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CHRISTIANITY VERSUS CHURCHIANITY
PART 3 - The Claims
William R. Cunningham
August 17, 2003
INTRODUCTION
Thus far we have discussed the definitions of Christianity and Churchianity that are used in this series of lessons. We also examined the process of discerning the truth, which will become very important in this series and in your own lives as you determine who is telling you the truth or not. In this lesson we are going to examine the claims of Christianity and Churchianity regarding various topics.
We are going to examine the claims of Christianity and Churchianity in regards to Jesus Christ, God, church, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, Faith, Prosperity, Finances, prayer, confession, belief, salvation, and the responsibility of the Christian just to name a few. These topics will be contrasted between Christianity and Churchianity so that you would recognize when you hear the truth or something fabricated by man.
Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:15. He said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” We have to keep in mind that all of the teachings that are done in churches are not Christian and surely not from the Bible. Many of the doctrines that are being perpetuated in the churches today were devised for personal gain or as a result of deception or both. So it is the responsibility of the Christian to verify that what he or she receives and acts on is indeed the truth, that is, biblically sound and consistent.
Jesus Christ
How do Christianity and Churchianity view Jesus Christ and things pertaining to him? For the most part the two appear very similar here. Christianity is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the focus is on Jesus Christ. Churchianity professes the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the focus is not on Christ. Christianity strives to perpetuate the gospel of Christ and the Kingdom of God so as to make disciples of all people (Matthew 28:18-20). However, for Churchianity belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ seems to be merely an entrance pass into the religion. This is not to say that the people in Churchianity do not believe in Jesus Christ. Some may very well believe in Christ. However, that is all that there is. From that point on the destination is not sanctification but materialism, legalism, or perhaps self-righteousness.
Consider that Churchianity holds that salvation is so that we would be prosperous on the earth or merely so that we would go to heaven. It holds that we are the King’s children and have certain rights to the riches and glory of this earth. Jesus Christ provided salvation so that we would be prosperous in all that we do. Our union with God is merely a means to live materialistically wealthy.
However, Christianity holds that salvation is the beginning of eternity with the Father. Salvation has nothing to do with material wealth. Salvation deals strictly with the spiritual state of man, that is, that he has been made righteous through the blood of Christ. We have been reconciled to God so that we could be with Him for all eternity. The things of God become comprehendible because of salvation (See John 3:3-5). So you see, salvation isn’t a means to an end on earth for the Christian. Salvation is the means to the beginning of eternity, namely, eternal life with God.
Churchianity defines life very differently then Christianity. For example, consider the following Scripture.
John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
The “Word of Faith” proponents declare that the abundant life is having great wealth and health on the earth. They say that we are designed to have an abundance of material possessions and that is what Jesus came for. However, the word “life” in this scripture is the Greek Zoe, which refers to eternal life or the Life of God and not “the good life” as they suppose.
In some Churchianity organizations, Jesus doesn’t have as high a status as the pastor. Some congregations hold their pastor in higher esteem than that of Jesus Christ and they heed the pastor’s commandments before considering the Bible. They interpret the teachings of Jesus through the teachings of their pastor or denomination and never learn to receive the truth directly from the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit. They live by dogma of man and not by the word of God.
A major difference between Christianity and Churchianity in regards to Jesus Christ is the position of Jesus Christ. In Christianity, Jesus is the head of the church and all is based on the redemption provided by Jesus and by His teachings. However, the teachings of men and women are the foundation of Churchianity. People rely on the words of the pastor instead of the word of God. They strive to be blessed by their pastor instead of striving to be blessed of God.
Some teachings in Churchianity and particularly the faith movement actually denies the deity of Christ or corrupts the redemptive act of Christ by claiming that Christ took on the nature of Satan or that Christ is just like us. One minister even had the audacity to declare that given what he knows now that he could have died on the cross for mankind. Imagine that! Some even claim that Jesus had to go to hell to complete the punishment for our sins. Here they say that Jesus was bound in hell as the demons and Satan mocked him and persecuted him. They thought they had won. But then Jesus struggled with Satan and took the keys to death and rose victoriously from the grave. This sounds melodramatic, but it is not consistent with the Bible. The Bible does not say that Jesus had to be punished in hell. This is also a misconception of hell.
God
In Christianity, God is the creator of all things and our heavenly Father. However, God in Churchianity is either a distant deity or a genie in the sky. Pastor Robert Randolph Davis said that people think God is a “cosmic bellhop.” I like that term. Christianity holds that God is sovereign, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Churchianity holds to many things such as the following.
- God is not sovereign because he is bound by our faith
- God is not all powerful because he can only operate as we give Him permission
- God’s purpose is to lavish his subjects with wealth
Consider the following scripture.
Psalm 24:1 (NKJV) The earth is the Lord’S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
This verse of scriptures, for the Christian, simply declares that all things belong to God. Churchians put a twist on this by reasoning that all the things that God has belongs to us and therefore we should have them. After all, we are “Kids of the King.”
Christianity holds that we are to serve and obey God. Our task is to please our heavenly Father by submitting to His will. Churchianity holds that God is to serve us as we confess our faith and place demands on the Spirit. God must do what we say because we use faith and God must honor our faith according to the Churchians. Churchianity holds that it is the task of God to please us.
One of the things that I noticed about counterfeit Christianity (Churchianity) is that most of the teaching is based on what God would do for us. There is a plethora of teachings on prosperity, health, wealth, and having what you say to name a few. There are countless numbers of people that are deceived into thinking that the God who created all that exists is somehow bound by the mere words (confessions) the created thing. That’s not even logical.
What’s more astonishing is that there are ministers that teach that we are little gods. They hold that God originally intended to reproduce himself and therefore created human beings. These hold that we are equal with God. Some ministers of Churchianity believe that God is about the size of a large man.
Churchianity also holds that God has no authority on the earth. God originally gave Adam and Eve authority on the earth and they subsequently turned that authority or dominion over to Satan when they sinned. Therefore, God has no legal right to operate on the earth.
Christianity holds that God is a spirit so commenting on how big he is or how big his hands are is a moot point and surely foolish. Christianity makes clear that our duty is to obey God and not for God to obey us. We are the created things that must bow to the creator. Christianity recognizes that God has complete authority on all of creation and is neither bound by our confessions of faith nor limited by Adam’s sin.
I can’t stress enough that in Churchianity that God is not considered sovereign. God honors our faith, which is released through confession (words). God is bound by our faith and has to do what we say. I heard one minister misquote Matthew 18:19. Actually the verse was taken out of context.
Matthew 18:19 (NKJV) “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
This verse seems to imply that if two people agree about something then God will do it. Therefore it appears that God is bound by the will of man. However, we must consider the next verse when interpreting this one.
Matthew 18:19 (NKJV) “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
The two are gathered in the name of Jesus. However, who are the two? The context of this scripture is Jesus’ instructing his disciples. Therefore, we must consider what a disciple would agree about. Faith teachers use these verses to suggest that we can have anything that we want if we agree. However, I doubt that Jesus was referring to agreeing for new cars, houses, money, etc. He was instructing His disciples so we can safely assume that what they would agree on is in the context of ministry not self-gratification.