Author Archives: Dan C.

BURN YOUR PLASTIC JESUS

Posted by Dan C. on

BURN YOUR PLASTIC JESUS
music by Steve Camp; words by Steve Camp/Aaron Porter

Burn your plastic Jesus
The one you keep hid in your drawer
The one you take to church on Sundays
Then conveniently ignore
He’s not big enough to worship
He’s Gandhi with a grin
He never judges sinners
‘Cause he tolerates their sin

Burn your plastic Jesus
Your social worker for the poor
Political crusader, won’t question your behavior
Don’t demand to be your Lord
He’s your presidential slogan
Your bumper sticker God
Who wants to make you happy
With your BEST LIFE NOW
Oh burn your plastic Jesus
Burn your plastic Jesus

He’s got no power, got no real love
He’s got no cross that he bled and died on
He’s got no tomb that he broke through
Burn this plastic Jesus … he’s just as plastic as you

Burn your plastic Jesus
You’ve got hold up in The Shack
Who shows up as female Papa, Spirit Sarayu
To get the real you back
He’ll help you find your purpose
And pray like Jabez too
Be relevant; emergent
French kiss postmodern truth
Burn your plastic Jesus
Oh burn your plastic Jesus

He’s got no power, got no real love
He’s got no cross that he bled and died on
He’s got no tomb that he broke through
Burn this plastic Jesus … he’s just as plastic as you

It ain’t no plastic Jesus who was Virgin Born
It ain’t no plastic Jesus who was beaten and scorned
It ain’t no plastic Jesus who conquered sin and death
And it ain’t no plastic Jesus who drank the cup of wrath
And it ain’t no plastic Jesus who reigns from heaven’s tower
Who’s King of kings and Lord of lords, the Sovereign with all power
It ain’t no plastic Jesus who we worship and we praise
And it ain’t no plastic Jesus who is the Life, the Truth, the Way

He’s got all power, got true real love
He bore a cross that He bled and died on
There’s an empty tomb that He broke through
He ain’t no plastic Jesus … He came to save the plastic you

copyright Nouthetic Music, August 12, 2008

Is the contemporary Gospel "Another Gospel"? – Conclusion

Posted by Dan C. on

This is a the conclusion of the series that started here and continued here (Part 2), here (Part 3), and here (Part 4).

THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL PRESENTS A WHOLE CHRIST FOR THE WHOLE MAN.

Fourthly, and finally, the Biblical Gospel presents a whole Christ for the whole man. The object of faith is not ‘the fact of the atonement’ but the person of Christ. Paul did not tell the jailor to just believe the ‘facts about Calvary’. He was told, “Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST” – Master, Saviour and promised anointed Messiah (Acts 16:31). But belief never simply means mental assent. It is trust, reliance on and commitment to Christ as Lord and Saviour. This is not the ‘cool buddy Saviour only Jesus’ of the contemporary gospel, who says “Come as you are and stay as you are”. How solemn to see a large number who call Jesus Lord, shut out of the kingdom, despite their many religious works (Matt 7:21).

‘Evangelical’ churches are full of people who do not exhibit the fruits of salvation, but who are not embarrassed to say they are Christians. But if a man says he has faith and has not works, can that faith save him (James 2:14)? God saves people so that they will do good works (Acts 26:20) and live as His bond slaves (1 Thess 1:9). Therefore, any salvation experience that does not turn a rebel sinner into a basically obedient servant is spurious. “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.. every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast in to the fire” (Matt 3:8).

Liberal theologians have filled churches and preached a blood-less gospel and a deity-less Christ. Now, evangelicals have filled churches with a gospel that lacks a call to repentance. Which is worse? The net result is the same. Let us ensure that our sermons, our gospel tracts and the missionary endeavours we support present every aspect of the true Biblical gospel.

The entire article can be read online at Banner of Truth, here.

Is the contemporary Gospel "Another Gospel"? – Part 4

Posted by Dan C. on

This is a continuation of the series that started here and continued here (Part 2) and here (Part 3).

THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL SOUNDS A CLEAR NOTE OF REPENTANCE.

Thirdly, the Biblical Gospel sounds a clear note of repentance. Summarizing 3 years of ministry in Ephesus, Paul stated that he had preached “repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Summarizing his whole life, he stated that he had preached that men should “repent and turn to God, and do works” answering to that repentance (Acts 26:20). Nowhere in the Bible did any apostle or evangelist preach that, “all you need to do is accept that Jesus died and rose again, ask Him to be your Saviour and you will go to heaven.” Why? Because the Lord Jesus had commissioned them to preach three things: firstly, Christ died; secondly, He rose again; and, thirdly, repentance for the remissible of sins (Luke 24:45). Would we be happy with a cross-less gospel or a resurrection-less gospel? How then can we be content to preach a repentance-less gospel?

Contrary to contemporary thinking, salvation is not just mental assent or a mere nodding of the head to the death and resurrection of Christ. There is no saving faith without repentance. If you are a stranger to conviction, you are a stranger to repentance and therefore a stranger to salvation, for no one ever truly believed without repenting and vice versa. The first sentence the Lord Jesus uttered in His public ministry was, “Repent and believe the gospel ” (Mark 1:15); and He continued to repeatedly warn that unless sinners repent they will perish. Jesus said “believe or perish” (John 3:16) and “repent or perish” (Luke 13:3. See also 2 Pet 3:9). All that will matter a million years from today is, did I repent and believe the gospel?

Only one sentence in the Bible states that God loves the world (John 3:16). A handful of other verses speak of God’s love for undeserving sinners. Yet this precious and sublime truth is cheapened today, by its overemphasis at the expense of repentance, a subject which is mentioned 58 times in the New Testament alone. That is the reason why there is little or no true convicting power and blessing in the preaching of the gospel today. The Holy Spirit will not endue with power a message He has not authorized. A gospel without a clear note of repentance is another (false) gospel that brings God’s curse on those who preach it (Gal 1:6-10). Why would God curse a ‘preacher of the gospel’ (one who adds or takes away from the essence of the true message)? Because his repentance-less message is damning souls, corrupting local churches and hindering revival.

But what is repentance? It is not penance or restitution (Judas paid the money back – he regretted, but never repented, Matt 27:3). It is not merely tears, fear of judgment (Felix trembled) or sorrow for sin (godly sorrow may lead to repentance, but is not the same as repentance, 2 Cor 7:10). It is not mere confession or admission of sin. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia (from meta, ‘after’, and nous, ‘mind’). It means a complete change of mind – involving turning from sin to God, which resuIts in a change of life. It is illustrated by David in Psalm 51 and the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. It is defined in the following text: “Let the wicked for-sake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him” (Isaiah 55:7). Let us be sure to sound a clear note of repentance every time we preach the gospel.

NEXT – THE CONCLUSION: THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL PRESENTS A WHOLE CHRIST FOR THE WHOLE MAN.

Is the contemporary Gospel "Another Gospel"? – Part 3

Posted by Dan C. on

This is a continuation of the series that started here and continued here (Part 2).

Secondly, the Biblical Gospel makes proper use of the law of God. A sinner must understand the gospel to be saved (Matt 13:15,19, 23, Acts 8:30-31, Rom 3:11). But before a sinner can understand the mercy of a loving God, he must understand the requirements of a righteous God. Now, the law is not the gospel and the gospel is not the law; but the gospel establishes the law (Rom 3:31). That law which the Gentiles have in their hearts by nature (Rom 2:15), Israel also had written on stone – and the purpose of this law is clearly stated by Paul: “by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). Paul further states that he would never have known he was a guilty sinner without the law (Rom 7:7). Since no one can be saved without repentance (Luke 13:5) and no one can repent unless they know they are guilty, the true Biblical gospel must make proper use of the law, the chief end of which is to convince the whole world of its guilt (Rom 3:19).

