<quote>

Don’t we hate it when we think we’re walking in the Spirit but find out we’re walking in the wrong direction? While trying to be religious, we may walk off the path. However, if we don’t walk at all, we aren’t obedient to the Holy Spirit either. Then we’ll miss the way by doing nothing. We’ll be like the wicked and lazy servant who buried his talent of gold. Since the Holy Spirit is always calling us higher, we’re sinning by doing nothing when God asks us to do something. And we’re sinning by doing one thing when God asks us to do something else. Not only so, but we’re sinning by doing something when God asks us to wait. On the other hand, walking in the Spirit is simple. We hear His voice and respond in submission.

We may get it wrong because of our spiritual immaturity. We may fail to judge the difference between God’s voice and all the other voices. And, if we get it wrong, He is faithful and just to pardon us and set us back on the path if we admit to Him that we’ve been wrong. We aren’t under condemnation if we’re in Christ Jesus, walking according to the Holy Spirit’s leading to the extent that our current maturity allows. God doesn’t tell us to strive in our own strength apart from His leading and righteousness. That is, He doesn’t ask us to try to self-generate a righteousness from our fleshly natures. He tells us to yield to His righteousness. This command doesn’t mean we do nothing. It means we only do and say what He leads us to do and say. In the world, they say, “Fake it until you make it.” Not so in the spiritual realm. Be real. Satan will use his slaves to tell us we should feel guilty, condemned, or confused because we don’t always know the difference between our own minds and God’s leading. However, God assures us that He’s got this.

Christ pardons us and takes us as we are, covering us with His own blood as a sacrifice on our behalf. He does this so He can live within us, lead us, do His works through us, and transfigure us from glory to glory into His image. We have only one responsibility. God won’t take control of our wills, and Satan can’t take control of our wills. However, God gives us power, through the Holy Spirit, both to will and to do His good pleasure, and we merely need to be open to Him. We can block it, of course, but if we allow Him, He does everything. He reveals. He gives the ability to judge between truth and fiction or right and wrong. He warns when something is out of His will. He forgives us when we get it wrong. If this judgment and discernment were our responsibility, we’d soon lose our way. However, He takes responsibility. We’re responsible for yielding to His Spirit while He handles everything else. It takes effort to resist the Holy Spirit. We’re responsible to stop resisting Him.

So we have no reason to fear to go ahead with God if we’re sincere and desire righteousness since God has promised to complete His work in us. However, this revelation doesn’t mean He’s going to drag us into His kingdom against our desires. It does mean that, if we sincerely yield ourselves to His righteousness, He’ll bring us to His fullness despite our shortcomings.

“being persuaded of this very thing, that the One having begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 Berean Literal Bible)

</end quote>

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<quote>

What does the Scripture say about progress?

God isn’t looking for negative progress.

But evil men and imposters will advance to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ~ 2 Timothy 3:13 Berean Literal Bible

They advance to worse and progress toward wickedness, yet God is looking for a different form of progress and maturity as these Scriptures state:

“And we all having been unveiled in face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 Berean Literal Bible)

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it has been written: ‘And the righteous will live by faith.’” (Romans 1:17 Berean Literal Bible)

“to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, so that I may somehow attain to the resurrection from the dead. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing indeed: Forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things ahead, Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been perfected, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:10-14 Berean Literal Bible)

“Now I say, walk by the Spirit, and you should not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are opposed to one another in order that you should not do those things you might wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, contentions, dissensions, factions, envyings, drunkennesses, carousing, and things like these, as to which I forewarn you, even as I warned before, that those doing such things will not inherit God’s kingdom. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:16-23 Berean Literal Bible)

“And this is love, that we should walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.” (2 John 1:6 Berean Literal Bible)

“Because all of the people will walk, each person in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.” (Micah 4:5 International Standard Version)

“Therefore Jesus said to them, “Yet a little while, the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness might not overtake you. And the one walking in the darkness does not know where he is going.” (John 12:35 Berean Literal Bible)

“My children, of whom I travail again until that Christ shall have been formed in you” (Galatians 4:19 Berean Literal Bible)

“Therefore having these promises, beloved, we should cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1 Berean Literal Bible)

