• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Christian Life Ism’s that replace the Gospel

Ism’s that replace the Gospel

Posted on August 19, 2013 Written by Mark McIntyre 5 Comments


How People Change - Living out the Gospel“The lies that capture us as Christians usually seem to fit well within the borders of our Christianity. Perhaps postmodernism and sexual immorality are not the greatest threats to the church of Christ in our day. Perhaps we are in more danger from the subtle lies that flow from subtle shifts in how we understand the gospel. We have not forsaken the faith, but we may have redefined it in ways that are fundamentally different from the gospel laid out in Scripture.

This redefinition of the faith does not happen all at once. It may not even surface in the public theological discussions of the church. Rather, the redefinition is a process of subtle steps at the practical level of the church’s fellowship, life, and ministry. Hope in Christ gets replaced with Christian activity, emotional experiences, Christian fellowship, or something else, without anyone consciously redefining or forsaking the faith.”

–Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp in How People Change

Lane and Tripp list the following ism’s as pretensions to the gospel. They use the word pretension to indicate a plausible lie. A lie that can be easily believed. The ism’s are:

  • Formalism – being busy with meetings and service
  • Legalism – following a list of dos and don’ts
  • Mysticism – looking for the next spiritual high
  • Activism – a campaign against evil
  • Biblicism – being the theological expert
  • Psychology-ism – a focus on healing the hurts
  • Socialism – focusing on relationships and connection

As they point out in the book these are so attractive because each of them has a part of what it means to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I should also point out that rather than using these as labels to pigeon hole others we should look at this list as potential pitfalls for ourselves. It is my guess that we are all tempted to be out of balance in one or more of these areas. I know for sure that I am.


Filed Under: Christian Life

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

We have nothing to fear - FDR

Toward the conquest of fear

A famous quotation of FDR tells us that we have nothing to fear except fear itself. Does the Bible support this? Can I live without fear? If so, how?

Build Stone Wall

What you build and how you build it matters to God

With 60% of young people walking away from the church, we must evaluate the foundation on which we build and how well we build upon it. The eternal destiny of the next generation is at stake and we cannot afford to continue with such a high failure rate. We must do better.

Helfpul

Maybe true but hardly helpful

I tend to hang with people who subscribe to reformed theology, which emphasizes the sovereignty of God over his creation. This should not be too surprising given that I attend a PCA church. But one of the struggles that I have with such people is that sometimes truth is given in a way that is hardly helpful.

Beware the Leaven

Formalism on the one hand, and rationalism on the other, which are but other names for the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, have in every age been the Church’s insidious enemies.

Center Church

Tim Keller on the Gospel

It is quite easy to assume that if we understand the gospel accurately and preach it faithfully, our ministry will necessarily be shaped by it. – but this is not true. Many churches subscribe to gospel doctrines but do not have a ministry that is shaped by, centered on, and empowered through the gospel. Its […]

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2022 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in