By Ron Woolsey
Beware of becoming a Prefix Christian! What exactly do I mean by coining the phrase
“Prefix Christian?”
“Prefix:” An affix placed before a word…to modify a term’s meaning.
“Christian:” 1) of, pertaining to, or
derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings.
2) exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ: Christlike.
3) a person who exemplifies in his life the teachings of Christ.
The teachings of Christ are only made
known by the study of the Word of God, and by being led by the Holy Spirit
through that study, for “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
In the early Christian movement,
prefixes were not necessary, for to be a “Christian” meant simply and clearly
to be a follower, a disciple of Jesus Christ, one who accepted Jesus as the Messiah,
his Savior from sin, one who
patterned his life after the Example, Jesus Christ.
However, very early on the concept of
“Prefix Christians” began to emerge upon the scene, and the apostle Paul
addressed the issue thusly: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no
divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgment. It hath been
declared unto me of you, my brethren, …that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith,
I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for
you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? …He that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13,31)
During the Protestant Reformation
prefixes began appearing as little windows of the light of truth were opened
upon the dark world of religion. As the
great Reformers became popular and then died off, followers formed creeds
around the established, yet incomplete, array of doctrines taught by their
mentors. Therefore, denominations began
to form, such as Lutheran Christians, Baptist, Calvinist (Presbyterian),
Methodist, etc. Actually, the very fact
that these “Prefixes” were used was a clear indication that the establishment
of fundamental beliefs was an incomplete process. We might say of the Lutherans, they were
followers of the teachings of Martin Luther who was just beginning to
understand the light of truth through his personal study. Much, much more light was to flood the
Christian world as the Reformation progressed.
But when the Reformer passed, the adherents to his teachings embraced
what he had taught and closed the door, generally speaking, on more advancing
light.
Today, because so many “Prefixes” are
used to identify the hundreds of Christian denominations now in existence, it
is incumbent upon one to actually use a prefix to identify the form of
Christianity to which he adheres.
To add a prefix to the word “Christian”
is to qualify the meaning of the word “Christian” by either attempting to clarify
the meaning, or by altering, or modifying the meaning.
Adding Clarity
A “Methodist Christian” would therefore
be an adherent to the teachings of Jesus Christ as spelled out through all the
accepted doctrines, or statements of belief, of the Methodist
denomination. The same would be true of
the “Baptist Christian” and the “Seventh-day Adventist Christian.”
In all these and similar cases the
prefix is adding clarity to the understanding of the meaning of “an adherent to
the teachings of Jesus Christ.” In other
words, the prefix explains the understanding of what it means to be a
“Christian” through the understanding of biblical doctrine.
Altering, or Modifying
the Meaning
Other prefixes used actually, though
perhaps unintentionally, might even alter the very meaning of the word
“Christian.” For example: “Social Christian,” “Non-denominational
Christian,” “Contemporary Christian,” “Liberal Christian,” “Conservative
Christian.” (Descriptions reserved for another day)
The “professed Christian” is one who
does take the name of Jesus Christ as his Lord, Master, and Savior, but may or
may not actually incorporate the meanings of “Lord,” “Master,” and “Savior” into
his daily life and behavior.
Let me quickly state that although all
Christians are “professed Christians,” the “true and faithful ones” are
Christians known only to God, for He alone knows the thoughts and intents of
the heart. Jesus referred to Nathaniel
as “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” Obviously, Jesus makes a
distinction between “professed Christians,” (in name only), and true ones.
A Disturbing Trend
The concern of this study is the
ever-increasing use of these modifying prefixes in conjunction with
Christianity today, actually altering the true meaning of this profession,
especially regarding one particular issue that I find to be very
disturbing.
Over the past few years, and in light
of numerous judicial rulings around our country and the recent Supreme Court
ruling, homosexuality is being embraced as an “acceptable alternative
lifestyle.” Many gays who have grown up
in a Christian culture are wanting to remain within that culture, but without
denouncing their homosexuality. In other
words, they wish to continue with their “profession” of being Christian, but
also to identify as gay. Hence the term
“gay Christian.” They may profess to be
living celibate lives, suppressing their homosexuality, but by clinging to the
prefix, do they truly have a change of heart?
