How Christianity Can Drift from Christ

It sounds almost impossible at first.

How could anyone lose Christ in Christianity?

And yet, if we are honest, many of us who truly know Him who believe in Him, sing to Him, serve in His name have felt the subtle drift. Not away from church. Not away from theology. Not away from moral effort.

But away from Him.

Somewhere along the way, the blazing center becomes background light. The One who once captivated our souls becomes an assumption rather than an obsession. We are still busy with Christian things. We are still defending Christian truth. We are still pursuing Christian growth.

But are we still pursuing Christ?

Jesus warned the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:4 that they had abandoned the love they had at first. They had doctrine. They had endurance. They had moral clarity. But something essential had cooled.

Could the same happen to us?

Losing Him in the Gospel

The gospel can slowly become impersonal.

We may speak of it as a formula: gospel plus faith equals heaven. We defend its accuracy. We articulate substitutionary atonement. We can outline Romans with precision. Yet in doing so, we may reduce the gospel to a system rather than a Savior.

The apostle Paul describes the gospel in Romans 1:1–4 as the good news “concerning his Son.” Not merely good news about forgiveness. Not simply a message about justification. The gospel is about a Person Jesus Christ our Lord.

Research from the American Bible Society has shown that while many churchgoing Christians affirm belief in the gospel, fewer report experiencing a deep personal connection with Christ in daily life. Knowledge is present. Intimacy is thinner.

We can defend the doctrine of the cross while neglecting the Christ who hung upon it.

We can proclaim resurrection power while forgetting the risen Lord who holds the keys of death and Hades.

The gospel is not a bloodless transaction. It is the announcement of a living Bridegroom who calls His bride to Himself.

If we are not careful, we will preach “truth” while quietly losing the Truth incarnate.

Losing Him in the Scriptures

Jesus confronted the Pharisees with sobering words in John 5:39–40: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”

It is possible to master the text and miss the Messiah.

Ask yourself: What have I learned from the Bible lately?

Perhaps you have studied contentment in Philippians, prayer in the Psalms, endurance in James, leadership in the Pastoral Epistles. All of it is good.

Now ask: What have I seen of Christ lately?

What aspect of His character has stunned you? What word of His has pierced your heart? What about His cross has freshly humbled you? What about His resurrection has filled you with hope?

Many believers report reading Scripture regularly, yet surveys indicate that fewer than half feel it deeply transforms their relationship with Jesus. Information abounds. Communion lags behind.

The Scriptures are not merely a manual for life improvement. They are a revelation of the Son of God. From Genesis to Revelation, they bear witness to Him.

If our Bible reading leaves us informed but not enamored, something is off.

Losing Him in the Pursuit of Holiness

Even sanctification can become abstract.

We may begin to think of holiness as self-optimization. More patience. More discipline. More kindness. We tally virtues like items on a checklist.

Sin, then, becomes a technical violation a moral misstep against a rule.

But Scripture speaks differently.

Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us that as we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into the same image. Romans 8:29 says we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Galatians 6:2 calls us to fulfill the law of Christ.

Holiness is not generic virtue accumulation. It is Christlikeness.

We do not pursue love as an abstract ideal; we imitate His love. We do not pursue humility in theory; we look to the One who humbled Himself to death on a cross. We do not pursue obedience to a cold statute; we obey the living Lord who purchased us.

When we sin, we do not merely break a rule we grieve the Spirit. We sin against a Person.

If our pursuit of holiness does not drive us nearer to Jesus Himself, it risks becoming moralism dressed in Christian language.

Losing Him in the Church

Church life can be full of activity.

Meals prepared. Chairs set up. Songs rehearsed. Sermons preached. Mission trips organized. Care ministries coordinated.

These are beautiful expressions of love.

But even here, we can drift.

Colossians 1:18 declares that Christ is the head of the body, the church, “that in everything he might be preeminent.” The church does not exist primarily as a humanitarian organization or social support network. It exists for Him.

In our increasingly post-Christian culture, there is a temptation to emphasize horizontal love while softening vertical devotion. Love one another, yes but never at the expense of loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Statistics show that many who leave the church do not necessarily reject spirituality; they simply do not see a compelling vision of Christ at its center. Programs cannot sustain what only presence can.

When Christ ceases to be the blazing center, the lampstand dims.

Christian community must be founded upon His work, filled with His Spirit, and aimed at His glory. Otherwise, we become a slightly improved version of the world’s clubs with better music and religious vocabulary.

The Subtlety of the Drift

The most dangerous losses are not loud.

We do not wake up one morning renouncing Christ. We wake up busy. Productive. Distracted.

We read about Him but do not linger with Him. We speak of Him but do not savor Him. We defend His truth but neglect His face.

A 2023 study on spiritual practices found that while many Christians maintain weekly church attendance, far fewer engage in daily prayer marked by personal communion. Activity often replaces adoration.

The drift is subtle because it happens in holy spaces.

We lose Christ in our Christianity.

Returning to the Center

The cure is not abandoning doctrine, Scripture, holiness, or church life. It is rediscovering their center.

Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:8–9, “Though you have not seen him, you love him… and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” Christianity is not merely belief in truths about Christ it is love for Christ.

Heaven itself is defined not by streets of gold but by seeing God in the face of Jesus Christ. Eternal life, according to John 17:3, is to know Him.

If eternity will orbit around Him, why would we settle for a Christ-thinned Christianity now?

Let us ask again:

Do we miss Him?

Do we long for His return?

Would His appearing interrupt our plans or fulfill our deepest hope?

The riches of Christ are called “unsearchable” in Ephesians 3:8 for a reason. We will never exhaust Him. The angels never tire of gazing upon His glory. Why should we?

We may feel as though we have explored much of this vast continent. In truth, we are only at the shoreline.

Travel farther in.

Do not settle for His ethics without His embrace.

Do not settle for His worldview without His voice.

Do not settle for His benefits without His beauty.

Let us say again with simplicity and fire, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21).

And let us refuse to lose Him in the very faith that bears His name.

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