Anonymous
Beloved of All
Self-Centered Christians
Modern evangelism often promotes the idea of coming to Jesus to get healed, or to become more prosperous, or to find happiness, or to fix your marriage or any other problems in your life. Yet, the ones who followed Jesus when He was on this earth for similar reasons (i.e., healing or free food), left Him when His message became more serious.
Today's Western Christian is generally very selfish and self-centered. It's all about "me." Many Christians today are focused on how God can build up their finances, or how God can heal any physical ailments they may be experiencing, or how God can otherwise improve their life here on earth. They're generally not interested in studying and learning deeper doctrine; they only want to hear feel-good, positive-thinking messages that give them warm and fuzzy feelings. They're more interested in learning about healing or about some new way to manipulate God into blessing them, rather than about the deep doctrinal truths taught in such books as Romans. The god they have created for themselves is like a giant teddy bear in the sky, who only wants to love everyone, and holds out his arms desperately to people, looking for people to love him back. Or like a giant slot machine in the sky which, if you just know the right formula, will bless your life with abundant riches. Or like a magic genie in the sky who will grant your every wish.
In Evangelism, things like God's wrath and the wicked sinfulness of man, let alone something like the doctrine of Election, are not only generally ignored, but are often even considered taboo or repulsive.
Among evangelical Christians, dying to self seems to be a lost art. Instead of focusing on glorifying the Name of God, televangelists glorify their own fame, and Christians in general are so focused on their own happiness, comfort, feelings and entertainment that they seem to forget that it's not about them; it's about God, and enlarging His kingdom, and bringing glory to Him.
Jeff at 10:03 AM
Modern evangelism often promotes the idea of coming to Jesus to get healed, or to become more prosperous, or to find happiness, or to fix your marriage or any other problems in your life. Yet, the ones who followed Jesus when He was on this earth for similar reasons (i.e., healing or free food), left Him when His message became more serious.
Today's Western Christian is generally very selfish and self-centered. It's all about "me." Many Christians today are focused on how God can build up their finances, or how God can heal any physical ailments they may be experiencing, or how God can otherwise improve their life here on earth. They're generally not interested in studying and learning deeper doctrine; they only want to hear feel-good, positive-thinking messages that give them warm and fuzzy feelings. They're more interested in learning about healing or about some new way to manipulate God into blessing them, rather than about the deep doctrinal truths taught in such books as Romans. The god they have created for themselves is like a giant teddy bear in the sky, who only wants to love everyone, and holds out his arms desperately to people, looking for people to love him back. Or like a giant slot machine in the sky which, if you just know the right formula, will bless your life with abundant riches. Or like a magic genie in the sky who will grant your every wish.
In Evangelism, things like God's wrath and the wicked sinfulness of man, let alone something like the doctrine of Election, are not only generally ignored, but are often even considered taboo or repulsive.
Among evangelical Christians, dying to self seems to be a lost art. Instead of focusing on glorifying the Name of God, televangelists glorify their own fame, and Christians in general are so focused on their own happiness, comfort, feelings and entertainment that they seem to forget that it's not about them; it's about God, and enlarging His kingdom, and bringing glory to Him.
Jeff at 10:03 AM