The book of Romans contains the only systematic setting forth of the gospel in the whole Bible. Paul uses the word ‘law’ 38 times before he mentions the word ‘love’. From Romans 1:17-3:19, Paul sets forth the case against the sinner. It is a sorry tale of condemnation, wrath and guilt. Finally, in chapter 5:8, Paul states that God commends his love towards sinners. Why does Paul present the gospel in this order? Because the gospel will not make any real sense to the sinner until he realizes he is guilty of rebellion against the law of a holy God. If we start by telling the typical Westerner “God loves you”, he will puff out his chest and say in his heart “Why shouldn’t He; I’m a good person?”

Preachers of the old school believed that a man would not grab a spiritual lifebelt, until he was convinced he was drowning; nor submit to medical treatment until was sure he had a disease – so they never set the remedy of the gospel before the sinner’s mind until thoroughly convincing him of his sin. But the contemporary gospel knows better. It uses the carrot of ‘benefits’ instead of the stick of the law. It says, “If you come to Jesus you will be happy, fulfilled, be part of a loving family and spend eternity in a golden mansion – if you would like to have all of this, just say sorry for your sins and ask Jesus into your heart to be your Saviour.” If only this were an unfair caricature or a straw man -but it is not. This is exactly how it is presented universally today in print and in the pulpit. The net result is that sinners ‘come to Christ’ with a false motive. Then when persecution and pressure come their way, they discover that they were not told the whole story. They are offended and quickly disillusioned. However, they have now been vaccinated against true salvation. After all, they tried Jesus and He failed.

As we seek to restore the true Biblical gospel we must remember that the issue is righteousness not happiness. True peace and joy are the fruits of salvation, but they are never to be presented in Biblical sermons as a draw card, to encourage sinners to ‘make their decision for Christ’. We must understand that simply quoting “All have sinned”, followed by a quick “But the good news is…”1 will never awaken anyone. Sinners must be faced with the fact that covetousness (the love of things) is idolatry (Col 3:5), hate is murder (1 John 3:15) and lust is adultery (Matt 5:28). Driving down the motorway, there are a number of excuses one can think of to justify going at 85 mph. ..until the law enters. When you see a Police car on the side of the road, your foot hits the brakes. By the law is the knowledge of sin. That is what will make a man, rushing headlong down the highway of life to hell, sit up and listen. He simply must see his precarious position or he will never repent.

Presented with a choice of either diamonds or a glass of water, who would not choose the diamonds? But take a man who has been lost for four days in the Sahara desert with nothing to drink and present him with the same choice. He takes the water. What has changed? The inherent value of the goods on offer? No. His perception of need. And so, let a man be utterly convinced from scripture, by the Holy Spirit, that he is lost, guilty and helpless and he will cry out, “What must I do to be saved?”

The proper initial reaction to the gospel on the part of the sinner is conviction of sin (John 16:8, Acts 2:37). But what is conviction of sin? It is more than just the ordinary smiting of the conscience (Rom 2:15). It is more than mere fear of hell. Simply being scared of the consequences of sin is not true Holy Spirit conviction. Nor is conviction ‘admitting you are a sinner’. Balaam, Pharoah, Judas and many others admitted “I have sinned”, but went to hell. Nor is conviction a mere head knowledge of the doctrine of the fall of Adam. Conviction is ‘a proper sense of the dreadfulness of my sin against God’. Have you ever realized this? All sinners must echo David’s realization in Psalm 51:4 when he said “Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight.” Conviction of sin is vertical, not horizontal.

We must return to the true Biblical gospel and preach that men are sinners by nature and practice (Eph 2:1-2); that their very best endeavours are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and that they are utterly helpless to save themselves (Eph 2:8). As a sinner acknowledges that he is condemned, unclean and guilty, he draws near to salvation, for “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart; and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

NEXT: THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL SOUNDS A CLEAR NOTE OF REPENTANCE

Is the contemporary Gospel "Another Gospel"? – Part 2

Posted by Dan C. on

This is a continuation of the series that began here.

THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL BEGINS AND ENDS WITH GOD.