“But now, having been set free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end is eternal life.” (Romans 6:22 Berean Literal Bible)

“But grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18 Berean Literal Bible)

“And we know that God works together all things for good to those loving God, to those being called according to His purpose because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28-29 Berean Literal Bible)

“And He gave some indeed to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, toward the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all may attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a complete man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that no longer we might be infants, being tossed by waves and being carried about by every wind of teaching in the cunning, in the craftiness of men with a view to the scheming of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, we should grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-15 Berean Literal Bible)

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, to those who rest on the mountain of Samaria— the famous men of the nations to whom the house of Israel came!” (Amos 6:1 International Standard Version)

As we read these Scriptures, we hear God speak to us of various kinds of spiritual progress. We see this progress has to do with spiritual maturity, dying to our fleshly nature, and having Christ formed in us. And we make this progress by walking in the Spirit, not by working hard to fulfill the Law. So if we walk, we make progress. We shouldn’t be like mimes who create an illusion of walking as they walk in place while not going anywhere. Well, mimes create this illusion, but if we’re honest as Christians, we’ll admit that we sometimes stay in the same place while giving the illusion of walking in the Spirit. And as we walk in circles, we’re busy with religion, but we aren’t really going anywhere.

To bring about His good purpose, God wants us to progress toward maturity in Him. However, our progress forms Christ in us ^{(Galatians 4:19)} and demolishes the fleshly nature as opposed to re-crucifying Christ in us and glorifying and catering to the fleshly nature.

“Therefore, having left the beginning teaching of the Christ, we should go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and faith in God” (Hebrews 6:1 Berean Literal Bible)

In conflict with this good progress, the other form of progressivism continues to work its puffed-up leaven into the Church. Deceptively, this philosophy uses the word “progress,” but it progresses away from God. In this sense, “progressive” can mean unholy things.

“God didn’t write the Bible. . . . not a few of the verses within some of those books contain bad theology that reflect pagan influences of the cultures that surrounded those ancient peoples.” (progressive theologian)

What authority is this progressive theologian using for his theology when he thinks his theology is greater than Scripture? He can’t be using Scripture. What, then, is his authority?

Some who call themselves “progressive Christians” claim that their preferred theology is superior to what they read in Scripture. Some deny the virgin birth, original sin, and the substitutionary work of atonement. Some claim that all religions focus on what’s important and claim that what’s important is human-generated works. These are doctrines of demons.

• “Progressive” can mean a way to self-generate fleshly or devilish wisdom, knowledge of lies, and lack of understanding.
• “Progressive” can mean following human emotion, though it may falsely claim to follow rational thought. It may even falsely claim to follow the Holy Spirit.
• “Progressive” can mean claiming that God doesn’t say what He says through the Bible.
• “Progressive” can mean denying the Bible’s authority or claiming that the Bible has errors.
• “Progressive” can mean adding to God’s words or dismissing God’s words.
• “Progressive” can mean trying to self-generate good works.
• “Progressive” can mean rationalizing political, governmental action to coerce unbelievers to contribute to public “good works” projects.
• “Progressive” can mean substituting secularized government for the church and the family.
• “Progressive” can mean saying sin is OK.
• “Progressive” can mean saying righteousness is whatever the fallen human mind says it is.
• “Progressive” can mean putting good for evil and evil for good.
• “Progressive” can mean arguing for new, anti-bible structures or orders for the home, marriage, or the Church.
• “Progressive” can mean blurring the difference between the Way that is Christ and all the other ways.
• “Progressive” can mean claiming that all ways lead to God.
• “Progressive” can mean dragging the world and the flesh into the Church.

If we define “progressive” this way, it’s not good to be progressive.

As far as progressing, as soon as we think about the Holy Spirit’s leading, Satan brings us counterfeits, often in deceptive books, TV shows, speakers, and videos that conflict with Scripture. Deceitfully, they affirm what Scripture denies and deny what Scripture affirms. For instance, they may affirm things like these:

• reincarnation
• God as imagination
• human goodness
• reliance on self
• karma
• pantheism
• economic systems based on envy
• governmental systems that distort God’s order
• moral relativism
• encouragement of sexual sin
• collective consciousness

They deny things like these:

• the devil’s existence
• the existence of original sin
• the existence of right and wrong
• Christ’s faithful presence, protection, and guidance
• the Holy Spirit as the One Who’ll teach us all things
• the need for discernment
• the distinction between good and evil
• the distinction between truth and lies
• the distinction between the human mind and God’s mind
• the distinction between human imagination and reality
• the fallen nature of humanity
• the distinction between God’s way and man’s way

These affirmations and denials are then falsely called “progressive.”

