The Highway Of God

THE HIGHWAY OF GOD

Read Jeremiah 18:13-17

Read Jeremiah 18:13-17

They made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway. Jeremiah 18:15

Here is the second time Jeremiah references the “ancient paths” (roads). He bemoans the fact that Israel’s idols have led them astray, even when these idols were incorporated into the old religion of Moses. This syncretism of Biblical and pagan ways confused the people of God, caused them to stumble badly and led them astray––down “side roads” and away from God.

Christian sociologist and professor at The University of Notre Dame, Christian Smith has insightfully dubbed American civil religion as “moralistic, therapeutic deism.” Many would be both shocked and offended by that assessment, but Professor Smith’s book and the result of years of research about American teenagers, their parents and their religion validate his conclusions. American preaching is moralistic. American theology is therapeutic. American religion is deism. We need to try harder to do good, aim at being happy and know that God is out there somewhere watching us at a distance. “God Bless America.”

What will offend and shock us even more is this author’s suggestion that Evangelicalism may well be devolving into moralistic, therapeutic deism. The shocker comes in this: The very people who thought themselves “Gospel preachers” seem to have warped that Gospel into a vaguely familiar American format. Here me out.

Moralism: There is an increasing reliance upon a few very popular preachers to the point that their opinions become Gospel truth. Their formulary statements, their books, their online sermons and their associations drive our preaching more than the Word of God does. Tell me, is it any worse to trust in the morals of Aesop’s Fables, the musings of existentialist Søren Kierkegaard or the mysticism of Dag Hammarskjöld than to take all your cues from today’s evangelical celebrities? Whatever happened to “Thus saith the Lord”––whether it was grace-based or not?

Therapeutic: Why must we turn everything in the Bible into our pursuit of spiritual assurance? Is not the Gospel about something larger than life, greater than self and lasting forever? Does a good sermon always have to “work”? (I ask, what does it mean when someone responds to the preached word with this: “No, that just doesn’t work for me?”) I have a thought I’d like you to consider: When Jesus and the Apostles preach the Gospel, they are proclaiming the reality that the Kingdom of God has come to earth, and that salvation is more about surrender to Christ and entering the Kingdom of God than about a person’s justification and adoption! Think about it.

Deism: It is possible to turn Jesus into the mirror of what we are rather than God incarnate, to such an extent that Jesus becomes everybody. Does this happen? You bet! To what else can you attribute this statement? “Well, that’s the Jesus of my parents. That’s not my Jesus!” The marvelous thing about Deism is that God is so far removed from us that we can make Him into our image, and He doesn’t care. Let’s be careful we don’t do this to Jesus Christ. We all live with two Jesuses––the one who really is and the one we’d like to exist. But only one Jesus is real.

We’re headed down a dangerous side road, I fear. God is calling us back to the highway, away from moralistic, therapeutic deism to Biblical discipleship in Jesus Christ. We may well be at a crossroads. Stop. Read the signs. And proceed with caution.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 16:25)

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

AC: Pray for the continued ministry of the print magazine byFaith. Pray that it will serve to connect people, churches, events and missions of the PCA through the proclamation of the Gospel. Pray that Editor Dick Doster and his staff will exercise wisdom in handling the many details associated with the magazine.

CTS: Pray for the students in Covenant Seminary’s Master of Arts in Educational Ministries (MAEM) program, that they will minister well to children, youth or adults, and that the Spirit will use their ministries to raise up strong disciples of Jesus Christ.

MTW: The MTW StreetChild Ministry was especially close to the heart of Paul Kooistra’s wife, Jan, who went to be with the Lord in April 2008, and the new StreetChild home in Bangelore, India, will be named in her honor. Please pray for funds to complete the property purchase and build the ministry center.

RUM: Pray for the RUM Permanent Committee members as they oversee the ministry. Pray that as new members join this year, they will quickly grasp the work of RUM and continue the vision with unity and focus.

RBI: Pray for the Service Center Representatives at RBI as they interact with our pastors, staff and PCA churches and organizations. Pray for wisdom, guidance and strength for Myra Davis, Sybil Pullen and Harry Cooksey as they answer questions and administer benefit plans.