Firstly, the Biblical gospel begins and ends with God, whereas the contemporary gospel begins and ends with man. Here, in abbreviated form, is how it runs. “People today are suffering from feelings of emptiness, loneliness and low self-esteem. However, the aching ‘God shaped vacuum’ within you can be filled, when you say sorry for your sins and commit your life to Jesus. God has a wonderful plan for your life and wants you to be personally fulfilled and have a real feeling of happiness and satisfaction. You matter to God – that’s why Jesus paid for your sins on the cross. He loves you and wants you to ask Him into your life today You cannot save yourself, that’s why you really need God in your life. You have tried everything else – so why not give Jesus a try too? All you have to do is ask Jesus to be your personal Saviour and you will be saved. Why not pray this prayer after me…

Writers like George Barna, Bill Hybels, Lee Strobel and Rick Warren, tell us that our churches will only be ‘seeker-friendly’ when we start addressing the needs of ’21st century unchurched Harry and Mary’ (the ‘me’ generation). Thus the contemporary message has moved away from the New Testament God-centred pattern, and tailored itself to appeal to the self-centred generation of secular relativists who dominate our society. By contrast, the Biblical gospel begins and ends with God. When Paul preached to the Gentiles in Lystra, he opened by saying, “We…preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God, who made heaven… earth… sea and all things that are in them” (Acts 14:15). He began by laying a foundation of a ‘creator God’ who is sovereign, good and patient. Again, when preaching to the Gentile philosophers in Athens he stated, “…God, who made the world and everything in it.. since He is Lord of heaven and earth.. now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.” (Acts 17:22-31). This was always Paul’s approach when preaching to pagans. His message to Felix was the same. He told him about God’s righteousness, his own lack of self-control and judgment to come (Acts 24:25).

Since repentance is a change of mind towards God, how can a sinner repent until he has a true concept of God? Many 21st Century Westerners imagine that there are two Gods; the God of the Old Testament – harsh and unmerciful – and the God of the New Testament – loving and forgiving. Such is their fatal misconception. Or again, the average Westerner thinks that God, if He exists at all, is a most unfair God. He argues; “If there’s a God why is there all the suffering in the world?” How foolish are his thoughts. Until he truly understands the good and holy nature of the God against whom he has grievously rebelled, he will never be saved. Thus, unless the ‘true God’ is clearly preached, all that will be produced is a multitude of false converts, who have never so much as caught one glimpse of the holiness, goodness and sovereignty of their almighty creator, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Rom 11:36).

NEXT: THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL MAKES A PROPER USE OF THE LAW OF GOD.

Is the contemporary Gospel "Another Gospel"?

Posted by Dan C. on

This excerpt is the introduction to an interesting and relevant article by Michael J. Penfold I found at Banner of Truth.

Is the contemporary Gospel “Another Gospel”?

Central to every genuine spiritual revival, has been the public preaching of the gospel. Directly through this means (Titus 1:3) the Holy Spirit has awakened multitudes to a proper sense of the dreadfulness of their sin against heaven. They have been stripped of all self-righteousness, broken in repentance and have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who satisfied God’s demands against their sin at Calvary. Sadly, in the evangelical scene today, such true and lasting manifestations of the convicting and converting power of the Holy Spirit are now rarely seen. So where did it all go wrong?

During the 20th century, there were two major developments in relation to gospel preaching. Up until World War 2, practically all evangelical churches held two preaching services every Sunday; one aimed at edifying the church; the other at converting sinners. The first move was to jettison the gospel service (with its accompanying prayer meeting), in favour of another study teaching session for Christians. The indoor evangelistic service was not replaced with a ‘street meeting’. It was simply dropped. Secondly, there was a fundamental change in the content (not just the style) of the gospel message itself. Several major features of the historically tried and tested gospel sermon were abandoned. Thus, if you compare the sermons preached by Peter and Paul in the book of Acts, along with those preached during genuine revivals since that time (by men like Nettleton, Edwards, Wesley, Whitefield, McCheyne, North, Spurgeon, Torrey, Moody, Rea, Marshall, Laidlaw and Frank Knox) with the contemporary gospel, you will find a world of difference.

