Liberalism is a religious movement that desires to adapt religion to modern thought and culture. Liberalism denies the supernatural teachings of Christianity. What makes liberalism so dangerous for many Christians is that it often takes the very terminology that has been historically used by believers and redefines the words to suit a man-centered perspective. Theological liberalism is a poison for your soul that will slowly extinguish your relationship with God. Because of this danger, believers must be aware of liberalism and its many forms.

Theological liberalism is not new. It has been around for well over one hundred years. Its origins can be traced to secular philosophical movements such as rationalism and empiricism as well as existentialism and modernism. In 1923, conservative theologian Gresham Machen saw the ever-growing effects of liberalism and called Christians to be on guard. He writes,

“…the present time is a time of conflict; the great redemptive religion which has always been known as Christianity is battling against a totally diverse type of religious belief, which is only the more destructive of the Christian faith because it makes use of traditional Christian terminology. This modern non-redemptive religion is called ‘modernism’ or ‘liberalism’… But manifold as are the forms in which the movement appears, the root of the movement is one; the many varieties of modern liberal religion are rooted in naturalism—that is, the denial of any entrance of the creative power of God (as distinguished from the ordinary course of nature) in connection with the origin of Christianity.”[1]

What Does Liberalism Teach?

Since liberalism denies the supernatural qualities of Christianity, it is worth looking at what liberalism says about different aspects of the historic Christian faith and contrast it with traditional, historic Christianity.

The Bible

Liberalism teaches that the Holy Scriptures are a product of mankind’s effort. It teaches that their inspiration is only akin to that of an artist producing a work of art. There is certainly no divine element to the word of God, although it does contain much helpful information about life. The Bible certainly should not be considered historically accurate. The Scriptures, furthermore, are a living document with no fixed interpretation and find their meaning only in the eyes of the reader.

Contrary to liberalism’s view of the Bible, conservative Christianity teaches that God’s word is divinely inspired, God-breathed (2 Tim 3:16) and did not come about by man’s effort but is a product of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21). Furthermore, it is only by God’s self-revelation in Scripture that we can know about Him and about salvation. God’s word is meant to be obeyed. It is the rule for the Christian life.

God

Liberalism teaches various things about God depending on who is doing the teaching. Some liberal teachers are atheists and affirm there is no God but, rather, god is a concept inside everyone. Other liberal teachers might affirm an agnostic view of God, that we cannot know for sure one way or another. Yet others will affirm that there is not one God but that we are all gods, capable of doing good and living in harmony with others.

Conservative and historic Christianity, on the other hand, teaches that there is one God eternally existing as three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and that each person is God and there is only one God. The very nature of God demands that He is eternal, without beginning or end, that He is all-powerful and all-knowing, that He is unchanging and ever-present. Christianity teaches that God is intimately involved in the affairs of his creation. God is also perfect and good; he will punish evil. Anything not in conformity to the character and will of God is sin; God will punish sin.

Sin

Liberalism teaches that sin is a relative notion. By applying the Golden Rule, liberalism defines sin strictly in terms of relationships to one another and the world. Therefore, sin is doing something that harms others. If an action does not harm others, it cannot be called sin. Pride, for example, can only be a sin if it causes you to harm someone. In like manner, sexual immorality is not sinful unless someone is unwilling or uncomfortable. In addition to human relationships, sin is now also extended to relationships with the earth and animals. Thus, pollution is a grievous sin and environmental awareness is next to godliness. 

The historic Christian nature of sin, on the other hand, is defined according to the nature of God. It is God who says what sin is. Through the special revelation of Scripture, we become aware of sin; even if we are unaware, we may still sin because God is unchanging. Sin separates us from God (Rom 3:23) and it is only God who can take away the effects and punishment for sin.

Jesus Christ

Liberalism teaches that Jesus was a great moral and religious teacher, in the same manner as Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed. Liberalism does not deny Jesus, but it does assert that much of what we know about Jesus is greatly exaggerated if not entirely myth. The miracles and supernatural events surrounding the life of Jesus were added by early Christians in order to venerate Jesus but they should not be taken as fact, so liberalism teaches. Instead, Jesus was a man, it was his followers who made him into a Christ-figure. Thus, you will hear about the historic Jesus and the Christ of faith—liberalism separates the two as incongruous. Liberalism denies the bodily resurrection of Jesus and insists on a spiritual resurrection or an allegorical interpretation instead.

In contrast, conservative and historic Christianity teaches that Jesus was much more than a mere example or great teacher: he is the Son of God. He is the second person of the Trinity. He is God. He is a man but he is also God. He was born of the virgin Mary, without earthly father. He is the Christ, the Messiah—the only one who can save us from our sins (Acts 4:12). He died and he resurrected. He is alive today.   

Salvation

Because liberalism tends to define sin in terms of relationships, either towards others or the world, salvation is also defined in terms of harmony and peace with others and in the world. Salvation becomes salvation from earthly problems, such as ignorance, poverty, or racism (to name only a few issues). Salvation, thus, is a process of human progression towards perfection—a sort of civilization that merges into perfect oneness with itself and others. Heaven is on earth and there is no hell.

The classic view of salvation, on the other hand, teaches that men and women are separated from God and unable to save themselves. It is only by God’s grace through faith that we are saved. It is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9). We are saved from the power of sin and will be saved from the consequences of sin (i.e. eternal punishment in Hell). Salvation is made possible only because of the atoning work of Jesus Christ who was crucified on a cross and resurrected three days later. All those who are saved can expect to live with God for eternity.

The Church

Since liberalism denies the supernatural work of God in the lives of believers, the church becomes a social club of likeminded individuals striving to do good and make each other feel better. Thus, the church turns into an organization like the Rotary Club or the Boy Scouts. Its primary focus is self-affirmation. If there is any worship, it is hollow and sterile and may exalt mankind as much (or more) than it focuses on God.

On the contrary, historic Christianity affirms that the church constitutes the gathered believers in one locality. As believers, they are changed and transformed, image-bearers of God. Believers come together to worship the Lord, adore him, pray, learn God’s word, and uplift other believers. The church becomes a lighthouse for those who are hurting, lost, and seeking the truth. Within the church, individual believers use their unique spiritual gifts to edify the church and reach the lost. The church is the Bride of Christ, the witness to Jesus’s saving and transformative power on the earth.

Conclusion

We must beware the ideas and forms of liberal Christianity. While the above points of doctrine have been greatly simplified so as to clearly exemplify liberalism’s departure from the truth, the fact is that often these doctrinal forms come more veiled and nuanced. Rarely will you see it put by liberalism that there is no God, rather you will see an absence of any mention of God; rarely will you see liberalism so clearly state that they do not believe in the divine origin of Scriptures, rather you will hear them extol the excellence and masterpiece of Scripture—minus any divine character. And on and on it goes, liberalism hides its true nature. It would be good to understand liberalism as a chameleon which tries to mix into the environment where it is introduced. Then, little by little, it infects what is there until all that is left is a hollow shell of what had been there previously. In the end, liberalism is just religion—a set of rules—and it has no life or power behind it. By denying the divine and supernatural doctrines of Christianity, it comes up short and unsatisfying for those who know their spiritual needs and want to “know [Christ] and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3:10-11). Therefore, let us reject liberalism in all its forms. In the end we are reminded instead that we ought to strive to hold fast to God’s word and what he teaches. Philippians 4:8-9 clearly teaches us, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

[1] J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), 2.