Attack on the Heart of the Gospel

Is the 21st-century agenda Christianity-friendly? Can we really say that Christendom has reached the time where she is safer than the time of the Apostles, martyred Christians, and victims of the crusades?

I read a booklet on Postmodernism: Attack on the Heart of Biblical Christianity by Erroll Hulse. It’s a quick read but it will open the minds of those people, even professing Christians, who have been deceived by the lies of the age: truth is relative, false peace of mind, mind-numbing entertainment, and instant gratification of one’s desires through instant access to endless media.

The 21st-century agenda is to destroy the fact that there is a God, who is completely sovereign in all things and has a wise, loving, and perfect purpose for His creation. To reject this truth is to attack the heart of Christianity and the gospel which is founded upon God’s eternal purpose in Christ. So, as Christians, we must stand on the unshakeable foundation of God’s revealed word.

Erroll Hulse defined Postmodernism in four aspects: deconstructionism, where language cannot refer to objective reality; moral relativism, where there is no ground for absolute truth; pluralism, where all opinions have the same value and absolute values will lead to chaos; and existentialism, where feelings are uttermost. He dealt with these subjects briefly and applied each to what it means to follow Jesus.

Deconstructionism cannot be true because ‘our faith is built on the Bible story-line, the “meta-narrative of the Word of God.”‘

Moral Relativism cannot be true because in the scriptures ‘we have the absolute of God’s being, the absolute of God’s unchanging moral law, and the absolute of Christ’s second coming in Judgment.’

Pluralism cannot be true because ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’

Existentialism cannot be true because ‘the heart is deceitful above all things!’

Erroll Hulse concluded that the church must focus on four strengths in order to stand against ‘the wreckage of postmodern society’:

1. Maintain a strong devotional life.
2. If you are married, be vigilant in your marriage and family life.
3. If you are a pastor, minister to the heart needs of your people.
4. More than ever a healthy local church is vital.

Here are some quotations from the booklet:

"Utterly basic to Christianity is the sovereignty of God. The Almighty orders and designs all that comes to pass—yet He is not the author of sin. He is working everything out according to His purposes. There is a big story which gives an overarching explanation of the world as we know it... There is an explanation in all of history. This is foundational to our correct understanding of God and the Bible... The postmodernist denies that there can be such a thing as a meta-narrative. Instead, the postmodernist believes that each person constructs his or her own “narrative,” or reality, usually depending on one’s own community of knowledge. Most people have been used to thinking in terms of two competing meta-narratives: The Christian one, which consists of the revelation of God in the Scriptures, and the humanistic, rationalistic one of science, evolution, and “progress.”

"The habit of reading is absolutely vital today, particularly for Christians. Through meditation on the Word of God, assisted by exposition, the believer is built up in his faith and in his worldview. The Jews were intrigued with miracles. They wanted, as did Herod, to see a miracle. But Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples” (Joh 8:31). If TV takes over from reading, it means that those addicted are run according to an agenda that is hostile to thinking. They resemble chimpanzees rather than humans created in the image of the living God."

"In churches, the TV mentality comes through when people call for entertainment rather than preaching. When it comes to preaching, they want it to be entertaining and full of anecdotes, stories, and images (which they have become accustomed to on TV). They do not want preaching which demands concentration and challenges their minds. In postmodern culture, people look for the feel-good factor. So if the preacher does not make them feel good, he is regarded as a failure. In stark contrast, John the Baptist, our Lord, and His apostles confronted their hearers with reality, sin, righteousness, and judgment to come."

"Images in themselves do not have truth-value... when the Israelites worshipped the golden calf instead of waiting for Moses who would speak to them, they attempted to “televise” God. Making graven images is an attempt to make visible images of the invisible. In the beginning was the Word, not an image (Joh 1:1)."

To God be the glory!