All of this has serious consequences, because the contemporary gospel produces altogether different results to the historic Biblical gospel. For example, in 1991, a major ‘evangelical’ denomination in the USA – consisting of 11,000 churches – launched a huge push in evangelism. After securing 294,000 ‘decisions for Christ’ in 12 months (26.73 per church), only 14,000 new members came ‘into fellowship’ (1.27 per church). Are we really to believe that within 12 months of being saved, under the sound preaching of the Holy Spirit empowered Biblical gospel, 95.2% of the ‘converts’ (over a quarter of a million people) had become ‘backsliders’? And what of the general membership of contemporary ‘evangelical’ churches? Where have all the serious Bible students gone? Where is the clear line of demarcation between today’s Christians and the secular world – in language, entertainment, music, dress, associations, ambition, interest and outlook? These are symptoms of a root problem, namely the abandonment of public gospel preaching and the alteration of the content of the Biblical gospel message. But what is the true gospel? Let us examine four essential elements which are missing from most of today’s evangelical sermons, gospel tracts and ‘introduction to Christianity’ courses.

Follow-on posts will present the following elements of the Biblical Gospel that the author proposes are largely missing from the contemporary gospel:

1. THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL BEGINS AND ENDS WITH GOD.

2. THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL MAKES A PROPER USE OF THE LAW OF GOD.

3. THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL SOUNDS A CLEAR NOTE OF REPENTANCE.

4. THE BIBLICAL GOSPEL PRESENTS A WHOLE CHRIST FOR THE WHOLE MAN.

Martin Luther on Grace

Posted by Dan C. on

With God nothing has any standing except grace.

Grace signifies that favour with which God receives us, forgiving our sins and justifying us freely through Christ.

The best and infallible preparation [for grace] is the eternal election and predestination of God.

As far as our own abilities are concerned, there is no difference whatever between us; but the grace of Christ alone causes us to differ.

On man’s part, nothing precedes grace but rebellion against grace.

No-one can be good and do good unless God’s grace first makes him good.

Grace is freely given to the most undeserving and unworthy, and is not obtained by any strenuous efforts, endeavours or works.

To want to merit grace by works that precede faith is to want to appease God by sins.

Since we are one mass of perdition, no-one is justified except through the grace of Christ without merits.

Either sin is lying on your shoulders, or on Christ, the Lamb of God. According to law and justice, your sins should no doubt remain on you; but grace has cast them upon Christ the Lamb.

Grace and life were given you [believers], but it meant bitter work for Him [Christ].

The Word, I say, and the Word alone, is the conveyor of the grace of God. . . No matter what things appear to be like, grace clings to the Word.

No nobler preaching exists than that of grace.

Grace freely grants us the faith that alone justifies us.

Conscience cannot be brought to rest and joy unless it has peace through this grace; i.e. the forgiveness of sins promised in Christ.

Man must completely despair of himself in order to become fit for the grace of Christ. The proper preparation for the grace and goodness of Christ is the awareness that I need them.

The devil is forever attracting people to good works to make sure that they do not reach the point of thinking that they need the grace and mercy of Christ.
The law is not to be discarded because of the promise of grace. Rather it is to be taught.

In giving us gifts, God gives only what is His; but in His grace, He gives His very self. . . Grace is not divisible nor is it given piecemeal, as are gifts; but it takes us entirely into God’s favour for the sake of Christ, our Advocate and Mediator.

This grace of God is a very great, strong, mighty and active thing. It does not lie asleep in the soul. Grace hears, leads, drives, draws, changes, works all in man, and lets itself be distinctly felt and experienced. It is hidden, but its works are evident.

