A Weak Jesus: The Hidden Danger of Insider Movements
When my family moved overseas for missions, the locals wondered why we had come. One theory was we had converted to Islam. After all, why would an American family move to a war-torn, Islamic country unless they had changed their religion? It didn’t take long before our new friends, neighbors, and even complete strangers asked my wife and me, “Are you Muslims?” This question didn’t surprise us. We expected people to inquire about our religious identity, and we considered it our solemn privilege and responsibility to identify with Christ. “No, we aren’t Muslims.” we answered. “We’re Christians, followers of Jesus. Do you know about Jesus?” Often, what followed was an engaging discussion about the Bible, Jesus, and the differences between Islam and Christianity.
Of course, fellow missionaries in our city encountered similar questions, butthe answers they gave surprised us. For example, “Tom” ran his own language consulting business and frequently visited the local university. When students asked if he was a Muslim, he answered, “I try to obey God. I read the holy books, pray, and fast. What do you think? Do I sound like a Muslim?” Another missionary, “Will,” tried to develop good relationships with his neighbors. When they asked him if he prayed Namaz, the Islamic ritual prayers, he responded with a hint of remorse, “I didn’t do it today,” and then changed the subject.
These stories shocked us. Rather than distinguishing themselves from the Islamic faith, these missionaries gave vague answers that failed to clarify their religious identity or the gospel message. In subsequent weeks, our distress only grew. We heard reports of other missionaries in our city who encouraged people to read all the “holy books” given by God (including the Quran) and who also mimicked Namaz prayer rituals and postures. As we witnessed such practices, we wondered why missionaries would act in these ways. We found the answer in Insider Movements (IM).
Understanding Insider Movements
What are Insider Movements? One advocate, Rebecca Lewis, provides a helpful definition. In her article, “Insider Movements: Honoring God-Given Identity and Community,” she writes, “Insider movements can be defined as movements to obedient faith in Christ that remain integrated with or inside their natural community.” She clarifies, “Those coming to Christ share a new spiritual identity as members of the kingdom of God and disciples of Jesus Christ. . . . In the case of insider movements . . . this new spiritual identity is not combined with a change of socio-political-religious identity.”
What does Lewis mean? For IM supporters, a person’s spiritual identity and his or her socio-political-religious identity are not the same thing. This distinction means someone can be a “follower of Jesus” in their heart, while also retaining the identity of “Muslim” or “Hindu” in their community.
Proponents of Insider Movements see this practice as an important key to accelerate the spread of the gospel. Again, Lewis explains,
“In many countries today, it is almost impossible for a new follower of Christ to remain in a vital relationship with their community without also retaining their socio-religious identity. . . . Changing one’s identity from “Muslim” or “Hindu” to “Christian” is often illegal or viewed as betrayal by one’s family and friends. However, the gospel can still spread freely in such places when insider believers gain a new spiritual identity, living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible, but retain their socio-religious identity.”
Lewis pinpoints a significant issue in Christian missions. Today, as in all of church history, abandoning the religious identity of one’s upbringing can lead to harsh consequences. It may sever close relationships between family members and communities, raising a wall of opposition to the gospel message. Are these struggles necessary? Not according to IM teaching. By retaining one’s socio-religious identity (i.e. Muslim or Hindu), IM advocates believe a person will remove certain stumbling blocks to the gospel. They may even stimulate its growth. When people discover they don’t need to abandon their community’s religious identity, they may be less fearful to examine the stories of Christ presented in the Bible, leading to more followers of Jesus around the world.
That’s why the missionaries in our city acted the way they did. They wanted locals to believe that a person could identify as a Muslim and follow Jesus. They wanted to remove obstacles to the gospel. They wanted to see a movement of Muslims coming to faith in Christ.
So, how should we think of Insider Movements? Certainly, we may appreciate IM advocates’ desire to see more people know Jesus, as well as their commitment to remove unnecessary stumbling blocks to the gospel. In spite of these commendable qualities, however, we should recognize that IM teaching goes beyond the boundaries of scripture and leads practitioners down a dangerous path. Here are three reasons why missionaries should avoid Insider Movements today.
