279. Which Top Three ‘Cage Stages’ Trap Christian Creators?

To become a hero following your God-given destiny, you’d best stay out of jail.[1. Photo by Saad Chaudhry on Unsplash.] Yet some Christian heroes do get caught in bad habits that keep them pacing in their tiny cells rather than practicing wise discipline as they go on adventures. How do Christian creators, in particular, fall into the traps of “cage stages”?

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Some people and personalities are more prone to certain obsessions.
Here we make no judgment about motivations; these things happen.
Seeing someone in a “cage” should prompt pity, not anger or mockery.
Still, you may want to keep a distance from cages or point the way out.

1. ‘Everything is about my distinct doctrines’!

This is the original “cage stage,” referring to folks who find “Calvinism.”
That’s a nickname for a particular Christian view of God’s sovereignty.
It’s often tied with strong beliefs about local church leadership.
The late R. C. Sproul, himself a Reformed teacher, wrote in 2013:

My friend Michael Horton often comments on the phenomenon of “cage-stage Calvinism,” that strange malady that seems to afflict so many people who have just seen the truth of the Reformed doctrines of grace. We’ve all known one of these “cage-stage Calvinists.” Many of us were even one of them when we were first convinced of God’s sovereignty in salvation.

Cage-stage Calvinists are identifiable by their insistence on turning every discussion into an argument for limited atonement or for making it their personal mission to ensure everyone they know hears—often quite loudly—the truths of divine election. Now, having a zeal for the truth is always commendable. But a zeal for the truth that manifests itself in obnoxiousness won’t convince anyone of the biblical truth of Reformed theology. As many of us can attest from personal experience, it will actually push them away.[1. R. C. Sproul, “Escaping the ‘Cage Stage’,” Ligonier Ministries, Nov. 24, 2013.]

But we’ve known folks who found any new beliefs and became intense.
Sometimes it feels like a fandom, often associated with famous leaders.
In fact, you may have this story when you found Jesus or a new church.
But what feels new and thrilling to you may be dull or familiar to others.
It’s a challenge to preserve our enthusiasm while also respecting others.

2. ‘Everything is about this fandom I found!’