Not A New Vision, Just a Tired Old Version

Lyons Vision for Christianity in America is not new, it is simply the same tired old mantra that has been hanging around since the fall of man. Gabe Lyons, founder of Q and best selling author has set out to destroy what he calls "an incoherent half-truth of sin and salvation." Lyons recently (Jan 11th) spoke at Calvin College.

He claims that the Christian message that is being proclaimed today is no different than someone giving you a novel with the first and last 100 pages ripped out with no explanation. He states you would be furious at the author for writing a book like this or the person who would dare give you such a book.

Lyons advocated both his joy at and the "demise" of Christianity. He believes that what he calls "the Next Christians" will have a more enlightened view of what God really intended. In his first book called UnChristians, Lyons and his foundation tracked what he called the "demise" of Christianity by recording the "falling of Christianity" from public favor.

According to Lyons’ research, the first association with Christianity that 91 percent of Americans between the ages of 16 and 29 make is with an anti-homosexual stance. Three-quarters believe Christians want to impose a right-wing agenda on others, and 70 percent view them as proselytizers, merely interested in padding church rolls with fresh converts.


Lyons developed his vision for this new Christianity in his book The Next Christians. Lyons presented his audience with reasons for Christians to have hope. This hope lies in the rediscovery of what he called Christianity’s “full story.” He states that this story begins with a "good creation" and ends with the responsibility "to restore it." Lyons believes Christians are rediscovering that this means going and advocates that we go out from the churches into all areas of culture – into Madison Avenue, Hollywood and Wall Street, and the educational world.

The dangerous lie hidden within this new Christianity of his is a reduction if not refusal to talk about sin, repentance, and salvation in order to talk about restoring the original creation by the creation of good things in these above mentioned entities. Lyons has developed a vision of Christian community as a commonwealth founded on love and justice in the midst of the kingdoms of the earth. Through his organization Q, his website, and his books he is trying to sell this new vision.

God has not commissioned his church to restore the creation that was marred by the fall. He will do that by, not restoring this present heaven and earth, but by destroying them with fire and by melting them. God has commissioned His church to preach the good news of the gospel of reconciliation. Reconciliation of God and man made possible by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which calls for the recognition of sin and repentance. These are the things that Lyons, Q, and those of his ilk have celebrated their demise.

Every generation has its Gabe Lyons. Those whom God has destined to be deceived will no doubt buy into his sad, tired, false premise. Those whom are has elected to eternal life will not be deceived regardless of the "reasonableness" of such false teachings.