1. Insider Movements Dismiss the Call to Repentance
Jesus calls sinners to repent (Matt 4:17). Repentance entails a turning away from sinful behaviors in submission to Christ’s lordship, and also a turning away from false beliefs and identities. We see this kind of repentance illustrated throughout the New Testament. When Paul and Barnabas preached in Lystra, they declared to the idolatrous crowds, “We bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God” (Acts 14:15, emphasis mine). Similarly, when writing to the church in Thessalonica, Paul observed, “Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. . . . You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thes 1:5, 9, emphasis mine). In both cases, Scripture links accepting the true gospel with turning away from false religious practices and identities.
Insider Movements veer off course on this point. Rather than admonishing the unconverted to turn away from the false religion of their past, proponents encourage individuals to retain their former religious identity as a neutral aspect of their culture. These religious identities, however, are not neutral, and to retain them dismisses Jesus’ call to repentance. The true gospel exhorts sinners to turn away from false beliefs and identities, and to embrace the good news of Jesus alone.
2. Insider Movements Divide the Body of Christ
The gospel unites Christians, not only to the Triune God, but also to each other. This union takes visible form in local churches, assemblies of saints committed to each other for Christ’s sake regardless of national, cultural, or familial associations. As Paul said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).
Here, again, IM teaching errs. Rather than helping Christians from various contexts live out their union in the gospel, the IM position segregates the body of Christ based on pre-existing, socio-religious identities. Believers should not be gathered from diverse social networks, they argue. Instead, Muslim followers of Jesus remain with other Muslims, Hindu followers of Jesus with other Hindus, and Christian followers of Jesus with other Christians. IM advocates believe this kind of segregation will enable followers of Jesus to experience sweeter fellowship with each other, since they share a common cultural identity, and facilitate rapid gospel advance. Yet, this contradicts the nature of the gospel itself. Whereas the gospel tears down the walls dividing believers of various backgrounds, uniting them in Christ to demonstrate God's power and wisdom (see Eph 2:13-19), Insider Movements rebuild new walls by establishing distinct categories, thus dividing the body of Christ.
3. Insider Movements Damage the Credibility of Our Witness
The apostle Paul emphasized the importance of a clear, reliable witness to the gospel. He knew he needed help to declare the mystery of Christ clearly and asked churches to pray toward that end (Col 4:3-4). He also rejected “disgraceful, underhanded” methods that twisted the gospel message in order to manipulate conversions (2 Cor 4:2). Rather than confusing or twisting the message, Paul plainly explained the gospel and clearly identified with Jesus. “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:5).
By contrast, IM practitioners’ lack of clarity about the demands of the gospel, as well as their own religious identity, damages their credibility and that of the message they proclaim. It confuses locals when missionaries identify as Muslim or Hindu followers of Jesus and tell them they can as well. It feels underhanded when they urge people to worship Jesus in local mosques or temples. These methods do not commend the integrity of the gospel or gospel ministers. Rather, they muddy the waters and leave locals even more suspicious of Christians.
The Cost of Clarity
One evening, some local friends asked us about the other missionaries in our city. “What will happen to Tom and his family when they go back to America, since they’ve converted to Islam?” These missionaries wanted locals to believe people could remain Muslim and follow Jesus. In so doing, they unwittingly paid a higher price than they realized: they had truly become Muslims in the eyes of the locals.
Contrast this behavior with the perspective of a local pastor. Though a former Muslim, he readily identified as a Christian even in the face of extreme persecution. When we asked him what he thought of people who identified as Muslim followers of Jesus, he replied kindly, but firmly, “People who say that have a weak Jesus.”
Let’s not embrace the weak Jesus of Insider Movements, nor the ambiguous message they proclaim. Rather, let us proclaim the true and clear gospel of Lord Jesus Christ and not be ashamed to bear His name (1 Pet 4:16).