The False-Gospel We Love.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

False teachers preach false gospels. That’s how it works. It’s always been that way, and it always will be. The test of a pastor, preacher, or leader in the church is this: Do they preach the Gospel? And even more pointedly, do they live the Gospel?

But as long as there has been a TRUE GOSPEL, there have existed false teachers and false gospels. And so, Scripture warns the Christian: beware - stand guard - watch out!

Oftentimes, when we talk about false gospels, we tend to make straw men out of those outside our own communities. We conjure up images of “health and wealth gospels” or “Christian nationalism.” We feel, because we are able to identify these as false, that we have adequately responded to the warnings of Scripture. We have, in a sense, denied these “false gospels.”

But there’s a dangerous presupposition in that line of argumentation: that the warning against believing in false gospels is written to other people, but not to you.

But that’s not how God’s Word works. We’ve all heard preachers, and even applauded some of them, who have an undeniable gift for speaking to the people who are not in the room on Sunday morning. They speak boldly against certain cultural sins or false teachings held by other groups. And we, as the congregation, receive such teaching with humble hearts and nod our heads in assurance. “Amen!” we say. And again, we feel a sense of accomplishment because we have been able to identify and deny such a sinful ideology or practice.

Listen, that feels good.

It feels good to identify sin and show how God’s will is superior to the ideologies and belief systems of a fallen world. And it can be helpful, but all too often, it’s a pathway to FEEL like we are growing in our own faith, while, in actuality, we are merely just FEELING, and not GROWING at all.

True growth in Christ will always be centered on the TRUE Gospel: that we are saved, from OUR SIN, by faith in Jesus Christ; and that even that faith is a gift. In other words, the TRUE GOSPEL is about God’s gracious act of love for us in this: that even while WE were still sinners, Christ died for us. It’s a PERSONAL grace; an intimate mercy.

And that means that we have to be constantly on guard against thinking that the greatest threat to our faith exists in the form of the “others” around us. We have to watch out for the tendency to think that the Gospel exists to save us from “their sins.” It doesn’t. Christ doesn’t forgive us of “their sins,” but our own.

So when we see the warnings, again and again, in Scripture to be on guard and watch out for all manner of FALSE TEACHINGS, we must recognize that the Holy Spirit is not warning us merely against the false teachings of “other groups or people,” but of our own hearts as well!!

I am no stranger to this temptation.

In fact, at times, I believe that I’ve even succumbed to the most dangerous false gospel… the GOSPEL AS THERAPY.

This false gospel appears in many forms and fashions, but is always identified by the same root formula: we exchange the Gospel as the means by which GOD brings GLORY to HIMSELF, and instead, settle it in our minds that the Gospel is the means by which MAN brings PEACE to HIMSELF.

Put differently, we take the Gospel message, and we change the protagonist. No longer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ about Jesus Christ, but rather, about the benefits that Jesus Christ offers to the new protagonist: me.

It’s dangerous because it’s subtle.

The benefits of the gospel are evident: peace, love, forgiveness, joy, patience, community, etc. These are all TRUE. They are REAL. I personally enjoy these benefits on a nearly daily basis, and whatever day I don’t enjoy them is because I have forgotten that I have access to them!!

But the subtle false-teaching enters into my heart in this way: I seek the benefits of Christ in the Gospel rather than the SAVIOR HIMSELF.

Listen, are you looking for community?

Find it in the church.

Are you looking for belonging?

Find it in the church.

Are you looking for purpose?

Find it in the church.

Are you seeking meaning and hope?

Find it in the church.

That’s all true. But it’s not the WHOLE truth. And that’s why I write this.

Because I have said every single one of those things (and more!) as a pastor.

But if that’s all I’ve said, then I have exchanged the truth about God for a lie.

I have turned God into a form of “self-enriching therapy,” who exists to serve and love and care for me.

And in doing so, I have made a terrible and tragic mistake.

I’ve made the Gospel about me.

Instead of making the Gospel about the true protagonist: Jesus Christ.

Does God grant tremendous blessings to those who believe?

YES!!

My friends, it is true: there is no peace outside of the assurance that you stand forgiven before your Creator because of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

It’s true: there is no greater experience of love than this: Christ gives His life away to save yours.

It’s true: there is no greater warmth of community to be found on earth than in the church, where sins are forgiven, because love and grace and mercy abound in the covenant community.

But that’s not the GOSPEL.

It’s the result.

The therapeutic gospel’s end result is this:

Provide the individual in question with the benefits of Christ, without ever having introduced them to the BENEFACTOR.

And do you know what that creates?

Fans… and customers.

But the Gospel doesn’t create fans and customers, it creates FOLLOWERS and CHRISTIANS.

Are you following Christ?

Or are you merely a fan of his benefits?

Are you living in the Gospel and for the GLORY OF GOD?

Or are you simply enjoying the way it makes you feel?

Are you watching out against false gospels in your own life?

Or have you settled for the lie that such a temptation could only occur for others?

Are you so certain?

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

Test every spirit - including your own. And rest assured, we all struggle with this. "No one is faithful, no not one." (Rom. 3:10)

And yet, Christ died to save the ungodly. Not so they can feel good about themselves, but so that they might know the riches and glory of God!

The Gospel is the full-blown manifestation of GOD'S HEART for you. The test of your faith is in your response:

Do I walk away content with the benefits?

Or do I become enthralled with the BENEFACTOR?

Do I love the way it makes me feel?

Or do I love GOD?