Then well-meaning Christian writers correctly see that these messages teach error, and they respond to Satan’s messages in fear. Fearing apostasy, they begin denying any Scripture that confirms Jesus Christ’s presence and availability. They think it’s safer to deny the kingdom of heaven’s availability and the Holy Spirit’s leading, teaching, and correcting. And, to their credit, they’re trying to protect the Church from possible apostasy. However, their reaction contradicts Scripture, and this inappropriate reaction to Satan’s progressive message is sometimes falsely called “conservative.”

</end quote>

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<quote>

What does Scripture say about conservatism?

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand beside the roads and watch. Ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is. Walk in it and find rest for yourselves. But they said, We won’t walk in it!’” (Jeremiah 6:16 International Standard Version)

“Do not add or subtract a thing to what I’m commanding you. Observe the commands of the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 4:2 International Standard Version)

“Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 9 Berean Study Bible)

“I am amazed that so quickly you are deserting from the One having called you in the grace of Christ to another gospel, which is not another, except there are some who are troubling you and are desiring to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel out of heaven should preach a gospel to you contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let him be accursed! As we have said before, even now I say again: If anyone is preaching a gospel to you contrary to what you received, let him be accursed!” (Galatians 1:6-9 Berean Literal Bible)

“who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly, as Moses was divinely instructed, being about to complete the tabernacle. For He says, ‘See that you shall make all things according to the pattern having been shown you in the mountain.’” (Hebrews 8:5 Berean Literal Bible)

“Because I the LORD don’t change; therefore you children of Jacob aren’t destroyed.” (Malachi 3:6 International Standard Version)

“God is not a human male— he doesn’t lie, nor is he a human being— he never vacillates. Once he speaks up, he’s going to act, isn’t he? Once he makes a promise, he’ll fulfill it, won’t he?” (Numbers 23:19 International Standard Version)

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and to the ages.” (Hebrews 13:8 Berean Literal Bible)

“Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of shifting.” (James 1:17 Berean Literal Bible)

However, the philosophy of conservatism can be a problem if we distort the definition of “conservative.”

Distortions:

“Conservative” can mean reliance on traditions of the past.

“Conservative” can mean conserving the current worldview, theology, or opinion.

“Conservative” can mean claiming to believe Scripture but actually believing a certain interpretation of Scripture.

“Conservatism” can mean having a form of religion but denying God’s power and authority in our lives. ^{(2 Timothy 3:5)}

“Conservatism” can mean traditional, anti-bible orders for the home, marriage, or the Church.

“Conservatism” can mean denying all parts of Scripture we haven’t been able to apply to our own lives.

“Conservatism” can mean denying all parts of Scripture that we haven’t yet understood.

“Conservatism” can mean lukewarm Christianity or being at ease in Zion. ^{(Revelation 3:16, Amos 6:1a)}

If we define “conservative” these ways, then it’s not good to be conservative.

God wants us to follow His ways. God doesn’t change. However, if we become mired in the clay of traditions and bankrupt religiosity not seen in the pattern of Scripture, then we reject Christ’s lordship over our lives.

And He said to them, “Because of this, every scribe having been discipled into the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a master of a house, who puts forth out of his treasure new and old.” ~ Matthew 13:52 Berean Literal Bible

Not surprisingly, both old and new are necessary. Since our hearts are soft toward God, we’re willing to follow God where He leads, but, at the same time, we’re careful to follow God rather than following a false prophet or false teacher.

