It’s Not Turn or Burn, and It Never Was

I’ve always been repelled by the Turn and Burn crowd. I think, for me, the message is too negative, and does not share the love Jesus was speaking about. Now, those who desire to spread the Turn and Burn message will tell you the reason I’m repelled by their message is because “I am not right with God;” they tell me all the time, “because you are not right with God,” but I think it is much deeper; I’m naturally repelled by their theology because I don’t think that’s what Jesus was sharing.

The Jesus I know, and love, was not life condemning, he was life-giving. For me, I’ve always been attracted to the Jesus that told me God loves me, and wants me to walk a faith journey where God will guide me. Not a God who’ll push me around, harm me, judge me for every mistake I make, have made and will make. One who holds me when I’m tired, one who whispers in my ears when I’m challenged by live, and one willing to stand with me and support me through hard times of life.

The God of Turn or Burn isn’t that God, it isn’t the God Jesus speaks of. In John’s narrative of the life of Jesus, he records Jesus as saying; “I’m not interested in crowd approval. And do you know why? Because I know you and your crowds. I know that love, especially God’s love, is not on your working agenda.[1]” The Turn and Burn crowd doesn’t share the Divine Love expressed in the Collective Narrative. Now, I’ll admit they believe their theology is based on love; they love you so much they don’t want you “go to hell,” but that’s not Love. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he share what love is, “If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.[2]” Paul adds, in his letter to the Galatians, “I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God?”

As I see it, it is not Turn and Burn, it’s Turn and know you are Loved.

[1] John 5:41 MSG

[2] 1 Corinthians 13:3-7 MSG [Bold and Underline added]