My daughter received a birthday card with a quote from a popular Christian author which stated,
Maybe I'm overreacting (I tend to do that), but my first reaction was that this is the perfect blend of Veggie Tales and Robert Schuller. This isn't to speak ill of the friend who sent the card. She's not a critical, wet-blanket Calvinist like me, so she probably thought it was just a nice card. But this statement is a perfect example of the prevalent sweet-as-saccharine-and-just-about-as-nutritious sentimentality that passes for the love of God.
Sadly, there's a view that God is so enamored with mankind that He is desperate to have a relationship with us. He'd do anything for us, and depending on who is preaching, He'll give us whatever we want. There's nothing God likes more than to forgive, and He forgives whether we repent or not. God exists to please man, not the other way around. The Cross becomes a demonstration of how much we are worth rather than the response of a holy and righteous God to the unspeakable horror of sin. Yes we are created in the image of God, but in Psalm 139, the psalmist gives thanks to God for being fearfully and wonderfully made. The glory goes to God, not patting himself on the back for being something special. You can read plainly in Romans 1 how "they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator." It's God's restraining grace that we haven't displayed Romans 1 to its full extent, but we're fully capable of it, and yet God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners - guilty, vile, helpless sinners.
If you think the doctrine of self-esteem is basically benign, read this White Horse Inn interview with Robert Schuller, the modern day father of the self-esteem movement. I say modern day, because I really think the movement started in the Garden. Our first parents fell for the deception hook, line, and sinker, and we've been worshipping ourselves or worshipping something other than the One True God ever since. As I read the interview, I didn't know whether to be furious or cry. I could barely finish it because I was so frustrated with his twisting of scripture to justify narcissism in the name of Christianity. According to Schuller, the Cross "sanctifies the ego trip" which sounds very different from "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
But what's the fruit of self-esteem? Do we love God more or do we love ourselves more? I think the answer is obvious.
I'll leave you with these words from A.W. Pink and the Apostle Paul.
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore,we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5: 7-10
God has placed His hand on your shoulder and said, "You're something special."
Sadly, there's a view that God is so enamored with mankind that He is desperate to have a relationship with us. He'd do anything for us, and depending on who is preaching, He'll give us whatever we want. There's nothing God likes more than to forgive, and He forgives whether we repent or not. God exists to please man, not the other way around. The Cross becomes a demonstration of how much we are worth rather than the response of a holy and righteous God to the unspeakable horror of sin. Yes we are created in the image of God, but in Psalm 139, the psalmist gives thanks to God for being fearfully and wonderfully made. The glory goes to God, not patting himself on the back for being something special. You can read plainly in Romans 1 how "they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator." It's God's restraining grace that we haven't displayed Romans 1 to its full extent, but we're fully capable of it, and yet God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners - guilty, vile, helpless sinners.
If you think the doctrine of self-esteem is basically benign, read this White Horse Inn interview with Robert Schuller, the modern day father of the self-esteem movement. I say modern day, because I really think the movement started in the Garden. Our first parents fell for the deception hook, line, and sinker, and we've been worshipping ourselves or worshipping something other than the One True God ever since. As I read the interview, I didn't know whether to be furious or cry. I could barely finish it because I was so frustrated with his twisting of scripture to justify narcissism in the name of Christianity. According to Schuller, the Cross "sanctifies the ego trip" which sounds very different from "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
But what's the fruit of self-esteem? Do we love God more or do we love ourselves more? I think the answer is obvious.
I'll leave you with these words from A.W. Pink and the Apostle Paul.
God did not love us because we loved Him, but He loved us before we had a particle of love for Him. Had God loved us in return for ours, then it would not be spontaneous on His part; but because He loved us when we were loveless, it is clear that His love was uninfluenced. It is highly important, if God is to be honored and the heart of His child established, that we should be quite clear upon this precious truth. God's love for me and for each of "His own" was entirely unmoved by anything in us. What was there in me to attract the heart of God? Absolutely nothing. But, to the contrary, there was everything to repel Him, everything calculated to make Him loathe me - sinful, depraved, a mass of corruption, with "no good thing" in me."The Attributes of God, A.W. Pink, Baker, page 78 (emphasis mine)
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore,we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5: 7-10
Well, I probably would have reacted the same, being as that I am also a wet blanket Calvinist.
ReplyDeleteIf everyone is special, then the word has rather lost its meaning.
Good post!
This is so true sister Persis. There is nothing new under the sun is there? I'm sure your daughter's friend had only the sweetest intentions, but sadly this statement does reflect the current condition of the church.
ReplyDeleteNot exactly the picture Ezekiel paints of us:
"When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!' EZ 16:6
Thank you for this post.
Blessings!
Sadly, this attitude finds its home in many churches today and it is far removed from the truth.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post!
Great post.
ReplyDeleteI love the Veggie Tales myself, but it is rather a dumbed-down view of the holiness of God.
I don't know that we need to be giving our children the watered down version.
But I'm still in the "cage stage" over here, so taking it slowly;0)
Ma,
ReplyDeleteI'm still cage stage, too. :-)