Text Version:
Feel-Good Christianity and the Gospel of
Sound Doctrine
Mr. Paul Proctor says: This may come as a shock to
most Christians, but if you do a search of the less contemporary translations
of scripture, the word “feelings” is virtually nonexistent. Where it does
appear, it is cited as more of a superficial, even negative attribute than a
positive; and yet, as we watch and listen to many from today’s churches, be
they leaders or laymen, not only do we see a clear fixation on feelings, both
physical and emotional, we notice that those feelings have by and large become
a replacement for faith.
In fact, if you substitute the
word “feelings” wherever you see the word “faith” in those older Bible
versions, it will become clear to you what motivates and guides the average
“Christian” today – point being: most of them are not following the Living Word
of God by faith, they are simply following their feelings and calling it
“faith.”
This doesn’t require a Bible.
When one considers the
sobering words of the prophet Jeremiah, who said: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”
it should cause us to take a discerning look at what moves us. If our worship
and service to Jesus Christ is measured by mood, then may I suggest our
“Christianity” is more theatrical than theological?
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II Timothy 4:1-5,
“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will
judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: preach the
word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching
ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears
away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all
things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Death was imminent for the
Apostle Paul when writing to Timothy, his beloved evangelist and son in the
faith. He reminds, actually commands Timothy to preach and teach the Word, and
the gospel of Jesus Christ with sound doctrine. He makes a clear distinction
that many will fall away, or be taught a different gospel that satisfies their
own idea of what Jesus requires to be righteous, turning away from the truth.
Do we see this today? Unfortunately
yes because many different gospels have permeated the church through centuries
of wrong and unsound doctrinal teaching to the point that, the shopping list is
far too great to wade through making it too enticing to trade the word of God
for the words of men. The Devil is marching his destructive influence in every
corner of society, especially the church where he loves to sit in the pews
alongside brethren seeking to itch their ears! These feel-good teachers and preachers
really have it down to a science sounding and acting like Christians, and with
good bible knowledge. They can easily recite scripture verses from memory and
apply them to the emotional, teach a class, pray and lead good works all in the
name of Jesus Christ like a good Christian. They even claim Jesus as their
savior as disciples of the Lord, a part of His body of believers in His church!
Here is a real life example I
would like to share with you. I am personally aware of a preacher who will
remain nameless that while portraying himself in the manner I just spoke about,
had not believed in the deity of Jesus Christ and was confronted with this ghastly
error by three strong and reliable sources, and he still defended his belief. What
happened with the vetting process by the elders of that congregation? I don’t
know if he ever repented but I do know he is still preaching and teaching in a
local congregation of the Lords people! Brethren, something is missing,
something very terrible has gone awry in the church and its leadership.
I encounter good hearted and
well-meaning people every day that say they are Christians. Some of them are
friends, coworkers and even folks that attend my congregation on Sunday. As
true Christians, we are commanded to “test the spirits” (1John 4:1). Sadly due
to the complete infiltration of emotionalism in the church, I have had to get into
the habit of doing this when appropriate and with kindness as best I know how,
and you would be amazed of the results. Many people are lost even in the church
I am sad to report. Let’s put our opinions aside and see what God in His Word
has to say about this, for in it the truth is revealed that we can test ourselves
and others to know our standing before the Almighty Lord in Heaven.
For this section I am
deliberately going to avoid judging others here in the body of Christ because I
am commanded to do so, and it’s just the right thing to do. But I am going to
point out some practices that are associated with liberal undisciplined
approaches in the body of Christ today that negatively affect the distinct
set-apart nature of the church Christ originally intended. “Feel good” Christianity
is virtually present in every neighborhood now and can be summed up by, one
that is engaged in religion over being engaged with the one, true Jesus Christ.
Is there more than one Jesus? What do I mean by this? The following are a few unsound
doctrinal practices we can identify.
- A brand of Christianity that first off doesn’t require repentant sinners to properly obey the gospel as taught by Jesus and His apostles. This is the foundational error that begins the process of apostasy. You will hear the correct gospel at the end of this lesson.
- The teaching of a watered down gospel of Grace by faith-only salvation through something called a sinners prayer that does not allow God to cleanse sins and award the Holy Spirit to believers. Nowhere in scripture does God teach one can just receive Jesus, or even through a prayer. This is a different Jesus than what we see and know in the New Testament. Very dangerous!
- Feel good Christianity is one that allows known open sin to persist in the assembly without addressing and counseling by the elders. Righteous discipline is a must in the assembly to maintain purity of worship before the Lord.
- A Christianity with no plurality of qualified elders and deacons.
- Allowing of a one pastor system to be the leader over the congregation in place of the eldership.
