A Prosperity Gospel by Any Other Name

Any gospel that isn't centered around our need for Christ's substitutionary atonement for our sins is a prosperity gospel.

If we center our message around temporal benefits, even noble minded ones like being a better husband, we are teaching a false gospel. It true that being a discipled Christian will lead a man to be a better husband and help him get his life more correctly ordered, but that is not the center thrust of the gospel.

It's no wonder that we have so many discontented Christians in the world today. We become Christians because it will help us straighten out our lives here on earth, and then get upset when our lives suffer downs as well as ups.

The central point of the gospel has to be that I am dead in my sins, and the only reason I am not going to hell when I die is that Christ took my punishment on Himself on the cross. Just as important, He gives me the righteousness that He earned during His time here on earth, allowing me to see God face to face.

This central fact helps me deal with the low points in my life. I know that nothing I am going through here on earth comes close to what I would have gone through after death, had not Christ gone through it for me. And nothing I could ever hope to get in this world will compare to being with my Lord and His Father for eternity.

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Idolatrous Christians?

I had an interesting thought while listening to John MacArthur's talks at this address.

If I don't study my Bible, am I guilty of idolatry? Worshiping a false Christ is just as bad as worshiping a false god. No wonder Jesus said he would deny knowing some people who called Him Lord. It wasn't the "real Jesus" they were worshiping, but one that they invented themselves.

A Note From My Daily Psalm Reading - Fear of The Lord And Evangelism

I wonder if our lack of "fear of the Lord" is the reason so many people do not evangelize.

We stay away from the "angry God" parts of the Bible (the Prophets and some of the Psalms.) Indeed, some theologians follow the mistakes of past generations by removing those parts of the Bible from their own private canons.

It's no wonder we have so many prosperity gospels today. We tell people that choosing Christ will give them better marriages or get their finances in order. This may be an effect, but it's not the reason we should be evangelizing.

This lack of fear is probably one reason why modern Christians are so lacking in joy. Perhaps if we read the "woe..." parts of the Bible and stopped to think "there but for the grace of God go I" we would walk with greater joy and gratitude. �