Pastors: Battle the Wimpy Gospel that’s Overtaken the Church

One of the primary pastoral battles I fought was combating the wimpy Gospel that has consumed the church.

The wimpy Gospel goes something like this:

Christ died for your sins. If you believe that, all your sins are forgiven. No matter what you do, you’re saved and forgiven. Don’t worry about doing good works or bearing fruit. You don’t have to do anything, in fact, if you try to do good, be careful! You might be falling from grace and into legalism.

This sort of Gospel doesn’t always sound like this, sometimes it sounds more spiritual and theological. Other times it’s flippant and over the top happy. It has grains of truth in it, that’s why it’s so deceptive.

But the bottom line of this wimpy Gospel is: cool, now that you’re saved you can sin and get away with it! If we get away with sin, why bother fighting it or doing good!

I preached in a church not long ago about 1 Corinthians 9 where Paul said he made his body his slave, disciplined it so he could run to win. I encouraged people to go for it, use all that is available to you in the Gospel, put it to use, use some energy, zeal, and striving to get eternal reward. The sermon was meant to encourage, to provoke action, to stir people to use Gospel provision. Athletes do massive work for temporal rewards that someone else will eventually take. We have so much better stuff to go get, where is our discipline and effort?

I was told afterwards that the message was dangerous because it told people to do good works.

It’s unreal. Christians spend all week working, putting in time and effort for money. They use effort and discipline to pursue their hobbies and exercise, even their stupid golf game. They get into various diets and regulate their calorie intake. Everything important in life they work at to get a desired result. It’s how life works.

But then they come to their faith and there’s just nothing. Not only is there no exercise or discipline, but they have invented doctrines to excuse their apathetic laziness. “Grace” is typically the word that these excuses get pinned on.

“Faith” is another one. “It’s by faith, not by works!” Yes, salvation certainly is by faith. I cannot work my way into salvation. I cannot remove my sin and guilt. I cannot rebirth myself into a spiritual creation capable of entering eternal life with my Savior.

But with faith it is possible to please Him. We’ve turned the Gospel into “the thing that saves me and doesn’t pay off until I’m dead and in heaven.” It’s as if the Gospel has nothing to do with the life in between salvation and death.

The gospel is new life in Christ Jesus. By faith we were crucified with Him, buried with Him, and raised up with Him to newness of life. A new life where we yield the members of our body as instruments of righteousness and bring forth fruit unto holiness with the end everlasting life. Eternal rewards are held out for us.

You will stand before God someday. Many are expecting to hear “well done, good and faithful servant” because they said a 34 second prayer when they were six and proceeded to do jack squat with the Gospel since.

The Gospel is here to transform the life. We decrease and Christ increases. No longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. We are to grow into the perfect man Christ Jesus. Yes, we will not fully be like Him until we see Him as He is, but until then you can have as much of Him as you want to go get in this present world.

Yet anytime this hope, this joy, this goal, this privilege is held out for people to go get, I’m met with charges of legalism and works righteousness and accusations I think salvation is earned by our merit.

Nope, I’m just saying if you truly understand what Christ is holding out for you, the blessing and fruit that are available: then go get it! Paul says to remind them to do good works so they are not unfruitful.

We’ve exaggerated faith without works so much people think works are still evil even after salvation. I’ve had believers tell me that even after salvation all their works are filthy rags.

Whatever it takes to get us out of responsibility is what we go to. No one wants to be accountable. But to whom much is given, much is required. We’ve been given a ton in the Gospel. It is required in a steward that they be found faithful.

I said this for 21 years in a church and pretty much everyone left. I said all this in a church a few weeks ago and was told it was a dangerous message.

I don’t get it. I want more of Christ. I don’t know about you. I do. I’m attempting to do all I can to get as much of Him now as possible. The New Testament is filled with commands about how to do this, what to do, what works to pursue. This isn’t dangerous; this is life more abundant.

The Church better wake up. Bad times are coming and we’re soft. Hardly anyone is preparing. No one is exercising or disciplining themselves. A test is coming, The Day is right around the corner. I suggest we get ready. It is high time to wake out of slumber.

______________________________________

If you’d like to hear more of my accumulated pastoral “wisdom” that shrunk my church, I wrote a book. CLICK HERE to get a copy of it. There are 9 tips for how to not grow your church for only $3.50!