Do you have a “safe Christianity?”
What I mean is this: is your Christianity comfortable? Is it tame? Is it neatly compartmentalized, where your time with God is totally separate from work, school, family, friends, or leisure? Is it risk-averse, where you feel the need to keep it “private,” lest you risk offending anyone?
If you’re like most others – including me – this is an all-too-accurate description of your faith.
This faith is tame, calm, beneath the surface, tucked out of sight, and unlikely to do anything big. It’s that special family heirloom which is placed in a box and then hidden on the top shelf of a closet.
It’s something that could be so powerful, yet we relegate it to be just another facet of our busy lives.
Here in Western civilization, we’ve developed a rather unique brand of the Christian faith over the last hundred years or so.
This is what I’m talking about: we’re obsessed with being comfortable.
If a new church is being built, we haggle over minute details.
How many stalls in the bathroom? Where will the speakers go in the worship center? How many lights in the entrance foyer?
Sometimes, debates such as these can cause splits within the church. It can literally drive people to leave because they didn’t get their way.
In our personal lives, we might consider it “bold” to wear a T-shirt with a cross on it, or to listen to Christian music where someone else may just pass by and hear.
We rarely – if ever – share our faith with others. Even with friends, we often don’t broach the subject.
To do so would risk offending them. And we can’t have that.
But guess what?
This “safe” faith that so many of us possess is not only weak; it’s also not what Jesus wants for us.
Jesus did not come to die on the cross for our redemption just so we could tuck our faith away in a corner and live life like everyone else.
Safe Christianity is not really Christianity.
Safe Christianity is NOT Biblical Christianity
In Revelation, Jesus gives seven messages to the seven primary churches at the time. All of the churches had their problems (the church is composed of fallen humans, after all), but perhaps the strongest-worded message that Jesus gave was to the church in Laodicea.
I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. [Revelation 3:15-18, ESV]
When I read this passage, I cannot help but think about the current state of the Church in America (and the rest of the Western world).
We are neither hot nor cold!
This is the essence of “safe Christianity.” Safe Christianity is lukewarm. It seeks to keep one foot in the world and another foot in the Kingdom.
Safe Christianity is noncommittal.
It doesn’t take any risks for the glory of God. It doesn’t hold to Christ when things get tough. It doesn’t truly believe that there is power in our faith!
Safe Christianity dwells among the ranks of the prosperous. It especially relishes air-conditioned buildings, comfortable pews, ornate walls, rock concert worship services with bright lights and smoke machines, and preaching that is all talk and no action.
Now, do I mean that churches that have some of these things are necessarily “lukewarm” churches? No! Not at all.
But if your first focus is on the bright lights, good coffee, or emotional preaching, then a little red flag ought to go up.
What I truly intend to say is this:
Safe Christianity will never push you. It will never challenge you. It is a spectator sport. You get to sit there, eat bagels and drink coffee, and watch a performance.
It doesn’t go any deeper than that.
This is NOT Biblical Christianity. Not even close. Safe Christianity – which is, I daresay, the largest faction of Christianity in America today – is not what Jesus has in mind for us.
It’s neither hot nor cold. It exists among the ranks of the prosperous, those who are more concerned with their bank accounts than with doing the will of God.
It turns church into little more than a social club, something that you just “do” because it’s the “right thing to do.”
Does this sound like your faith? As I look in the mirror, I realize that this sounds an awful lot like my faith.
I have a lot of growing to do, and so do you!
True Faith: What Jesus Wants From Us (and For Us!)
We’ve already talked about the un-Biblical nature of “safe Christianity.” But what does real faith look like?
It’s simple: real faith will throw in with Christ!
What do I mean by this? Real faith is all about following Jesus and joining forces with Him. It’s about following Him no matter where He leads us.
Real faith risks a lot. It risks friendships, job security, and safety. It risks offending others.
Real faith compels you to share your resources generously with those around you. It compels you to put your time, money, effort, wisdom, and gifts to good use.
It compels you to give up your very life for the sake of Jesus. It compels you to die to yourself.
When you commit your life to Jesus Christ – when you become a disciple of His – you are signing away ALL of your rights, privileges, resources, and freedoms.
It’s true. You are giving everything you have to Him.
He died on the cross to save you and redeem you. The Bible tells us that He literally “purchased” us. He bought us.
We’re His. Everything we are is His.
This is not safe, is it?
Think about it. Is it safe to give complete control of your entire life to someone else?
No. In fact, giving your life to someone else is complete foolishness.
Unless that “someone” is Jesus Christ.
As it turns out, giving your entire life to Christ is the single most logical and rational thing that anyone could ever do. You see, this entire world is passing away. In 70 or 80 years, it’s very likely that both you and I will be dead.
Everything we’ve ever worked for – money, power, influence, fame, relationships, etc. – will be gone.
In 200 years, it’s likely that nobody will remember who we even were.
Without Jesus, we will NOT make an eternal impact. Our safe Christianity would tell us, “Keep one foot in the world! Work to make money, to gain power, to show others who you are. Go to church, study the Bible, but make sure that you’re prioritizing you over everything else. Don’t risk anything! Don’t share your faith; stay in your lane.”
Such a line of thinking may seem reasonable, but it’s foolish.
If you keep to comfort, to money, to achievement, you won’t do anything of real eternal significance. But if you yield all you are to all Jesus is, you will. He guarantees it.
It may sound “dangerous” to go all-in with Christ, and it is. It may (and probably will) cost you friendships, promotions, comfort, and an easy life.
But it’s worth it. To do otherwise is to follow a worthless path.
Jesus wants us to be on fire for Him. He wants us out there in the thick of things, winning souls and leading others to Him. He wants us to make disciples of all people. He wants to leverage our resources, skills, strengths, and even weaknesses for His higher purposes.
He wants us to live in radical obedience to Him, even obedience to the point of death.
That is the type of faith Jesus wants from us. And it’s the type of faith He wants for us.
You see, when you’re living life dangerously and “on mission” (and all of us should be), you will be blessed by Him in ways you never would have thought possible.
Your fellowship with the Creator of the universe will be sweeter than you ever thought possible. Your bond with other true Believers will be deeper than you ever felt before.
Safe Christianity has little risk and no reward.
True Christianity has high risk, but with infinite reward.
Today, dear Believer, I challenge you to do this: commit your life fully and totally to Jesus Christ. Throw yourself at Him. Instead of seeking comfort, seek Him. Instead of seeking to have one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom, hop over entirely to the Kingdom and seek Him.
Be radical in your faith and obedience to Jesus.
It will cost you much – in fact, it will cost you everything – but you will gain so much more than you lost.
God bless!