In biology the term hybrid often refers to the offspring of two different species, or of two different genera. The end result is not always better and many times the offspring is sterile, unable to reproduce any fruit after it's kind. There may well be another type of hybrid roaming the earth today, the hybrid Christian. The species has blended a little truth with some deception and sadly thinks that they are OK. They have in fact created a God in their minds that does not exist and has no power to save them.
Paul, in 1 Corinthian speaks about this topic. He calls this hybrid - "carnal". Carnal Christians are those who talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. They make the claim, but do not deliver the goods. They use grace as an excuse for sin rather than knowing grace as the power of God to overcome sin.
The Bible says to remain carnal has dire results:
Romans 8:6-8 says: "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
In Paul's day, people were claiming to know Christ but continuing on in sinful lifestyles. Not much has changed today. People say all the time that because they are a certain denomination or because they are in a certain church it's OK to do certain sin, because their church, they say, has no problem with it. The lead singer of the rock band, Blink 182, said at one point that he was a Christian – but he added something to the effect, “I’m the type that drinks and party’s and uses foul language.”
The Bible says:
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
That’s a huge deception in our culture for that 'type' of Christian doesn't exist. Biblically, there is only one kind of Christian, and that's the kind with a surrendered life to Christ and whose actions, words, deeds, practices and habits reflect Jesus Christ. Hybrid Christianity is turning the world off of Christianity because it's unable to produce fruit because it's sterile (having a form of godliness but lacking its power).
Perhaps we need a better understanding of what the grace of God is.
On seeing several criminals being led to the scaffold in the 16th century, English Protestant martyr John Bradford remarked, 'There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford.'
We still say that today – except for the grace of God, there go I. What does that mean? It means I was on that path to hell, but a Power that is higher than I called the Grace of God came down and changed me – and now I’m eternally grateful because I’m not the man I used to be. I don't live in the sin I used to - because of grace! You see grace is the power to overcome sin – not an excuse to co-exist with it.
