Apprising Ministries has warned there’s a progressive New Downgrade No-Controversy going on within broader evangelicalism; and, like the proverbial frog slowly boiling to death in a pot, over the past couple of decades people simply haven’t noticed.

During this time, tragically, the Gospel has painstakingly been changed from repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ Name into some supposed dream that God has for everyone who professes to believe in Jesus to work together and to “change the world.”

So, if you really think that all of this reimagined and repainted inclusive squishy social gospel of good deeds preached by people e.g. like Rob Bell, former rock star pastor of the Emerging Church, is something new; then you’d better think again.

Here’s J. Gresham Machen from his book Christianity & Liberalism written in 1923:

But if Christianity be directed toward another world; if it be a way by which individuals can escape from the present evil age to some better country, what becomes of “the social gospel”? At this point is detected one of the most obvious lines of cleavage between Christianity and the liberal Church.

The older evangelism, says the modern liberal preacher, sought to rescue individuals, while the newer evangelism seeks to transform the whole organism of society: the older evangelism was individual; the newer evangelism is social.

This formulation of the issue is not entirely correct, but it contains an element of truth. It is true that historic Christianity is in conflict at many points with the collectivism of the present day; it does emphasize, against the claims of society, the worth of the individual soul.

It provides for the individual a refuge from all the fluctuating currents of human opinion, a secret place of meditation where a man can come alone into the presence of God. It does give a man courage to stand, if need be, against the world; it resolutely refuses to make of the individual a mere means to an end, a mere element in the composition of society.

It rejects altogether any means of salvation which deals with men in a mass; it brings the individual face to face with his God. In that sense, it is true that Christianity is individualistic and not social. But though Christianity is individualistic, it is not only individualistic.

It provides fully for the social needs of man. (source, 152, 153)

The key to understanding what’s happening to the evangelical community right now is to note a shift as it embraced the Emergent rebellion against sola Scriptura and moved to an even more centered of the self religious faith e.g. Peter Rollins And Phyllis Tickle On The Emergence Of A Brand New Religion.

Within that piece you will hear Peter Rollins, a friend of Rob Bell, and Phyllis Tickle talking about their dream of remaking Christianity, which they refer to as Emergence Christianity. However, this is really not new; no, it’s the exact same repudiation of the Biblical doctrines of grace that Machen was writing about.

Men and women, liberal theolgy was also known as “modern theology” because they tried to marry modern thought to their alleged demythologizing of the Scriptures. So, what we’re dealing with now is postmodern theology, which is merely the evil influence of postmodernism upon the visible church.

We have is a new form of liberalism where “Christian agnostics” practicing Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism try to marry postmodern thought to their own by making Holy Scripture mysterious and ambiguous. That’s why someone like Marcus Borg fits in so well with Rob Bell’s teaching.

In closing this, for now,  I remind you that Charles Spurgeon battled the original cult of liberalism in what is known as The Downgrade Controversy. All these years later, what he says in the short message to follow is so crucial now that gellatinous man-pleasers occupy the chairs of authority within evangelicalism:

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1, KJV)

Spiritual life is not the result of working; how can the dead work for life? Must they not be quickened [i.e. regenerated] first, and then will they not rather work from life than for life? Life is a gift, and its bestowal upon any man must be the act of God. The Gospel preaches life by Jesus Christ.

Sinner, see where you must look! You are wholly dependent upon the quickening Voice of Him Who is the Resurrection and the Life. “This,” says one,” is very discouraging to us.” It is intended so to be. It is kindness to discourage men when they are acting upon wrong principles.

As long as you think that your salvation can be effected by your own efforts, or merits, or anything else that can arise out of yourself, you are on the wrong track, and it is our duty to discourage you. Remember that God’s declaration is that “whosoever believeth in Jesus hath everlasting life.”

If, therefore, you are enabled to come and cast yourselves upon the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, you have immediately that eternal life which all your prayers, tears, repentance, church-goings, chapel-goings, and sacraments could never bring to you.

Jesus can give it you freely at this moment, but you cannot work it in yourself. You may imitate it and deceive yourself; you may garnish the corpse and make it seem as though it were alive, and you can galvanize it into spasmodic motion, but life is a divine fire, and you cannot still the flame or kindle it for yourself.

It belongs to God alone to make it alive, and therefore I charge you, look alone to God in Christ Jesus. ((Charles Spurgeon, At the Master’s Feet [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005], January 22.))

Further reading

• THINK CHRIST DIED FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE SO SPECIAL, THINK AGAIN
• PIERS MORGAN TO RICK WARREN: BIBLE “INHERENTLY FLAWED” AND NEEDS TO BE AMENDED
• RAVI ZACHARIAS: GOD INSPIRED NICKY GUMBEL IN HIS WORK WITH THE ALPHA COURSE