Does this look good to you?

Read these five sentences (written by Mike Ratliff) and tell me if you think there is anything wrong:
  1. A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.
  2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
  3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
  4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when he is needed to resolve a problem.
  5. Good people go to heaven when they die.
Hmm... sounds good... kinda... I think...well, maybe...

Well, if anything, it sounds close, doesn't it?  It could almost be the Gospel message, in fact.  I'm mean, that sounds like good news.

At least, it was the impression that I received from some of the past churches in which I've had the pleasure to serve.  While none would promote #5, oddly enough, that was the natural conclusion for some members of  the congregations.

The term bantered about for the above understanding of the Christian faith is "moralistic therapeutic deism."  Michael Horton explains the term in a short video clip below (I posted it before but it has since moved, so I am posting it again).




This is an alarming trend in Christianity.  It is a move away from a Gospel-centered means of teaching and living, and those who are concerned about this should take the opportunity to educate others on this.

As Horton asks, who is the subject of the greatest number of verbs in your ministry?  Is it "you" or "me" or "us," or is it "Him"?

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