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What Has Happened To Christianity? In the last fifteen years of my research and studies I have learned about what started out as a simple, basic religion turn into an adulteration of faiths that we have customized to suit her own needs. Christ, the apostles, and Paul set the groundwork of the Christian faith. If we read the Bible as an ongoing history, keeping in mind the culture and context of when it happened, we will see that is all based a few principles that are very easy to understand. The complete list can be found in the Ten Commandments; they can be found in Exodus 20:2-17 and again in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. They are guidelines to a godly life but God has given us free choice, however every choice we make has its consequences, whether good or bad.

In the New Testament the Ten Commandments are referred to several times. In Mark 12:28-31 it states:  “One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29.  Jesus answered; “the foremost is, ‘hear, o Israel! The lord our god is one lord; 30.  And you shall love the lord your god with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31.  “the second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

How much more clearly do we have to have it explained to us before we understand it? There is no plan B.

We have become so complacent recently, just willing to go with the flow, never questioning the authenticity or accuracy of the faith we practice and if it agrees with the Bible. The apostle Paul was always cautioning that we should always check what we are being told and that there would be a lot of false prophets trying to change our thoughts. Even in the Old Testament we are warned about false prophets. Deuteronomy 18:9-13 says;  

“When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. 10.  “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11.  or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12.  “For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. 13.  “You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.  

In Acts 20:28-30 the apostle Paul is warning the church; 

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29.  “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30.  and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

In the last decade church attendance is down over 15% and I can understand why. When I was looking for a “home church” I found that all the “Christian churches” I visited were so different that it was very confusing and the tendency was to quit. I have also found that a majority of those that I speak to that are not active in church agree. They also state that churches have become so legalistic and more like a clique or a social club than a church; this was another problem the apostle Paul spoke on frequently.

I feel the biggest problem is that we have become undercover Christians or another phrase would be “Couch Potato Christians”. There, we are happy just to go along with the program with church on Sunday and holidays and maybe an occasional Bible study on Wednesday and never question anything. This is not what God wants.

In 2017 a polling firm by the name of the Barna group, in cooperation with a large ministry, polled Christians and found the following that I will quote from an article;

“Christians are being influenced by various worldviews that exist outside of the biblical spectrum, the Barna Group recently found that just 17 percent of Christians who attend church regularly and say faith is a big part of their life have what the polling firm called a “biblical worldview.”

The polling firm of Barna Group interviewed practicing Christians to find out how various worldviews — new spirituality, postmodernism, Marxism, and secularism — have impacted their views about how the world currently is and should be. Overall, 36 percent of practicing Christians embrace at least one Marxist sentiment.

“We have observed and reported on increasing pluralism, relativism and moral decline among Americans and even in the Church,” Brooke Hempell, Barna’s senior vice president of research, said in a statement. “Nevertheless, it is striking how pervasive some of these beliefs are among people who are actively engaged in the Christian faith.”

The study revealed that about half of Christians and more than half of churched adults say that people they know are bored by the typical church experience. This number did not change across the different denominations, generations, or faith segments. 

Some, who are committed members of the church, are feeling that it is falling out of style. About twenty-five percent of practicing Christian millennial’s agree the church is unimportant today.

We must get back to the basics of the Christian faith. Traditions are nice but it is very easy to allow them to alter the faith we claim to have. We need to look at our doctrines, traditions, and practices and make sure that they are still biblical in every way. We cannot allow the ways of the world to pollute the Christian faith to the degree that it has and need to stand up and speak out boldly for the faith. This is part of being a Christian, as given in the Great Commission.

If you found a restaurant with really good food, great service, and very low prices, I’m sure you would share it with all your friends; so as Christians why don’t we share the greatest plan in the world. The plan of salvation and eternal life with our friends and those we work with. There is too much proof available today to doubt the validity of the Bible any longer.

Mathew 5:14-16 states;

14.  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15.  nor does {anyone} light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16.  “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”