- The allowance of phony miraculous healings and speaking in tongues in the assembly. These are only conjuring’s as miraculous works and gifts of the Spirit have passed away centuries ago when the last Apostle died. You may want to look up my lesson on the Termination of Spiritual Gifts here on Scriptures Weekly.
- Feel good Christianity usually always has a big up front show like a clanging noisy concert format of praise and singing accompanied with amplified musical instruments that aren’t authorized in the New Testament. God requires only the instrument of the person’s heart to fully praise Him in Spirit and Truth.
- The omission of taking the Lords Supper on the Lords day, Sunday. A closer study will reveal this is the one and only act of worship the assembly must partake in if all others are not present, or there really is no reason to come together. See my lesson on the Lords Supper on this site.
- Allowing females to teach men in the assembly. This practice is clearly outlawed by the Apostles teaching without dispute. I agree some women are perfectly capable and probably qualified to teach, but only in the proper environment which does not include a pulpit.
- Living a life in such a way that doesn’t much look different after becoming a Christian. I can live however I want and Jesus will save me anyway. His grace is sufficient; I will always be saved no matter what. Unfortunately these souls have the wrong attitude from a watered down teaching of the gospel I referred to earlier. They openly fail to heed the command to quit sinning. Romans 6:1,2.
- Meeting on the Jewish Sabbath – Saturday instead of the first day of the week – Sunday as commanded in the New Testament. Though I wouldn’t completely classify this wrong practice as feel good Christianity, it is sinful to mix the old covenant while under the new covenant that is now in force. Paul actually calls this out as similar to adultery in Romans 7:2-4.
- Involvement with civic works such as community services, boy scouts, clubs and thrift shops etc. for the raising of funds to benefit the workings of the church. The church is the called out, the elect that lives in this world but not of it. The sole righteous work of the church is to make disciples, not worldly works of financial gain. These good works are needed in society but should be reserved for these worldly organizations to manage and pursue, not the church.
- Finally, attending church to please the person over pleasing God in spirit and truth.
In contrast and for the
purpose of clarification, when the church meets for worship on the Lords Day,
the New Testament written by the Holy Spirit authorizes only 5 forms of worship
in the assembly of the saints. These are established in order to worship and
exalt Him in Spirit and in Truth during this important meeting by not adding or
taking away from Gods specific instructions. (John 4:24). They are:
1. Taking of the Lords Supper (Matt.26:26)
2. Prayer (Acts 2:42)
3. Preaching and teaching the Word (Acts 2:42)
4. Singing acapella (Eph.5:19, Col.3:16)
5. Giving a contribution from the heart (1Cor.16:1-2)
I am prepared to admit that
you will take issue with some of these observations I have just made. The only
thing I can say is, for the sake of unity, let’s reason together over these
doctrines from wherever they came from and let God only speak through His Holy
Word, the Bible.
So, this feel-good brand of
religion is exactly what Apostle Paul is sharing with Timothy in our opening
that people will seek to find a form of doctrine that pleases themselves rather
than God. They actually may be adding and taking away from Gods authorized
pattern of worship in the assembly! In other words, a religion that lacks
discipline following a path of “least obedience.” These and many more practices
in the assembly are running rampant across the globe. Why is this? Well,
because of self-gratification and it avoids one from surrendering their will
like Christ in submissive service the way He so humbly demonstrated. It scares
the heck out of them because they never really have count the cost of
discipleship as our Lord advised in Luke 14:27-33. Secondly and more alarming,
people think they can argue or bargain with God by forgetting that all things
come from Him (1Cor.11:12). “Oh no, I
can’t do that, it’s too expensive, it’s too dangerous! It’s just too boring to
worship without the help of instruments; I need to feel good in my skin. Jesus
doesn’t ask me to serve him in such a way that puts my family, my work in a
state of uncertainty; my wife doesn’t want me to serve in that capacity.”
Really… Is that true? Have you asked the Lord if your service can be limited to
self-preservation and self-gratification? Do you really think His suffering as
an innocent, dying and conquering death establishing His church would have
occurred if He told the Father, “I’m not
going to die to your will, I’m getting off this cross.”
Let’s read some scriptures
that might bring this idea home to you.
“Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to
him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before
them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out
to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This
fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I
do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to
Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he
began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a
rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him,
“Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and
wept bitterly. (Matt. 26:69-75)
From Apostle Paul:
“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the
seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am
more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently,
in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five
times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods;
once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been
in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in
perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city,
in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false
brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst,
in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes
upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not
weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?” (2Cor. 11:22-29)
“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am
strong.” (2Cor. 12:10)
To have a complete and
unmovable faith and commitment Apostle Paul had would be the most wondrous
virtues to possess. It must be possible in the disciple’s lifetime because
James tells us in 1:2-4 that we can lack nothing being perfect and complete!
