Today we continue with more excerpts from the book, Beautiful Outlaw, by John Eldredge.

"So let's start with this point of clarity -- there is Christianity, and then there is Christian culture.  They are not the same.  Folks develop a taste for organ music and fog machines in the same way they develop a taste for public radio or NASCAR.  Then they insist that organ music or fog machines are the way to know Jesus.  From here, it just gets weird.  Big hair.  Reverent tones.  Shouting.  Robes.  Funny hats.  Smells and bells.  Golden altars.  Broadway-style services choreographed down to the second.

"And an entire language to go with it."

"Loving the culture of church is not anywhere close to the same thing as loving Jesus.  The Pharisees loved their religious culture -- the long prayers, the solemn garments, the honor bestowed upon them for being members of the clergy.  But they hated Jesus."

"Here's the test -- if you can't take your church culture and language and drop it in the middle of a bar or a bus, and have it make winsome sense to the people there, then it's not from Jesus.  Because that is exactly what he could do.  That's what made him the real deal."

This is the first of several blogs that start with quotes from John Eldredge's book, "Beautiful Outlaw."

After exposing the Jesus that many of us have never been aware of, John says this:

"You have a personal guide now; ask Jesus what to take up and what to set down, so that you might receive his life.

"By the way, this is the bottom-line test of anything claiming to be of Jesus: Does it bring life?  If it doesn't, drop it like a rattlesnake.  And you will find that the religious never, ever brings life.  Ever.  That is its greatest exposure."[1]

The distinguishing characteristic of real Christianity is life – Jesus’ life.  It is His life in us being lived out.  This is what Jesus meant when He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”[2] 

We must ask ourselves what things we believe, think, or do that does or does not bring life to the full.  Of course we may need to come to a realization of what life to the full looks like.  And sometimes it may take a while traveling down the wrong road to come to a realization of the fact that what we thought was life to the full is just another dead end road to a life of dissolution.  But when we come to that realization, we must be willing to “drop it like a rattlesnake” as Eldridge admonishes.  We cannot afford to cling to religious notions because of tradition or reputation lest we perpetuate another generation of hollow, religious Christianity.


[1] Eldridge, John. Beautiful Outlaw. Faith Words. New York, Boston, Nashville. 2011. p. 209.

[2] John 10:10b