Part One
In Philippians 3:19, the Apostle Paul uses these words: “whose God is their belly.” Let’s play a thought experiment with a potential reader of those words at the end of that chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Philippians church. He says,
My God is not my belly, so Paul isn’t talking about me. He must be referring to unbelievers or apostates, and I’m not one. I believe in the true God.
This is important to consider, especially in the changing nature of churches today. Just because the name of God and of Jesus are both used doesn’t mean that these are the true God and Jesus of the Bible. This reader isn’t going to say, “My belly is my God, you’re right, Paul.” No, this reader is going to say that the true God and the true Jesus really are truly their God, but in fact their belly is their God. True faith in God is not some arbitrary check in a box. Many false religions put the check in the right boxes, but are not genuine faith.
The belly and the bowel contrast presented in part one distinguish between two religions or even two churches, with the exception that one of them isn’t even a church, because it isn’t preaching true conversion. The belly religion or church contradicts true salvation. No one in the kingdom will have his belly as God. It is a fabricated kingdom in someone’s imagination, that he calls God’s kingdom, because then he envisions being in God’s future kingdom, while also pitching his tent in the kingdom of this world. This has now long become the norm in evangelicalism, churches pandering to bellies.
The bowel approach relies on scripture alone, exclusively scriptural methodology, what the Apostle Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 1-3. That always “works.” When I say works, God’s Word is powerful. What I mean is that it really works. However, it also doesn’t “work.” It never “works.” The belly approach works far more in getting some tangible result and almost everyone reading this knows what I mean. The belly approach incidentally is the Rick Warren approach of Purpose Driven Church. Growing up, Warren didn’t like how unsuccessful his father’s church was, so he crafted a strategy that would always work. His belly wanted more. The nature of how the belly approach works reminds me of the moment Dr. Seuss’s Grinch gets its idea. It’s either a wonderful or an awful idea, all depending on how one judges the two. An awful idea became a wonderful idea, that was still awful.
Churches that proposition the belly introduce a different God. God doesn’t work through the belly. He addresses the bowels. God makes this plain in scripture. It is determinative. If your means or agency is belly, this isn’t God. It is a kind of bait and switch. A belly allurement is not offering God.
What is a belly church?
To follow Paul in Philippians 3:19, the belly church minds earthly things. BDAG provides two definitions of the Greek word translated “earthly”:
1. pertaining to what is characteristic of the earth as opposed to heavenly; 2. pert. to earthly things, with implication of personal gratification, subst. worldly things
Someone again might ask: But this is a church, isn’t it? It calls itself a church. This is where discernment comes in. In the next verse, Paul writes, “Our conversation is in heaven.” He is saying literally, “Our citizenship exists in heaven.” The word “is” or “exists (huparcho) is to say “what belongs to someone,” so that heaven is where the believer’s possession is. The church is the domain of heaven on earth, not the domain of earth on earth. The domain of earth on earth is the world.
The belly church tries to make earthly ones at home on earth instead of heaven. Belly things are earthly things. The belly church charms its subjects with its dress, music, recreation, and in general way of life, which is the meaning of culture. It presents a worldly culture, and then says it represents God. It isn’t a solemn or reverent assembly.
The contemporary belly church labels its earthly culture, the grace of God. Its adherents call this culture authentic, because it is who they really are. They are free to be themselves, earthly and at home on this earth. Their redemption brings a quantity of life, but not a quality of life. It isn’t redemption, because their god is still their belly and they are still minding earthly things. They love the world, so the love of the Father is not in them (1 John 2:15-17).
Some churches have just modified the earthly things, dialing them down and adding heavenly things, in accordance with the bowels, the affections. Their worship isn’t sacred. It’s just less worldly. It’s church schedule is still filled with earthly activities. Very often these churches attract using earthly attractions, retaining a semblance of church. An erosion has occurred to where the modifications of heavenly things, syncretizing them with earthly things, have become their own culture. They’re not really sacred anymore. They’re just called sacred, because the church has been using them. Being used in the church doesn’t make something sacred, whether it is a modified heavenly thing, mixed with earthly things, or completely earthly things.
Associates of or supporters of belly churches, please consider whether your God is your belly. You might call it Jesus. You’re being fooled, and this deception will send you all the way to Hell. Let’s just say it. You think you’re on your way to heaven, but you’re going to Hell. When you’re there, taking in the deception that your belly religion is Christianity, that will be an eternal, painful regret of the nature of gnashing of teeth.
(To Be Continued)
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