Modern Religious Idols and False gods, Part 8
Posted by Michael Bunker

editor@lazarusunbound.com

The false god named “Upward Mobility”

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:4-5).

The very first temptation of man was when the tempter promised Eve upward mobility. “Ye shall be as gods” was the promise, and it was more than she could resist. When the tempter took Jesus up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; he said unto him, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matt. 4:8-9). Jesus did not go for the promise of upward mobility, because he saw through the lie. Upward mobility is always a lie, and it is time we identified it as such.

You have always heard me say that “Christianity is a race to the bottom”, because one of Christianity’s unique and transcendent claims is that, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all” (Mark 9:35b). It is an accepted maxim in Christianity that God’s works, His love, and His grace are manifest among the lowly, “so the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen” (Matt. 20:16). “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence” (1Co 1:26-29). While we confess that God is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11), meaning that He does not show grace to them or save them by or according to any good He finds in them or any good works done by them, we also must recognize that God is absolutely partial to those who are the “labour and are heavy laden” (Matt. 11:28). God shows His love and care, His mercy and grace among those who are the lowly and downtrodden. God selects His beloved from among those who are weak and without power, and raises up disciples, prophets, and leaders from shepherds, husbandmen, slaves, fishermen, and those in low estates.

However, humans are a race of people who, by nature, feel the carnal tug of upward mobility. From the fall of Adam, through the death of Abel, to the raising of the Tower of Babel, to the rise of the Antichrist Church, there has been an inexorable move to proclaim the gospel of upward mobility, success, position, wealth, and power from every mountaintop in the land. America is the Holy Land of upward mobility. America is the product of the gospel of self-improvement and success. Every generation is told that there are no barriers to the amount of power, wealth, success, and happiness that can be gained if we are only willing to work and scratch hard enough to “get ahead”. Upward mobility is the mantra of America’s Arminian and Papist religion, and the gospel of upward mobility is even more present in the “church” than it is in the secular world. One of the primary accusations made against Reformed or “Calvinistic” doctrine during the Counter-Reformation (created by the Roman Catholic Church, but carried by the Arminian wing of Protestantism) is that, it was claimed, “Calvinism teaches people to be happy in humble circumstances. It teaches the slave to be satisfied in slavery, and the servant to happily serve his master”. The answer given by those who believed in the true doctrines of Christianity and of the Bible was, “It is not Calvinism that teaches these things which seem so odious to you. It is the Bible that teaches them”:

“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free” (Eph 6:5-8).

“Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort” (1Ti 6:1-2).

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward” (1Pe 2:18).

“Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God” (1Co 7:24).

America is the Holy Land of the “self-esteem” cult, where one’s position and upward mobility are a primary element of the religion of self-worship. American Christianity promises that more is always better. True Christianity promises that whatever is good for us, if we are His, we shall have. It is quite shocking for some people to learn that, when it comes to sanctifying and maturing His elect children, there is no difference between success and failure. Whatever is good for us, He will give us – and to Him, all tools are the same, and work to the ultimate good of the beloved. Here is what the Puritan Richard Sibbes had to say about it:

“Whatsoever is good for God's children they shall have it, for all is theirs to further them to heaven; therefore, if poverty be good, they shall have it; if disgrace be good, they shall have it; if crosses be good, they shall have them; if misery be good, they shall have it; for all is ours, to serve for our greatest good.”

I would say that more Christians have been matured in business failures, than in business successes. I would say that more Christians have learned Christian graces in infirmity, than in good health. I would say that more Christians have been formed out of poverty, than out of wealth. God did not create men so that he could, as a spectator does, watch them rise by their own merits, and so that he could cheer them on in their pursuit of earthly success and acclaim. Christ came that He might be the author and finisher of their faith, the one who strengthens them in affliction, and who causes them to bear what otherwise would be unbearable. The mystery of Christianity is that same mystery that befuddled the Jews when Christ would not take the earthly reign of Israel in the first century. Christ did not seek a worldly throne, and by rejecting it, He made clear His desires for His people who would follow Him.

