The Shifts in The Moral World

In Colossians 2:8, the apostle Paul writes: “Beware lest anyone capture you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” In this verse the apostle warns his readers against being taken captive by false philosophies. Rather, he says that they should adopt a philosophy “according to Christ.” This verse does not teach, as some have said, that philosophy itself is unworthy of Christian study. In fact, the verse teaches precisely the opposite.

David Wells, in his book "No Place for Truth," points out the breakdown in our moral world has indicators. He pointed to four major sign-posts, indicating changes that hasten people out of the moral world that the West long inhabited. Thinking has shifted from the objective and/or transcendent, to the subjective and culturally relative. The sign-post shifts are:

    * from thinking about virtue, to thinking about values

    * from thinking about character, to thinking about personality

    * from thinking about nature, to thinking about self; and

    * from thinking about guilt, to thinking about shame.

Follow these, Wells observed, and you’ve exited a moral world. The Cross then becomes simply incomprehensible.

Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is, no longer have the categories to understand it, no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories in their non-moral universe — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty.

Unserious Atheism and Unserious Christianity

"Unserious atheism with its support of a sinful heart will ALWAYS trump unserious and unscriptural Christianity, because while both are silly, at least the former allows people to embrace the sin they enjoy."

More and more I hear good Christian people trying to motivate sinners from a human perspective to accept Christ and Christianity without much success. Scripture teaches we should acknowledge our fallen nature and in the light of our rebellion against a Holy God ask for and receive (repentance) forgiveness and acceptance by Christ. Scripture also teaches this can only be accomplished as God the Father draws us to Jesus Christ His son. (John 6:44).

What I hear so often, however, is that sinners should accept Christ and His free gift of salvation for various reasons all presented as something that as humans we should want. For example, I hear some say that we should accept Christ because we don't want to miss going to heaven. That is not the Gospel that is a sales pitch. One might as well be selling shoes, or a trip to Disney Land.

Selling heaven as the reason for accepting Christ is no different than telling people all they need to do to insure prosperity is to give more money to the church "because it works." The shallowness of this non-intellectual, mushy, thoughtless, presentation of Christianity will in the long run, in my opinion, convert more people to Atheism than it will to Christianity. In our culture we are taught to believe only in the "scientific" provable material Universe around us, not the someday, maybe, reward of an "unprovable" Heaven. To the unregenerate a Heaven someday is much less attractive than a new Cadillac is in the here and now. That's why so many are led astray by the prosperity "gospel."

What ever happened to Biblical idea that we should tell people they were made (not evolved) by a Holy God who, because of the rebellion of our first parents, has been rejected as imaginary and non-existent? That's what the Atheists would have us believe. The Bible says that if we tell people the truth of their rebellious nature, explaining to them how this has separated them from God, He will do all that is necessary to insure His chosen ones are with Him after death in the Heaven He has prepared. We can't "sell" or "convince" people of the idea they are doomed. Only the Holy God can do that. How did we move so far from the factual content of scripture that we now think we can "win souls" for Christ by our own efforts?

Why can't preachers just tell people the Truth of the Gospel and let God do what He is going to do?

Another Book to Read

Readers of this blog know I have been having problems with certain things I hear presented as the "gospel." I think the major problem with much of what I hear is that the speaker(s) assume our culture still shares an inherited belief in there being a god. Sadly to say, this is not so.

American schools have spent the better part of half a century "educating" their charges that the very idea of god is an illusion perpetrated by some men who have an agenda to control the masses of men. So some preachers pretend to preach "the Gospel" by beginning in the middle of the story, Christ died for sinners, with the assumption that the listeners have built-in knowledge to confirm what they are saying. It is a tragedy in the Americanized church and a slap in the face to the God of the Bible.

There is a new book out that I ordering, today, which, according to reviews is one that should be read by all preachers and everyone claiming to be a Christian. It is "What is the Gospel, by Greg Gilbert. You can read about it here.

Here are the main points:

• Who made us, and to whom are we accountable
• What is our problem? In other words, are we in trouble and why.
• What is God's solution to that problem? How has He acted to save us from it?
• How do I - myself, right here, right now - how do I come to be included in that salvation? What makes this good news for me and not just for someone else?

I'm going to order the book right now. I may give my copy to someone I know who needs it badly.

The Gospel In Four Sentences

Man was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever

"Worthy are you, our Lord and our God to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things." (Rev 4:11) "Do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31)

Man has failed to glorify God and; is under His just condemnation

"For all have sinned..." (Rom 3:23) The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) "These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction" (2 Thes 1:9)

Jesus fully bore the wrath and suffered the punishment sinners deserve

Not wishing that sinners perish forever, God determined to save a people for Himself in the Eternal Son who became a man and lived the life we should have lived and died the death we justly deserve. God loves sinners and sent His Son to be the wrath absorbing sacrifice for their sin (1 John 4:10; John 6:37) he "...gave His life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45) & "rose again" from the dead (2 Cor 5:15) on their behalf.

All who, by the grace of God, turn to Jesus in repentantant submissive faith are forgiven
and; begin a life-changing, eternally satisfying relationship with God!

"Repent and believe the gospel (Mk 1:5) "In Your presence is fullness of Joy (Ps 16:11)

Reformationtheology.com