Awakenings

Christian Mythology

by

Lawrence J. Caldwell

Copyright © 2010

Introduction

What if everybody stopped going to church?  I don’t mean stopped showing up.  I mean stopped doing everything “churchy” that we know is not in God’s Word. 

What if instead we started being the Church, the believers God called us to be according to His Word?  What if we did only those things and excluded all the rest of the stuff we usually do on Sunday?

Suppose for a moment that we Christians really are 100% holy, perfect, whole, and one with Jesus.  Would this make a difference?  Does the Church believe that this is even possible right now?  What?  Me holy?  Perfect?  Now?  We will admit that this is all true some day when we get to heaven.  But few will admit this is even possible now here on earth in the fleshly life.

Nevertheless, God commanded these things to us now.  Right this very moment.  And since He said it, therefore it must be possible.  But how?  He does not command us to be holy just on Sunday.  He does not command us to be just a little perfect.  Jesus did not pray that we would share a fractional life with Him and our Father.  He commands all or nothing.    

About five years ago God made Ephesians 5:25-27 ultimately real to me.  Perhaps you have experienced, like me, reading a verse countless times over the years.  Then one day it hit me as real and not just words on paper.  The Holy Spirit broke through and spoke directly to me.  I am the Bride of Christ.  Jesus will present me to Himself.  He comes quickly.  Am I ready? 

Am I glorious, spotless, without wrinkle, holy, and without blemish?  These words describe a pure virgin bride dressed in fine white linen, ready to present herself to her husband for the first time.  Even the most minor sin will mar every bit of this preparation.

My first response was fear.  Of course I was not ready.  There was known sin in my life.  There is always sin in my life God.  How can I be ready?  How can Jesus possibly find me holy and spotless?

I reasoned before God that these commands must have some deeper meaning.  They do not.  They mean exactly what they say.  “How do I do this God?  If you say I must then You must somehow make it possible.  I just don’t see the answer,” I protested. 

Am I somehow responsible to be holy?  Salvation was not enough?  God had a hold of my heart and He showed me the way to be being holy by be being One with Jesus.

Notice that strange phrase “be being”.  That is the key to how to live the holy life.  But why should we do it?  Isn’t it good enough to just be saved and wait for heaven?

Sadly, many Christians think this way because they believe that heaven comes after we die.  I recently spoke to Cecil Murphey, co-author of “90 Minutes in Heaven”.  I told him that when that book came out I almost wrote a scathing blog about it.  But I changed my mind.  He asked me why.

Because we don’t have to wait until we die to go to heaven.  When we pray we come into the very presence of God in His throneroom.  We can go there any time we want to.  Do we think about prayer that way?  Or do we relegate it to a task, a ritual of our Christian lives instead?

This is an example of the kind of subtle yet powerful distinction in Christian belief and teaching examined by this book.  What is Biblical?  What is not?  What difference does it make?  These things may not necessarily be bad.  But because they are extra-Biblical, perhaps they overshadow the most important things God desires for us.  Some things are bad and carry serious consequences.  But without question, if we believe, teach, and do the things we know are right and Biblical, there is great blessing. 

Perhaps you sense that something is wrong but you cannot express it.  Perhaps you are not satisfied with church and the way they do things, what they teach, or what they believe.  This is all perfectly normal.  God knows your thoughts, feelings, and actions.  He knows things are not perfect.  He knows there are big differences between church teachings and His Word.  These differences come from the world, our Christian culture, and the teachings of latter day false teachers and prophets.

When God confronted me with the reality of Jesus’ coming for me as a holy Bride I was scared.  I was not ready.  I wanted to be.  But I did not know how.  I did not know what the consequences would be if He found me at that moment dirty in sin.  I did not want to find out.  I wanted to find out the truth and do it.

Think of your own wedding day for a moment.  Would you be pleased with a bride coming down the aisle with a blemished countenance and spotted, wrinkled dress?  No!  You want a bride who is pure, glorious, and holy.  Why are we willing to present ourselves to Jesus as anything less?

He told us to watch, pray, and be ready all the time.  But we are busier with the things that spot, blemish, and wrinkle.  The unbiblical myths we believe and live out are so deeply entrenched that we have a hard time fighting our way out.  Satan will grip us even harder to keep us away from Jesus.  Our flesh will tell us it’s a waste of time.  Nevertheless, I encourage you to read on.  Seek God’s face.  Repent.  Cry until you can cry no more.  God wants us ready for His Son.  He will move heaven and earth to prepare a wonderful Bride for His Son.  Are you ready to forsake all?  If so, then you are about to enter in to a glorious and free life, just as Jesus promised.  It is real.

1. Church – Myth:  Church is for everybody, saved and unsaved
2. Salvation – Myth:  Salvation comes in many ways and many times
3. Jesus – Myth: He saved us from hell to take us to heaven
4. Judgment – Myth:  Christians don’t have to face judgment
5. Righteousness – Myth:  Christians are still sinners after salvation
   
6. Good Works – Myth:  Christians need to get right to work after salvation
7. Heaven – Myth:  Heaven is a wonderful place
8. Hell – Myth:  Hell won’t be so bad
9. Idolatry – Myth:  The idols of the Bible aren’t around anymore
10. Prayer – Myth:  God hears everyone’s prayers all the time
11. The Daily Christian Life – Myth:  Christians can do whatever they want to
12. Denominations – Myth:  It doesn’t matter what church you go to
13. Music – Myth:  Good worship music is a matter of personal preference
14. Satan – Myth:  Sin is Satan’s fault in the Christian’s life
15. Spiritual Gifts – Myth:  Certain spiritual gifts are no longer given to Christians
16. Missionaries – Myth:  Only Certain Christians are Called
17. Holidays – Myth:  Of course we should celebrate all Christian holidays
18. The Law – Myth:  Christians don’t have to keep the Old Testament Law
19. Israel – Myth:  The Church has replaced Israel and is the new recipient of God’s promises
20. Dominion – Myth:  Mankind no longer has dominion over the earth
21. God – Myth:  God loves everybody and has a wonderful plan for their lives
22. Sin – Myth:  Christians are free from the power and penalty of sin
23. Health – Myth:  God wants Christians to enjoy good health
24. Tolerance – Myth:  There is an age of accountability
25. The Mind – Myth:  Man has separate inherent abilities from what God gives the Christian
26. Confession – Myth: It’s good for the soul
27. Speaking – Myth: Man no longer receives divine inspiration
28. The Last Days – Myth: We’re getting better
29. World View – Myth: Christians need to have a Christ-centered world view