The Seductive Lure of Liberalism

I recently went through a box of random books that has been sitting in my closet for over a year, completely untouched. Inside I found a small book entitled The Law. Its appearance was something of a mystery as neither my wife nor I had ever seen it before, but unknown books do occasionally turn up in the stashes of ardent book lovers. The Law was written by Frederic Bastiat, a French economist and statesmen, in 1850 just after the Revolution of February 1848. Originally written as a political pamphlet, the argument put forward in The Law is that socialism inevitably and logically leads to communism. It is a fantastic read which seems almost prophetic in the way it matches with our current social and political climate in America.

One section in the book is entitled The Seductive Lure of Socialism, and it made me think of how liberalism in the Christian community can be so appealing in our culture. More pointedly, I think of Brian McLaren as he attempts to redefine the Gospel for the new generation of believers. If you have ever heard Brian McLaren speak, he is an excellent communicator who has a natural way of connecting with many common desires in the lives of believers. He speaks eloquently of community, compassion, love, unity, and open-mindedness. His theology is generous. These are appealing qualities that most people would love to identify with, but the problem comes with the cost.

For a person who would identify himself as a Christian there are some things that should be non-negotiable. The trinity, deity of Christ, the resurrection, and many others should rank as basic building blocks of the faith. Some of those doctrines make unity with other faiths an impossibility. We adhere to the Bible as the world ridicules our “narrow-mindedness” and laughs at our “unenlightened, archaic” beliefs. Let them laugh. The Bible tells us that we are to proclaim the truth of Scripture and let the Spirit move in the hearts of the people. The work of the true believer is to aid the Lord in conforming the world to the commandments of God; a believer should not be conforming himself to the world.

One of the difficulties facing Christianity in our culture is a bitter fallacy which states that if you do not agree with those who preach unity, compassion, and tolerance then you also disagree with the need and validity of unity, compassion, and tolerance. Philippians 4:8 tells us that these things should be important to believers. But the growing move towards a social gospel could be dangerous if social needs are placed before spiritual needs. This should provide new meaning to the old Reformer’s cry of Solos Christus.

So as you stand strong in the face of a culture of tyrannical tolerance, do not fall prey to subtle seductions put forth to encourage a watered down gospel, and rely only on the promises of God to define your worth.