Are We Watering Down the Gospel to Appease People?

 Titus 2:11-14 (MSG)   

 11 God's readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation's available for everyone! 12 We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, 13 and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. 14 He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

It is obvious and clear to those who have received salvation through Christ Jesus just how awesome this new life really is. Why you might ask? It is because He replaces the old life that we were bent on making for ourselves to which was on a destructive course and turns it all around for something much better. We deserve judgment for the many violations against God and all of humanity, but for us who receive this salvation judgment is replaced with a full pardon. In fact, there is no record of any wrong as far as God is concerned when we receive His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Anytime we can get something for nothing it obviously becomes an attractive offer. When it comes to the gospel this is exactly what has happened, God Himself offers us something of inestimable value for free. In other words, there is nothing we have that can ever purchase it. Therefore, this is why God makes it available for free to all that will receive it through believing on Jesus His righteous Son. All we give up is a sinful past...a past worth less than nothing. It's a past filled with guilt and shame and in return we get freedom from guilt; freedom from anxiety; and life eternal with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When this happens the Holy Spirit comes and dwells in our lives and if allowed He will change our destitute position in life and then empower us with a new way of living for God rather than for ourselves. There is something in this last statement that I think gives insight to why so many leaders in the church cater to please man rather than God. The gospel of Christ is one that clearly points to a transforming change from one way of living our lives unto another likened unto Jesus when He walked the earth. This all comes about through hearing and responding to the gospel that is being proclaimed in truth. The gospel is not something to add to your library of information of things to learn; but one that demands walking entirely away from the old life and enter the newness that we now have in Christ and the Bible tells us what that looks like.

Unfortunately, today we are seeing many so-called leaders of the church watering things down so as to present the gospel in a manner to which it was never meant to be that their ministries might expand as they accommodate the people rather than proclaiming what God commands of us. What do I mean by this? Well, it's like this, it has become fashionable to lower righteous standards and godly principles from God's Word to where it requires no obedience on our part to do what God said or be in our character. It's much like the results that we now have in our educational system to where we have lowered all the standards of academia so that every kid can easily pass without effort on their part. What foolishness! Those kids with great potential will grow bored due to low requirements to expand their knowledge and the unmotivated will learn nothing of value to help them in life, only create more slothfulness. Let me explain further...

When we preach or teach a gospel that promises forgiveness but does everything else to ignore the need of repentance when we have done wrong...they have not told the truth, they have watered down the gospel. A gospel that is preached and promises nothing but peace for our lives while ignoring to point out that there will be persecutions, has watered down the gospel. If the gospel that we are hearing speaks only of having nothing but health and prosperity with minimum problems in life...we are not hearing the truth. We might be favored (spiritually speaking) about our going out and coming in, but that does not mean that you will always have the things you want working out for you. In other words, you will have God on your side, but not necessarily everything else in life.

The Christian life is not some recreational activity that consists of a feel good pursuant in life only, but in fact, it is a battleground to which requires that we show-up, train-up, build-up, and grow-up into a mature believer in Christ Jesus assisting others to find their way to Him that has called them out of darkness into His marvelous light! We must understand that though it's very true that God has a plan for our lives and that He loves us greatly; there is also a devil that's sole purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. The world is not a playground where there is always the sound of children laughing and having fun. There is also disappointments, struggles, work and the need for commitment to reach the goals and purposes of our heavenly Father.

The gospel is a positive and life-giving message, filled with promises beyond any words that could ever be expressed; but we should not be so naïve to believe that the gospel calls for no requirements and commitment on our part. The Bible is filled with commands that require a response from us. I am not advocating that once you become a Christian that we are to live in sickness, poverty, or with hopeless lives as a sign of our faith. I believe completely in the positive things that are being preached by these others that I have mentioned leading up to this point. The promises of God are a yes and Amen without a doubt! However, if that is the only things that they will teach about regarding our faith than they are not teaching the whole counsel of God's Word.

Jesus and His disciples taught there would be troubles, death, injustices, and even divisions within this life; but He told us to be of good cheer. He over came these things through His faith and declares that we will do likewise. Faith is of no use for any of us if all that is taught regarding the gospel involves nothing but living on the mountain top of a good life. There is a real enemy out there and he will attempt to fight against you all the way to the end. Therefore, don't sleep unaware of what he is doing. The gospel of good news is about what we have received in Christ most assuredly; but that same gospel declares what we must do and be in order to live victorious in it. Preparedness is the truth of the gospel that is most ignored. We need to know how to stick it out with God when skies are blue or when they are filled with dark and promising clouds of storms.

Jesus made it clear that there would be turbulent times in this life and He did not ignore pointing that out to us...but He did tell us that we are to be of good cheer despite of things because He overcame the world through His faith and calls for us to do the same! Anytime you hear the gospel being preached and all that is ever said is nothing but blue skies and fair weather...you had better take another look. The gospel is without question free to all, and consists of many wonderful benefits to boot. However in contrast, it is a gospel of participation and following the commands of God as well. The crowds will always prefer the good news of what we have freely received in Christ; but tell them what He requires of them and the multitudes will thin out dramatically.