was such a thing as original sin, and we are born with a sin nature. Jesus is God, the Son of God, and He willingly died on the cross and resurrected on the third day to atone for our sins and reconcile us to the Father. And believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior is the only way we can be saved. This is the truth. This is the Gospel.
I strongly urge you to reject the lies of progressive Christianity. They may sound nice and loving and tickle the ears, but in reality, they are empty and futile and lead to spiritual death. Immerse yourself in the truth of the Gospel, and you can do this by daily digging into God’s Word.
[1] Alisa Childers, “Chapter 15: Christianity Needs a Makeover – Progressive Christianity” in Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your kids to Challenge Cultural Lies, ed. Hillary Morgan Ferrer (Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2019), 264.