Sins of the heart precede sins of
overt behavior.
When I became a Christian 24 years ago
I chose to turn my back on a number of vices in addition to homosexuality:
alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, dancing, lust, just to name a few. As a Christian, from that time forward it
never crossed my mind to attach those vices to my Christianity by
self-identifying as a “lusting Christian,” a “pothead Christian,” a “smoking Christian,”
and certainly not a “gay Christian!” As
a new child of God, accepting Jesus as my Savior from all those vices, renouncing those behaviors, entering into His
school of discipleship, and patterning my new life after His life, I did not
want to identify with the sins of my past from which I was turning, no matter
how strong the temptations to indulge once more. I worked to starve and bury
the old while feeding the new.
Yet today there is an ever-increasing
push to incorporate prefixes into Christian identity, especially when it comes
to homosexuality. But in all fairness,
if we can accept the terms “gay Christian,” and “bi-sexual Christian,” then why
not other oxy-morons? Such as: “lusting Christian,”
“adulterous Christian,” “polygamous Christian,” “pedophile Christian,” “masturbating
Christian,” or “polyamorous Christian.”
One outspoken “Prefix Christian,” a gay
activist graduate from Andrews University claiming to be a bi-sexual Seventh-day
Adventist Christian, has worked to organize straight/gay alliances on many
Adventist university campuses, alliances that work aggressively to prevent the
message of salvation from
homosexuality from being presented on campus.
He has recently called upon Christians to stop using certain words and
phrases in order to communicate with the LGBT community. This call in and of itself implies that the
Christian community and the LGBT community are two opposing and incompatible
entities, therefore inadvertently conceding the term “gay Christian” to be an
oxymoron.
He attempts to muzzle Christians by
suggesting as unacceptable such Christian phrases as, “Love the sinner but hate
the sin,” “The Bible clearly says,” “Homosexuality is a sin,” “Jesus can change
you,” and “Go, and sin no more.” He is basically saying, “To communicate with
us you must not disagree, but rather agree with us. You must not offend us with your biblical difference
of opinion, for we view that as rejection.
You must use our terms, for we find them preferable to the words of God.”
It pains me to see Christians kowtowing
to such demands of the gay agenda, when instead they should be offering a compassionate
message of hope, of healing, of transformation into the image of Christ, of
victory in Jesus.
In a recent sermon from the Pioneer
Memorial Church at Andrews University the following statements were made:
“There are those among us who
self-identify as gay or lesbian who follow Jesus with all their hearts, but
struggle with the celibacy He is calling them to embrace. It can be a desperate
struggle, which is why the church, community of Jesus, the family of God, must
be a place of refuge, safety, healing
for heterosexual and homosexual, a place of compassionate confidentiality.”
Now, this “healing” seems to me to be a
healing of hurts, but not necessarily
a healing of hearts, not a healing
that leads to transformation of mind as well as behavior, for the pastor goes
on to quote from a newly voted statement from the Andrews University
Seminary:
“…Non-practicing gay persons should be
welcomed into membership and church office.
All should receive spiritual care from the church (Gal. 6:1).”
The pastor then inserts, “It
doesn’t matter how you identify yourself.
You are welcome, in membership and in leadership…! That’s what they are
saying.”
He then continues with the Seminary
statement, “We stand against any antipathy or hostility toward homosexuals as
well as any cultural biases that fuel a lack of Christ-like love for them… We
strongly affirm that homosexual persons have a place in the Seventh-day
Adventist church.”
In spite of all the statements in the seminary document that
suggest gay Christians must resist temptations just as any other Christian,
when it goes on to state, “We strongly
affirm that homosexual persons have a place in the Seventh-day Adventist Church,”
I can assure you, having been there myself, this is an opening door to
compromise with the gay agenda. This
statement allows for the “Prefix Christian” to assume membership and leadership
alongside those who are accepting a new
identity in Christ. It offers them equal
voice, equal vote, and equal opportunity.
At the same time, those who have dropped the identity of
homosexuality and are walking in newness of life are often viewed as unrealistic,
dogmatic, and presenting a damaging message.
But friends, the gospel of salvation from
sin, in thought, word, and action is not a damaging message. It testifies of our God as omnipotent, rather
than impotent.
