I want truth. The truth is that there are requirements for the blessings for being a Christian. A Christian must have experienced a rebirth:
John 3:2 "The same (Nicodemus) came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Nicodemus was a Pharisee, one who was such a zealot for the Law, that they persecuted the one for which they awaited. Nicodemus, in breaking with his group, came in the night to Jesus so as not to be ridiculed or ostracized. He sought truth! He believed in Jesus, that he was a great teacher and that he was sent from God. Nicodemus was a believer, but is that enough? Jesus answered Nicodemus' implied question with a straightforward answer: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God".
Jesus' answer was twofold. It had negative and positive conditions. If anyone is born again, that person has hope in eternal life. That's a promise and it's positive! However, Jesus used the word "except". For those who are not "born again" they will see no reward. That reward is "the kingdom of God". Scholars define that expression differently, but that kingdom is a spiritual reward. It's the true Church and those within that church who accept and obey the ruler of the Kingdom who is God. Those who are born again live in the Kingdom of God immediately upon being "born again". Yes, we're born into a new kingdom when the old person dies and the new person is born! The destiny of a any citizen of God's Kingdom is eternal life and freedom from eternal punishment.
Nicodemus believed in Jesus, but he wasn't a Christian. Just as I believe in space travel doesn't make me an astronaut. It takes more than belief. What is it that distinguishes the difference between one who believes and one who is born again?
John 3:15 "That whosoever believeth in him (God) should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
In verse 12 Jesus told Nicodemus that he didn't believe, yet Nicodemus just expressed his belief! Belief just isn't enough because Jesus said that even the demons believe. Hence, belief is more than mere acceptance that Jesus is a real person. Although "belief " (verse 16) is what rebirths a person, it has criteria. One must believe that God loves man without bounds (verse 15) and that God gave his only Son in recompense for the sins of everybody (verse 16). Jesus died on the Cross for all the sins of the world by everyone past, present and future. Being "Born again" is accepting that Jesus is God, is the Son of God and that God himself died on the Cross "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish"! Perishing in a spiritual sense is eternal damnation; eternity without hope and with severe isolation and pain.
Those "born again" are true believers in the sacrificial atonement of Christ. Those who believe this shall have eternal life. How about those who believe in the man, but not the love and sacrifice? What about those who don't believe in Jesus at all? Those with fleshly belief or are unbelievers shall perish. They face eternal death and punishment. Jesus said so!
Now, back to positive Christianity. These same verses would be rewritten to say:
John 3:15 "That everyone shall have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he has saved everyone regardless, that whosoever ever lived and breathed shall have everlasting life."
It is to be noticed that any and all conditions for salvation have been removed, that everyone shall be saved whether they believe or not and that there are no references to anything negative, including any type of punishment or retribution by an all loving God. This is "positive Christianity". Many preach that today because "God loves everybody so much that he would never punish that harshly!" Likewise, we can all do whatever we want and never have to worry about consequences. However, there's one big problem: that's not what Jesus said! Many modern preachers teach positive Christianity and that God is so loving that obedience isn't necessary! A loving God looks beyond our sins and rewards those who sin, even those who hate, because everyone is basically good. Hitler and Manson will enjoy the same reward as the true believer!
Furthermore, all the Old Testament is excluded from "positive Christianity". Why? The Law is what the Old Testament is all about and it's reasonable to assume that if The Law is broken there are consequences. Consequences are negative and at odds with positive Christianity. Likewise, Jews as instruments of God, meted out destruction to evil-doers and punishment is negative. Positive Christians believe that the God of the Old Testament is a demiurge and is evil! They assert that Jesus, the New Testament God, is all about unconditional grace, even to those who fail to believe and that Jesus is a different God than JHWH (Jehovah).
Consequently, positive Christians have disdain for God, obedience, punishment and Jews! That's where "Positive Christianity" arises. The roots of positive Christianity lies in the heretical belief system of the Nazi regime. It's the religion of Hitler's Reich.
Wikipedia says this bout "Positive Christianity":
"Positive Christianity (German: Positives Christentum) was a movement within Nazi Germany which blended ideas of racial purity and Nazi ideology with elements of Christianity. Hitler included use of the term in Article 24 of the 1920 Nazi Party Platform, stating "the Party represents the standpoint of Positive Christianity". Non-denominational, the term could be variously interpreted, but allayed fears among Germany's Christian majority as to the oft expressed anti-Christian convictions of large sections of the Nazi movement. In 1937, Hans Kerrl, the Nazi Minister for Church Affairs, explained "Positive Christianity" as not "dependent upon the Apostle's Creed", nor in "faith in Christ as the son of God", upon which Christianity relied, but rather, as being represented by the Nazi Party: "The Fuehrer is the herald of a new revelation", he said. To accord with Nazi antisemitism, Positive Christianity advocates also sought to deny the Semitic origins of Christ and the Bible. In such elements Positive Christianity separated itself from Christianity and is considered apostasy by Catholics and Protestants."
Although explicit in Nazism the "God of Reason" the state God of Revolutionary France replaced Jesus with "Reason". As we know from Genesis, the "Knowledge of the Tree of Good and Evil" is "Reason". Hence, Jesus is replaced by Satan. Basically, positive Christianity is a all the "good" of Jesus with any belief in the real Jesus of Scripture. Secular Humanism fulfills that role as well. It's main tenant is social justice.
Positive Christianity is where the New Age Church is at now and what most Christians will believe when they miss the rapture. Buyer beware! Believer beware!
Isn't it strange that a religion whose profession is "positive" professes so much hate!
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