Author reveals how progressive Christianity is ‘taking over’ with ‘false versions of Jesus’

Monday, March 11, 2024

By Marissa Mayer [Higher Ground Contributor]

Reprinted from High Ground

Jason Jimenez has spent more than 20 years ministering to families on the cultural, theological, and religious issues of the day. And in all that time, he’s yet to come across a theological movement that has the potential to upend the church the way “progressive Christianity” does.

He recently sat down with the Washington Times’ Higher Ground to discuss his new book, “Hijacking Jesus: How Progressive Christians Are Remaking Him and Taking Over His Church,” and the dangers of progressive movement’s efforts to dismantle the Gospels.

“I believe strongly, and I show it historically, theologically, biblically, and spiritually [in my book], that progressive Christianity is a false religion,” Mr. Jiminez said. “That they’re not saving Jesus from the church, that they’re not really improving on who Jesus really is and what He means to our culture and to us individually and spiritually for all eternity.”

The best-selling author, who is also the founder of Stand Strong Ministries, says “the vast majority of progressive Christians believe the Bible is fantasy,” and that the movement largely rejects the basis of who Jesus is and what He did on the Cross. In other words, many progressive Christians have exchanged the gospel of salvation with one of social justice.

“What replaced [Jesus as God] is that Jesus is more of a woke teacher — that’s becoming very popular these days,” the author noted. “That Jesus was an insurrectionist. He was a socialist. He advanced causes moralistically to end poverty, to end the oppressive nature of religiosity. That is a very popular view as well. And then one that has been growing for quite some time that you can see its influence in a lot of prominent worshipful, charismatic churches is a mystical Jesus.”

And while it’s no surprise that today’s culture, which has embraced an obsession with self, is remaking Jesus in its own image, the real danger Mr. Jimenez says is that the church is falling for it.

“Different people, pollsters, when they evaluate Bible-believing churches that were affirming at one point, the Trinity, Heaven and Hell, Jesus coming to atone for our sins, they’re finding that less than 46% affirm and believe theologically and fundamentally that Jesus is God,” he explained. “They’re taking over the church, meaning they’re bringing in these false versions of Jesus, these reinventions. And so, when you think about it, and this is very troubling, but this is the truth when you look at the data.”

That’s why Mr. Jimenez says it’s crucial for Bible-believing Christians to not only reclaim the foundational truth of the Gospels, but also engage with those who have embraced such a misguided theology.

“We need to make sure that we are lovingly engaging people [with] the way that we see Jesus,” he noted. “There are times when Jesus had to confront sin. He had to oppose a false doctrine that was trying to influence or cause betrayal. So we have to be discerning in those things.”

“I would encourage Christians as you do that, make sure that you actually know and study God’s word,” he added. “So you do have a defense to those who ask you for the hope and the reason that it’s in you.”

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Marissa Mayer is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her work has been featured in Christian Post, The Daily Signal, and Intellectual Takeout. Mayer has a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Arizona State University.