I commit to you this charge, Timothy, my child, according to the prophecies going before as to you, that by them you might wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some, having cast away, have caused a shipwreck concerning the faith, ~ 1 Timothy 1:19 Berean Literal Bible

“Do not be negligent of the gift in you which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elderhood.” (1 Timothy 4:14 Berean Literal Bible)

“For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6 Berean Literal Bible)

When the body of elders laid hands on him and prophesied over him, Timothy received spiritual gifts to wage a good warfare in the battles he would face. And Paul told him to hold faith and a good conscience. Then he said that those who cast away the power of the Spirit, faith, and a good conscience caused a shipwreck. Predictably, we see a “shipwreck” in those who try to war a good warfare by the power of the flesh rather than by the power of the Spirit.

Remembering the parable Jesus told about making progress, we see one man who let fear keep him from making progress.

“For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he promptly went on his journey.” (Matthew 25:14-15 Berean Study Bible)

Being faithful, two of the men made progress. They invested what they received, got a return for the Master, and received more responsibility as a reward. But look what happened to the one who succumbed to fear.

Finally, the servant who had received one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So in my fear, I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’ ‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to the one having the ten talents.” (Matthew 25:24-28 Berean Study Bible)

So God isn’t looking for the form of conservatism that buries God’s gifts and makes no increase. Rather, we don’t let fear rule over us since we have no fear of losing the gift God gave us through Christ as long as we’re walking in the Spirit.

</end quote>

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<quote>

Since God has assured us of salvation through Christ, why risk a journey rather than doing everything to protect what we already have and keep it safe? The value of this journey may seem obvious, but we should consider whether it’s worth it.

Jesus gives us the answer, and then Satan also has an opinion. Working to deceive us, Satan may tell us we ought to succumb to fear and stop responding to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Satan tells us to just hang on to what we’ve got because where we are is just fine, and we don’t need to press toward God’s goal. He even says that if we progress away from God, we won’t suffer consequences. Satan works through our fallen minds and the fallen minds of others, and Satan’s deception results in many confusing voices promising peace, fulfillment, a better world, relevance, and many false promises. However, those voices lie.

</end quote>

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<quote>

We intuitively know that Jesus Christ is the Source, so we walk in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit, we proceed out of darkness and into His marvelous light. No, we don’t pretend to walk without actually going anywhere, but we progress into truth as the Holy Spirit leads us and we submit to Him. As a result, we’re constantly leaving darkness behind. Rather than darkness, we love light. And so, we don’t harden our hearts. Even though God shakes our darkened and fallen fleshly natures when He exposes us to His light, we don’t cling to our former lies. Instead, we walk into ever-brighter understanding and clarity.

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that grows brighter until the full light of day. ~ Proverbs 4:18 International Standard Version
</end quote>

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<quote>

All treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. And Christ is our wisdom, which is righteousness, holiness, and redemption. And that’s why respect for Christ is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.

</end quote>

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<quote>

We want to be rational. We desire truth, wisdom, goodness, and righteousness. Therefore, our desire points us to God Who created us. So we follow Christ, the Source of all truth and wisdom. Jesus Christ is the Truth, and God is Love. That means both Truth and Love are impossible without God, and this journey will uncover proof for this statement before we’re finished traveling. Not only that, but Love fulfills the whole Law. Breaking the Law is straying from the Way, and straying from the Way is sin. To understand this truth, we must realize that Christ is the narrow and restricted Way Who leads to the Life, and Christ is also the Life we want and need. He’s the Way, the Truth Who guides us on this way, and the Life to which the Way leads.

</end quote>

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<quote>

Remember when Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was? Simon said that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus told Simon that God the Father had given Simon this revelation. Then Jesus called Simon “pebble” (Petros). Jesus said He would build His Church on a mighty boulder (petra). This mighty boulder is the Foundation of salvation, wisdom, righteousness, holiness, reason, and the Church. While some theologians teach that the mighty boulder is Simon, in truth, Simon is just a pebble built on our firm Foundation, and Christ is that Foundation. So this journey isn’t about Petros. This journey is about Christ, our firm Petra Foundation for everything including reason. God says a lot about foundations through the Bible:

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise master builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. For no one is able to lay another foundation, besides the one being already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Berean Study Bible)

“having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 3:20 Berean Study Bible)

“This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12 English Standard Version)

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!” (Matthew 7:24-27 Berean Study Bible)

Can we find a sound foundation for thought without Christ? Though the world uses many methods of thinking, can even one of these ungodly methods claim sanity?

</end quote>

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