False Gospels: A Quick Inventory

In this week's Monday Moments on the Faith PCA web site, I wrote about the danger of false gospels and focused on the false gospel of Legalism. Today, I thought I would take a few minutes to include a more comprehensive catalog of various false gospels and to illustrate how the Five Solas of the Reformation can safeguard us against them. We can understand various false Gospels as attacks on these five essential Gospel truths:

The Reformers summarized the essence of the true Gospel in five Latin phrases that all have the word sola - "alone" in them:

• SOLA Scriptura: The Bible ALONE
• SOLA Gratia: Grace ALONE
• SOLA Fide: Faith ALONE
• SOLUS Christus: Christ ALONE
• SOLI Deo Gloria: Glory to God ALONE

The power in each of these five statements is in the word "SOLA." We can summarize these teachings in one sentence: On the basis of the Bible alone, we believe that we are saved by God's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone. I hope and pray that you will be trusting in Christ alone and in the true Gospel for your salvation. In HIM is our eternal HOPE!

Using these five, we can classify false Gospels as follows:

Sola Scriptura: Scripture ALONE

1. The Liberal Critical Gospel: The liberal school of Biblical criticism seeks to attack the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. By picking apart Scripture as one might dissect a dead frog, critical scholars seek to show that the Bible is not divinely inspired, is not reliable in all that it teaches and should not be our guide in all matters of faith a practice. If the Bible is a pieced-together and flawed human document, then we can ignore its teachings when we dislike them and replace them with our own. When we do so, we replace ther authority God has given us with our own authority. In the end, we are not submitting to God but simply following our own inclinations and the latest pontifications of our contemporary society.

"The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times." - Psalm 12:6, ESV

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12, ESV

2. The Gospel of Worldly Pragmatism: Much more common in evangelical circles is not an outright denial of Scripture's authority or inerrancy but rather a denial of its sufficiency. Rather than looking to the Scriptures for guidance in every aspect of ministry and church life, pragmatism looks to the world for examples and does whatever "works" (defining "works" in worldly terms, too - pure numbers). As one pastor in our town said, "the club knows how to get people in." So we build churches using the methodology of the night club? Hey, whatever works!

Such an approach to the Christian life pays lip service to the authority of Scripture but then neglects its teachings when it comes time to put our beliefs into practice. Psychology, business, entertainment, marketing - all of these become our authorities in how to build Christ's church. (For some brief thoughts on a Biblical theology of worship, read this.)

"So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him." - Deuteronomy 8:6, ESV

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV

Sola Gratia: Grace ALONE

3. The Gospel of Legalism. I wrote about this one more extensively in the Monday Moment. Legalism is a pervasive and infectious mindset that seeks to find acceptance from God in my own works and performance. Somehow, we are tempted to think that what we do will somehow measure up and gain us acceptance from God. When we sin and then look over our shoulder to see how God is going to smite us for our unfaithfulness, this is evidence that we are living by the false gospel of legalism, regardless of what we profess to believe. Does God discipline His children? Certainly! But He does so out of love for us and for our good, not as an exercise of judgment of condemnation.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." - Romans 8:1, ESV

"Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." - Romans 4:4-5, ESV

4. The Gospel of Human Decision. Central to the Biblical Gospel of Grace Alone is the truth that even our faith is a gift and that we come to Christ only because the Spirit draws us to Him. Free Will Decisionism places the source of our salvation in ourselves- our wisdom, our goodness, our cleverness and our choice. This is a very common and very American belief, but it is entirely contrary to the teachings of Scripture. We cannot boast in our salvation in the least part, for it is God who has made us alive, has given us the gift of faith, has drawn us to Christ and who now keeps us in Christ. Indeed, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne!" (Rev. 7:10, ESV)

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. . . No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day." - John 6:37 & 44, ESV

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12-13, ESV

Sola Fide: Faith ALONE

NOTE: We could just as easily put the Gospel of Legalism in the category, as it attacks both the grace of God and salvation by faith alone by adding works to faith.

5. The Therapeutic Gospel: The Biblical Gospel emphasizes the fact that we are sinners who are saved by God's grace as we trust in Jesus for our salvation. Jesus' righteousness is imputed to us (counted as ours) by faith alone. This justifies us before a Holy God. The Therapeutic Gospel starts with dysfunction as our main problem and mental health and well-adjusted happiness as the goal of our lives. It looks as Maslow's heirarchy of needs as descriptive of our true state and real needs. Thus, faith in Christ for salvation is not the focus. Rather, the focus is on the therapeutic application of "Biblical principles" to meet our felt needs and help us live better lives.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23, ESV

6. The Word-Faith ("Name It Claim It") Gospel: One of the most popular and widely spreading false gospels in the world today is a version of the Prosperity Gospel that deeply distorts the nature of Biblical faith. The Word-Faith movement seeks to turn faith into a mercenary instrument of selfishness, a tool by which we can manipulate God and the Cosmos to get that we want out of life- peace, prosperity, health, power, influence, etc. It's really just a Christianized version of the Pagan New Age methods found in books like The Secret and The Law of Attraction. Biblically, faith is that which unites us to Christ for our salvation. Biblical faith has but one object: Christ. We cling to Him and find in Him our righteousness from God, our wisdom, our sanctification and, yes, even the gift of suffering.