Christ our Lord, to whom we must flee, and of whom we must ask all, is an inexhaustible well of all grace. Even if the whole world were to draw from this fountain enough grace and truth to transform all people into angels, still it would not lose as much as a drop. This fountain constantly overflows with sheer grace. Whoever wishes to enjoy Christ’s grace – and no-one is excluded – let him come and receive it from Him.

I am seeking and thirsting for nothing else than a gracious God.

Gathered by John Brentnall in Peace and Truth 2008:1.

‘Death Row’ Missionaries

Posted by Dan C. on

Imagine for a moment you have been called to, and are engaged in prison ministry. While you participate in small group Bible studies and at times assist a prison Chaplain with church services, you have a special calling to share the Gospel with inmates on Death Row.  A few of those to whom you minister are still working appeals, but others have run out of appeals and are only waiting for the day they will be taken to a room where they will die at the hands of the State and meet their maker.

There’s a story about Charles Wesley and a friend of his who, a scant few months after being saved, actually asked to spend the night with death row inmates in England who were all scheduled to die on the gallows the next day. As the story goes, every one of them went to their deaths at peace with their Creator, having received Christ as Savior sometime during that long night. What a testimony to the power and glory of God!

I’ve been to minimum, medium and maximum security facilities with ministry teams, but I never spoke to anyone on Death Row.  What would I say? Where would I start? I certainly wouldn’t tell them ‘God has a wonderful plan for them’,  how to experience ‘their best life now’, or help them discover their personal S.H.A.P.E. for their ‘unique Purpose in life’.  Somehow I don’t those evangelizing tools would be very effective.  What tool could I use?

Well there’s the simple message the Apostle Paul used, that Jesus died for their sin and was resurrected so that those who believe in Him might also have eternal life.  You know, that really seems to be the only appropriate message for someone on Death Row. Yeah, that’s it. If I ever visit folks in prison again, especially if they are on Death Row, that’s what I’ll use.

. . . .

Jesus, speaking to Nicodemus, said:

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God..” – John 3:18

Whoever does not believe in Christ has already been condemned? If that means what it says, every time I speak with someone who doesn’t believe in Christ, whether or not that person has had an opportunity accept or reject Him, I am speaking with someone already condemned by the sin of ‘unbelief’ – someone living on Death Row! 

Evangelist and preacher, Paul Washer often begins a sermon with:

“I’ll preach as a dying man to dying men. . .”

If  I consider myself an evangelical Christian, concerned for lost souls, I guess I had better get the Gospel right – share the ‘only appropriate message’, and proclaim it “as a dying man to dying men”, don’t you think? Shouldn’t we all?

Perspectives of Evangelism – Death and Judgment

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“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”

Hebrews 9:27

 Thanks to an email tip from one of my “battle buddies” early this morning, I began listening to a set of sermons delivered at the 2008 ‘Resolved’ conference. I have only listened to the first session (Rick Holland preached from the above text) and rest assured I will be listening to it several more times, with paper and pencil handy for copious notes.  My current thoughts are not specific to the sermon itself, but to the words of the above text in the context of several conversations I have listened to in ‘Christian’ Blogland, that perfectly reflect the current system of ‘respectful tolerance and dialogue’ that must be adhered to when discussing spiritual matters with those who reject God. ‘Respectful tolerance/dialogue’ means that believers are not allowed to say anything remotely confrontational like…well, the Gospel! The intent is, I suppose, to get them to a point of liking us so much that we can somehow subtlety ask them if they have ever considered the claims of Christ, sometime later as we stroll hand-in-hand down Sweetness Lane.

Here’s the issue…

In Hebrews 9:27, we have the first portion of a larger point made by the Apostle Paul concerning Christ’s dying once for the sins of many. The message of these few words, even outside of the context of Paul’s discourse, is crystal clear – you die and face the judgment of God. Both of the  ‘main camps’ of Protestant Christianity (Calvinists and Arminians), most heartily agree on this verse, regardless of their thoughts about matters of choice, free will, or predestination and maybe even share pancakes at the local IHOP while they discuss it! The question I have is for those who subscribe to the synergistic view of salvation, that is to say that man’s choice, made after hearing the Gospel, is the determining factor in his/her eternal destiny.