This leads me to another line of
questioning: If a gay Christian is practicing celibacy, then he must know that
homosexuality is sin, right? And if he, as a Christian, is accepting Jesus as
his Savior from sin, then why carry
the label of that sin as an identity? If
homosexuals are not to enter the kingdom of God, according to 1 Corinthians
6:9-11, then why would one want to self-identify as a “gay Christian,” labeling
himself as a Christian who will not enter the kingdom of God? To be a celibate “gay Christian” is to
suppress the homosexual behavior, but what about the lust of the heart? What about starving the old, and feeding the
new? Can one truly overcome the sin with
which he chooses to continue wearing as an identity?
Let us not forget the warning of Jesus,
“Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven…” (Matthew 7:21)
Jesus also said, “If the Son, therefore
set you free, ye are free indeed!”
Do we not believe these powerful words
of Jesus? Himself our Savior from
sin, even the sin of homosexuality?
A true Christian is one who should
“Bring every thought into captivity,” “presenting his body a living sacrifice,”
“letting this mind be in him which was also in Christ Jesus,” “being
transformed by the renewing of the mind,” so it can be said of him, “Such were
some of you.” (2 Cor. 10:5; Ro. 12:1,2; Phil. 2:5; 1 Cor. 6:11)
For as a man “thinketh in his heart, so
is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) And this is where 2 Corinthians 5:17 comes into play:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [a new creation by the
hand of the omnipotent Creator]: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new.” To which Ellen White comments,
“The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, & new tendencies.”
And, “A genuine conversion changes hereditary and cultivated tendencies to
wrong.” (RH 04/12/1892; Letter 105, 1893)
Do we believe these words…?
Orientation & Re-orientation
The new seminary statement goes on to say: “In this
statement we differentiate between homosexuality as an orientation…and
homosexual practice… Our nature is marred and corrupted by sin from birth; it
is damaged with inherited and cultivated tendencies toward sexual (and other
kinds of) lust in both either heterosexual or homosexual persons. Yet, because
of the atoning blood of Christ, those redeemed are not condemned and can
receive victory over those tendencies and inclinations… While homosexuality is a distortion of the
Edenic ideal, “there is no condemnation” for homosexually oriented persons as
long as they “are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1) and do not harbor or act upon
their orientation and propensities. It
should be emphasized, however, that the biblical materials condemn homosexual
practice, but there is no castigation of innate homosexual orientation per se.”
This statement treats homosexual orientation as though it
were fixed when a dictionary definition speaks of orientation as a direction of
choice. As a former pilot, I never
allowed the headwinds, crosswinds, tailwinds or the violent storm to determine
my orientation. On the contrary, I made
every correction necessary to maintain the orientation of my choice in order to
assure my safe arrival at my chosen destination. For the past 24 years, having been gay
myself, but having chosen a new orientation and destination for my life, and
now being married for 23 years, I have practiced, by God’s grace, not allowing
the crosswinds of Satan to determine my orientation, nor my destination. Re-orientation is a viable choice every
Christian can and must make.
In closing, I contend that the “Prefix
Christian” who attaches sin to his identity is not truly living up to his Christian
potential, but is rather living with a “patchwork character.” And,
“Christ gives man no encouragement to
think that He will accept a patchwork character, made up mostly of self, with a
little of Christ... Soon it is all of self and none of Christ… Christ looks
with pitying tenderness on all who have combination characters… The patchwork
religion is not of the least value with God.
He requires the whole heart. No part of it is to be reserved for the
development of hereditary or cultivated tendencies to evil.” (Letter 105, 1983;
Letter 31aa, 1894)
The word “Christian” really needs no modifying
prefix. As a disciple of Christ one is
either allowing Jesus to be Mentor, patterning his own life after the
discipline of Christ, without reservation, or he is not really a disciple at
all.
“Through all ages and in every nation
those that believe that Jesus can and will save them personally from sin, [in thought as well as in word
and behavior], are the elect and chosen of God; they are his peculiar treasure.
They obey His call, and come out of the
world and separate themselves from every
unclean thought and unholy practice.” (RH 08/01/1893)
Amen!
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