This means we can experience the full depth and scope of obedient service to
the Lord. To prove this, I actually have a beloved brother in the Lord that
comes as close to Paul that I have ever seen. He is a true warrior for Jesus
and the gospel nearing 95 years old who has preached the gospel 75 of those
years! I am reminded every time I think or pray for him that with a disciplined
and dedicated resolve to work for the Lord as this seasoned brother in the
Lord, we like him must love God with all of our strength and heart to make
ourselves available for all good works to glorify Him, and not ourselves. The
one lesson my brother enjoys reminding Christians of is summed up in 3 simple
words – “Are you Available?” Then he
will follow this incredibly heavenly reminder up by saying, “I’m open 24 hours a day, and for Free…
I hope you can now see the point
I am attempting to make through Gods Word without commentary or opinion. Do you
now see the difference between feel good Christianity and a true walk in the
Lord? We should like Peter reflected when he denied Jesus, weeping. For Apostle
Paul and the Lord Jesus suffered the cruelest of treatments you and I can only
imagine for the cause of Christ and His church. These are stark reminders that
there is no limit to submission in a surrendered life for Jesus. All he asks of
us is our heart and our life in service to Him for helping to seek and save the
lost back to the Father. This is not feel good Christianity, it is the one and
only real Christianity that exists today for those who are called and willing
to stop playing church by rolling up our sleeves, taking up our own cross and
following Jesus on your road to Jerusalem! If my boldness seems harsh and to
the point, out of love it is meant to be. For God wants His disciples to “no longer be children, tossed to and fro
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the
cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, speaking the truth in love, growing
up in all things into Him who is the Head – Christ.” (Eph. 4:14-15)
Now that we have an idea of what
is and why this religious feel good approach to Christianity has immersed into
the church today, what can be done to correct the error of those you encounter?
Another question that might be considered is, am I the one to bring this to
their attention? Again let’s see what God says in His word for the answer.
“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you
should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats;
do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be
prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear
conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in
Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will,
to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for
sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1Pet.
3:13-17) This is great encouragement when struggling in your faith.
To sum this up, we want to
serve the true Lord Jesus, and in truth. Not with the wisdom of manmade
practices and doctrines that will lead us astray in our walk with Him. We don’t
want to be a part of the popular crowd that enjoys the wide gate and the broad
way that leads to destruction. (Matt.7:13) It is my hope and prayer that you
the listener pray for and find a congregation of disciples that daily enters
the narrow gate and the difficult path that leads to life eternal. (Matt.7:14)
Just beware of false teaching out there because it’s a jungle full of
unbiblical practices and beliefs that annoy God causing Him to turn His face
away. And as a final thought, when studying Gods word, keep a sharp eye for the
unique, the different and unpopular godly traits of individuals who ultimately
glorified God in truth, being rewarded with the prize of heaven. Let’s help
each other get there for this is the goal of our faith!
If you have not yet obeyed the
gospel of Jesus Christ Apostle Paul spoke about in 1Cor 15:1-8, I would like to
invite you to do so soon. And it reads:
“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are
saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed
in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried,
and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He
was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five
hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but
some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the
apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due
time.”
As a side note on the
disciples Jesus made Himself appear to here, these appearances weren’t by
accident. They were deliberate appearances planned by God in order to
strengthen His witness’s commitment and faith leading up to when he would
ascend and no longer be present among them.
Now, the proper response to
the full gospel I just read according to Gods Word is to first believe God is
who He says He is. Then, accepting that your sin separates you from God by beginning
a period of repenting of your sins, having a real change of mind about ungodly
living. Then when you are ready, out of your new found love for Jesus and what
He did for you on the cross, you will need to confess Jesus Christ as the Son
of God before witnesses. Then after these steps of progression in your calling,
you will need to be baptized by full immersion in water for the forgiveness of
your past sins. This is the culminating passive act done to you where you will
contact the cleansing blood of Christ, being spiritually circumcised and completely
cleaned by God in a new “in Christ” state before His throne. At this point of
your baptism, you are spiritually accepted into the Kingdom of God, the church.
He will then gift you with the Holy Spirit according to the measure the Lord
wills. You will then be saved and sealed by the Spirit a new set-apart citizen
of the true and pure church Jesus spoke about in Matthew 16:18 to walk in
newness of life.
You may disagree with this
presentation for which you are entitled. But I would only ask that you
diligently search the scriptures daily like the Bereans in the book of Acts did
to find out if what Gods Word says is what you are involved with in your
worship. It is my hope that your walk and worship is in alignment with His will
in great detail for our God is a jealous God. Only you can determine with the
help and guidance of Gods perfect instructions how you will worship Him and
live a life either disappointing Him with a walk that feels good, or pleasing
Him with a walk of genuine and obedient service according to His will, and His
good pleasure.
