What They Think of Us: The Christian Neurosis

Pierre Solignac  (born 1929, France) is a French psychiatrist who claimed that Christianity uses guilt in order to maintain control of its followers. He spoke of the “Christian Neurosis,” which he said meant that a Christian had to carry around a huge weight of neurotic guilt in order to be properly “humble” before God. It is sad to say that many Christians down through the ages have bought into this anti-Christian, non-Christian attitude. Solignac said that Christians believe in a God of conditional love (if we are “good” enough and “humble enough” He will accept us) who uses law and rules to keep us under control.  “L'éducation chrétienne repose essentiellement sur l'
angoisse et la peur, le manque de confiance en la nature humaine, le mépris du 
corps, ...” (Christian education is based primarily on the anxiety and fear, lack of trust in human nature, contempt of body ...)

No! No! No! No! No!

Our salvation is not based on following rules or being humble doormats or being good enough or knowing some secret doctrine hidden from the world.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1

Do you realize what the Bible says about Christians? It does not say that we become perfect at the moment of our salvation. What it says is that there is no condemnation for us.  “No condemnation” means “found innocent with no penalty imposed.” As John tells us in 1 John 3:14, “We have passed from death to life.”

We have been declared innocent because we are covered by the shed Blood of the Lamb of God. Through the process of sanctification we are becoming like Jesus and when God looks at us He sees the Blood, He sees Jesus. Our guilt has been washed away.

The Apostle Paul understood that Christian innocence could be misunderstood and he adds a coda at Romans 6:1-2 to oppose the heresy of antinomianism. Antinomianism taught that since we are saved and are no longer under the condemnation of the Law we can do whatever we want without any penalty.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2. (KJV)

Book Comment: After You Believe

"Keep getting old as long as you can."

Kris Kristofferson (b. 1936, Texas) 

Country music singer, songwriter, 

Golden Gloves boxer, Rhodes Scholar, 

U.S. Army captain

Kristoffer Kristian Kristofferson (yes, that's his real name) expresses the aim of most people for their lives.  Christians have a different perspective but we haven't always ourselves really understood it.  Many still don't.

In his book, After You Believe.  Why Christian Character Matters, N. T. Wright, the former Anglican Bishop of Durham, England, asks the question of what you do after you become a Christian.  Do you just wait to die and go to Heaven?  Does it matter once you are "saved?"  Isn't what we're really concerned with the "sweet by-and-by?"  Wright thinks it matters very much what we do in the "interim," and he clearly shows that Jesus and Paul thought so to.

Wright speaks of two approaches many Christians have adopted: 1. A Rules Mentality,  which in essence places the believer into legalism and ritualism, and 2. Spontaneity, going with what "feels right," since we are no longer under the Law.  This in essence places the believer into antinomianism.

Bishop Wright says neither of these approaches is correct.  Our duty is to develop Christian character and become who are intended to be in Christ.  The Kingdom of God is in the world now, and we are citizens of that Kingdom.  In the next life, in the Kingdom, we are to be kings and priests; since the Kingdom is here now, we are to begin being kings and priests now, fully revealing the image of God.  He call this the development of Christian virtue.

Wright is an Anglican and Anglicans say that they are "protestant, yet catholic."  I am very Protestant and I get a little squirmy when Wright explains things in more "catholic" ways, but what he's really talking about are sanctification and holiness and he is exactly correct.

Under the leading of the Holy Spirit, we are to experience what Paul calls "the renewing of your minds."
Classical pagan virtue found many of the Christian attitudes to be puzzling, especially those involving self-denial and self-sacrifice.  By practicing the Christian virtues (love, faith, hope, charity, self-giving, looking away from oneself, etc) under the leadership of the Holy Spirit (assuming the Mind of Christ) we gradually grow into them so that they become second nature.  Once they become second nature to us, we will not have to stop and decide how to act when the fecal material really hits the spinning blades.  We will know how to act.