Again, I find it particularly noteworthy that today’s apostate religion, calling itself “christian”, is the primary fountainhead of the gospel of upward mobility. And, I must say that each generation of those who profess Christianity has grown worse and worse in their pursuit of success in this carnal life. I find that no man today, it seems, is satisfied in the lowly echelons of toilers, workers, and servants, even though men are promised in the scriptures that Christ is to be ever more graceful, merciful, and present, to those who are humble and lowly.

Ambition is a very dangerous thing, and is so often confused with “hard work” and “diligence” in the minds of men. We are commanded to work hard, to apply ourselves, and to be diligent in our duties; and quite often that diligence is rewarded by God and/or by man with the expansion of our estate, our holdings, or our responsibilities. This is good and right in the sight of the Lord. However, as always, we must always examine our motives. Does one desire success and carnal rewards for their own sake, or for fame, or for position, wealth, status, etc? If one’s endeavors are based on any of these motivations, then the Lord says that those who would be high will be brought low. The mountains will be laid low, and the valleys will be raised up. The ambitious will be humbled, if not in this world, then certainly in the next. Ambition is the product of jealousy, covetousness, greed, and a love of the world. There is a profound difference between ambition and diligence, and we would do well to study the differences.

In modern religious circles I have found that ambition is a primary motivator, even more so than money in most cases. Every man and woman seems to seek some level of fame or recognition. Rather than for every man to do his duty and let God raise up whomever He will for His own purposes; there seems to be a cacophony of voices seeking recognition and some level of fame or recognition. Whereas Christianity ought to be a race to the bottom, modern “christianity” is a competition among thieves to see who will sit on Christ’s right hand and on his left. Christ is a great example of one being betrayed by an upwardly mobile follower, but all leaders ought to be aware that the man who seeks the most fervently to have your ear and to be at your side, is likely the man who will try to put a dagger in you, or who will betray you with a kiss.

Christianity, and particularly Christian ministry and service, is not a march to the heights of influence and fame. It is a march to the cross of infamy and shame. Our honest and true endeavors ought to be more likely to engender persecution than popularity. The philosophy of getting more out of life, or doing better so that we can “give the next generation more than we had”, is not a Christian philosophy. The idea that Christian evangelism is about raising the standard of living of the poor, or encouraging upward mobility in the downtrodden, is a lie. Christianity is a life of ministry, and that ministry, in order to be truly missionary or evangelical, is a life of example; so true leadership involves exemplifying Christ’s glory in things like self-denial, patience, suffering, persecution, trials, and tribulations. The modern so-called “Christian” idea of upward mobility, success, and comfort, are contrary to the truly Christian idea that Christ’s followers were called to manifest Jesus Christ the dutiful, faithful, and faithful servant. The idea that the greatest and most successful trick of the devil has been to allow so-called “Christians” to gain carnal success and creature comforts is not without merit. I cannot believe that the devil has changed his tricks. If he deceived Adam and Eve with the lie of upward mobility; if he attempted to tempt Christ with the lie of upward mobility; then it is safe to assume that his method of operation has not changed. And, if we accept this understanding as truth, then we must naturally and logically discount almost all of what calls itself “Christianity” today as a false religion of deceived dupes and tools of the devil.

Jesus Christ came as an example to His beloved. He drank the cup of affliction and persecution to exemplify the costs of true leadership. His was a ministry of downward mobility, when you consider that He left His eternally happy and blissful place on the right-hand of the Father in Heaven to condescend to men and to put on the lowly robe of human flesh in order to suffer and die for His own people. If Christ is our example we are more likely to be beaten in the face and body, than to be feted with titles and recognition. Those who truly belong to Christ, then, are able to say, “He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away” (Luke 1:49-53).

In conclusion, there are two religions that call themselves “Christian” today. One is a religion of self-esteem, and the other is the religion of self-denial. One is a false religion, built on humanist impulses and pagan and carnal beliefs. This religion has earthly “upward mobility” as a principle and tenet of success. The other religion, true Christianity, has only one element and one place where it can be said that “upward mobility” is promised. That is when the Lord descends, that we might ascend to be with Him:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Th 4:16-17).

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker