Watered Down Christianity | WR
[Link to the podcast episode this article is based on]
There's something unsettling happening in modern Christianity, and as someone new to this faith journey, I'm seeing it with fresh eyes that haven't been conditioned by decades of church culture.
We're creating a comfortable version of God.
The Comfort Trap
After months of reading through the Old Testament, I've encountered a God who is far more complex, emotional, and demanding than the gentle, agreeable deity often presented in contemporary Christian circles. This God has intensity. He has expectations. He calls His people to radical transformation that costs everything.
Yet somewhere along the way, we've decided to water this down.
We've taken the buffet approach to faith—selecting the verses that make us feel good while avoiding the passages that challenge our lifestyle choices. We embrace God's love while dismissing His holiness. We want His blessings without His lordship.
The New Covenant Doesn't Mean Easy
Yes, we're saved by grace through Christ, not by perfectly following Old Testament law. But this new covenant doesn't eliminate God's character or His expectations for how we live. It actually raises the bar by calling us to heart transformation, not just rule-following.
The spirit of God's law matters more than ever.
Why Shallow Faith Pushes People Away
Here's what breaks my heart: The biggest challenge to faith in the modern world is shallow Christians.
When we present a watered-down version of Christianity, we're not just failing ourselves—we're actively harming the faith. People can sense authenticity, and when they encounter Christians who lack conviction, depth, or genuine transformation, it confirms their suspicions that faith is just another empty social construct.
The Holy Trinity Changes Everything
One thing I'm learning is how crucial it is to embrace the full aspect of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Too often, we focus on one aspect while neglecting the others. We love Jesus but ignore the Father's intensity. We appreciate the Father's power but resist the Holy Spirit's conviction.
We need all three working in our lives for authentic transformation.
The Price of Authentic Discipleship
Following Jesus will cost you things. It may cost you:
Comfortable relationships that enable sin
Career opportunities that compromise your values
Social acceptance when you stand for truth
The luxury of moral relativism
But here's what you gain: The power to represent the Creator of the universe in a world desperate for authentic examples of His love and truth.
Called to Be the Church
You don't need to be a pastor to demonstrate what Christ-following looks like. We are the church. We are the body of Christ. Every interaction, every decision, every response to difficulty is an opportunity to show the world what it means to have God living within you.
This requires conviction. It demands that we know what we believe and why we believe it. It calls us to study Scripture not just for comfort, but for transformation.
Moving Forward
If you've been living in the shallow end of faith, it's time to venture into deeper waters. Stop trying to make God fit your comfort zone. Instead, allow Him to expand your heart to embrace His full character—both His incredible love and His uncompromising holiness.
The world needs Christians who aren't afraid to be different, who find their strength in the Lord rather than social approval, who live with such authentic conviction that others can't help but notice something supernatural at work.
This isn't about being perfect. It's about being genuine. It's about allowing the God of the universe to actually change your life instead of just decorating it with religious activities.
The power lies in surrender and repentance.
And it begins within each of us.