"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake." - Philippians 1:29, ESV



"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe." - Romans 3:21-22, ESV

Solus Christus: Christ ALONE

7. The Pluralistic/Universalist Gospel: Several "evangelical" Christian leaders have, in recent years, asserted that other religions can lead people to a right relationship with God (see The Shack by Wm. Paul Young) or that everyone will, eventually, be saved (Rob Bell and others). This is not what the Bible teaches and cannot be reconciled with an honest account of the teachings of Scripture. God did not send His Son to suffer and die on the cross to provide just another way of salvation among many. Paul did not set out on his missionary journeys and preach Christ just to add Jesus to the list of other gods worshipped in the Roman World. And the Bible nowhere teaches that people will be given more chances to believe after they die.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" - John 14:6, ESV

"I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins." - Jesus in John 8:24, ESV

"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." - Hebrews 9:27, ESV

8. The Israel-America Promised Land Gospel. I recently heard a pastor in our town proclaim, "You can be an American and not be a Christian, but you can't be a Christian and not be for America." Really? Where is that in the Bible? Even if America was founded as a "Christian nation" on Biblical principles, God has made no sacred Biblical covenant with America. America has the same word spoken of it as is spoken of all nations: "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34)." America has no sacred right to claim the promises of God or the blessing of God. God even told Solomon after he built the Temple, "But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. (1 Kings 9:6-7)"

The object of our faith and the fulfillment of the promises of God is not found in America or the modern political state of Israel or in an alliance between America and Israel. [Please don't read this as a call for America to abandon its political alliance with Israel. That is NOT my point nor is it my belief that we should do so.] I need to be clear here: The problem with this false gospel is not patriotism or a support for Israel or the belief in a future hope for the Jewish people.  The problem is in seeing God's plan of salvation as being dependent on the prosperity of America or the political nation-state of Israel.  We need to make sure that our faith rests in Christ ALONE and in the true promises of His Word!

"For all the promises of God find their 'Yes' in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our 'Amen' to God for his glory." - 2 Cor. 1:20, ESV

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." - Luke 24:27, ESV

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. . . For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." - Galatians 5:6 & 6:15, ESV

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" - Philippians 3:20, ESV

Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God ALONE

9. The Prosperity/Jabez Gospel: Bruce Wilkinson has a phenomenal best-seller years ago with The Prayer of Jabez, which taught people to use an obscure prayer from 1 Chronicles as a magic key to unlock the treasures of heaven. While the Word-Faith Gospel addressed in #6 is a specific version of the Prosperity Gospel, the Prosperity Gospel itself is much broader. Joel Osteen is the most famous advocate of the Prosperity Gospel and his books sell millions of copies convincing people that God's will is for the to have their "Best Life Now." I'm not sure how anyone can read Paul in Philippians or Romans 8 or 1 Peter or the words of Jesus in the Gospels and think this way. Christ suffered and died for us and He clearly calls us to follow Him, take up our cross and suffer for His sake. This is the Biblical Gospel- not that we suffer in order to be saved but that those who have been redeemed by Christ are called to suffer for His sake.

"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." - 2 Timothy 3:12, ESV

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" - Matthew 16:24, ESV

"For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." - Acts 9:16, ESV

"Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." - 1 Peter 4:16, ESV

10. The Gospel of Political Power. Jesus has given His church the keys of the kingdom of God, which are found in the preaching of the Gospel. By preaching the Gospel, we loose the kingdom of God and open the doors of mercy to those who hear. However, some people (including me, at times) would rather have the keys to the White House or to Capitol Hill. The fact is that political power is worldly and limited. Governments rule by legislation enforced by the sword (see Rom. 13), the threat of punishment. Jesus alone rules by redeeming people to Himself, changing hearts and lives by the power of the Gospel. The church is given a spiritual power through the life-changing, heart-transforming power of the Gospel. We should not be eager to relinquish this for something lesser, something merely worldly and crude, such as political influence.

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” - John 18:36, ESV

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him. - Mark 12:17, ESV

Conclusions

We could discuss other false gospels, but these 10 give us enough to consider for now. One word of warning: our human tendency is to focus on those false gospels that others tend to teach or believe and minimize our own heart's tendency to trust in idols. All false gospels are really idols and John Calvin taught us that the soul of man is an idol-factory. I make idols and worship them continually, and thus I must continually repent and seek the Lord and renew my trust in the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ. May we see this list and this exercise not as a call to judge and condemn, but rather as a call to be watchful and to repent.