Here’s the question:

How is it that you can have an endless ‘respectful dialogue’ with an avowed atheist (or anyone you know to be an unbeliever), that fails to include the Gospel of Jesus Christ, when the person with whom you are conversing might face death the on the very day of your ‘respectful dialogue’, maybe moments after the conversation, or maybe during it! Hear me out. According to your view of salvation, it’s his/her decision to end up in Heaven or Hell. You have the chance to provide that person with the facts necessary for the ‘eternal’ decision. You fail. The death angel comes calling, it’s a done deal. The one with whom you had a nice little ‘sans Gospel’ philosophical chat will NEVER have another chance to make a ‘decision’, but will face The Lord of Glory, bow the knee, proclaim Him Lord, then march off to an ETERNITY IN HELL!

How can you do that? How did I?

The Effects of Pragmatism on Today’s Church

Posted by Dan C. on

This an excerpt from an article by John MacArtur in Pulpit Magazine.

“Many of today’s church leaders have bought into the subtlety of pragmatism without recognizing the dangers it poses. Instead of attacking orthodoxy head on, evangelical pragmatism gives lip service to the truth while quietly undermining the foundations of doctrine. Instead of exalting God, it effectively denigrates the things that are precious to Him.

First, there is in vogue today a trend to make the basis of faith something other than God’s Word. Experience, emotion, fashion, and popular opinion are often more authoritative than the Bible in determining what many Christians believe. From private, individual revelation to the blending of secular psychology with biblical “principles,” Christians are listening to the voice of the serpent that once told Eve, “God’s Word doesn’t have all the answers.” Christian counseling reflects that drift, frequently offering no more than experimental and unscriptural self-help therapy instead of solid answers from the Bible.

Christian missionary work is often riddled with pragmatism and compromise, because too many in missions have evidently concluded that what gets results is more important than what God says. That’s true among local churches as well. It has become fashionable to forgo the proclamation and teaching of God’s Word in worship services. Instead, churches serve up a paltry diet of drama, music, and other forms of entertainment.

Second, evangelical pragmatism tends to move the focus of faith away from God’s Son. You’ve seen that repeatedly if you watch much religious television. The health-wealth-and-prosperity gospel advocated by so many televangelists is the ultimate example of this kind of fantasy faith. This false gospel appeals unabashedly to the flesh, corrupting all the promises of Scripture and encouraging greed. It makes material blessing, not Jesus Christ, the object of the Christian’s desires.

Easy-believism handles the message differently, but the effect is the same. It is the promise of forgiveness minus the gospel’s hard demands, the perfect message for pragmatists. It has done much to popularize “believing” but little to provoke sincere faith.

Christ is no longer the focus of the message. While His name is mentioned from time to time, the real focus is inward, not upward. People are urged to look within; to try to understand themselves; to come to grips with their problems, their hurts, their disappointments; to have their needs met, their desires granted, their wants fulfilled. Nearly all the popular versions of the message encourage and legitimize a self-centered perspective.

Third, today’s Christianity is infected with a tendency to view the result of faith as something less than God’s standard of holy living. By downplaying the importance of holy living–both by precept and by example–the biblical doctrine of conversion is undermined. Think about it: What more could Satan do to try to destroy the church than undermining God’s Word, shifting the focus off Christ, and minimizing holy living?

All those things are happening slowly, steadily within the church right now. Tragically, most Christians seem oblivious to the problems, satisfied with a Christianity that is fashionable and highly visible. But the true church must not ignore those threats. If we fight to maintain doctrinal purity with an emphasis on biblical preaching and biblical ministry, we can conquer external attacks. But if error is allowed into the church, many more churches will slide down the grade to suffer the same fate as the denominations that listened to, yet ignored, Spurgeon’s impassioned appeal.”

Read the entire article here, including a brief history of how this sad state of affairs came about. Pragmatism has contributed greatly to the church being transition between Biblical Christianity and the New Spirituality described here.