Authentic Christianity Veith and Sutton
Authenitc Christianity: Self-worship
24/10/17 10:58
Gene Edward Veith and A. Trevor Sutton, write about how the world around us is affecting the Church-
"Ours is a time of rampant self-worship."
"Christianity is not immune to this movement. It has been tempted to combine the best of greeting-card sentimentality, support-group encouragement, and self-help inspiration to create the ultimate theology of glory. Many preachers today hope to speak spiritually motivating words that rouse the hearts and minds of listeners so they can live their best lives now. The goal of the sermon is to never offend, always encourage, and leave people juiced up to take on the week ahead. Like a human Pinterest page, the pastor is expected to delight and entertain, inspire and show you what your life can look like if you simply try this out for yourself. Success and victory, health and wealth can all be yours if you just get on board with the program. But there is something seriously missing in this kind of preaching and in the health-and-wealth gospel: Christ crucified." {Authentic Christianity, Gene Edward Veith Jr and A. Trevor Sutton, CPH, St Louis, 2017, pg 107]
If only Christians would take this critique seriously and seek truth rather than the wisdom which comes from the spirit of our age. Most Christians cannot see how this kind of theology, made popular by those who appeal the worst in men, e.g. Osteen, Copeland, Schuller, Paula White, et al, who throw together into a witches brew, pop-psychology, erring theology, and appeals to man's lusts. It is called Christian, but leaves out the Cross. Veith and Sutton remind us that "Luther wrote in capital letters in a commentary on the Psalms, 'THE CROSS ALONE IS OUR THEOLOGY.' This cross-centered theology annihilates both modernism and postmodernism. And it offers a theology of suffering-something sadly lacking most expressions of contemporary Christianity-that can address our most wrenching troubles." [Authenitic Christianity, pg 103]
"Ours is a time of rampant self-worship."
"Christianity is not immune to this movement. It has been tempted to combine the best of greeting-card sentimentality, support-group encouragement, and self-help inspiration to create the ultimate theology of glory. Many preachers today hope to speak spiritually motivating words that rouse the hearts and minds of listeners so they can live their best lives now. The goal of the sermon is to never offend, always encourage, and leave people juiced up to take on the week ahead. Like a human Pinterest page, the pastor is expected to delight and entertain, inspire and show you what your life can look like if you simply try this out for yourself. Success and victory, health and wealth can all be yours if you just get on board with the program. But there is something seriously missing in this kind of preaching and in the health-and-wealth gospel: Christ crucified." {Authentic Christianity, Gene Edward Veith Jr and A. Trevor Sutton, CPH, St Louis, 2017, pg 107]
If only Christians would take this critique seriously and seek truth rather than the wisdom which comes from the spirit of our age. Most Christians cannot see how this kind of theology, made popular by those who appeal the worst in men, e.g. Osteen, Copeland, Schuller, Paula White, et al, who throw together into a witches brew, pop-psychology, erring theology, and appeals to man's lusts. It is called Christian, but leaves out the Cross. Veith and Sutton remind us that "Luther wrote in capital letters in a commentary on the Psalms, 'THE CROSS ALONE IS OUR THEOLOGY.' This cross-centered theology annihilates both modernism and postmodernism. And it offers a theology of suffering-something sadly lacking most expressions of contemporary Christianity-that can address our most wrenching troubles." [Authenitic Christianity, pg 103]
