Walking into church on a Wednesday night, you sit down with a group of kids your own age and listen to the pastor talk about God’s love. You spend an hour listening to him preach about how love is for everyone and that everyone is accepted by God and the church. However, by the end of the sermon, the pastor has still not mentioned man’s sinful nature and need for a Savior. While God loves everyone unconditionally, He does not love our sin. Our sin is the reason Jesus had to die on the cross. Feeling conflicted, you wish you had said something during the discussion or even to the pastor after the service.
In recent years, the Prosperity Gospel, also known as the “health and wealth Gospel” or “name it and claim it” theology, has become intertwined with the “feel good” message (Easy Believism), focusing on seeker friendly principles. This false version of the Gospel leaves out the necessary condemnation of sin and focuses on a seeker friendly atmosphere within the church and positive affirmations, diminishing our need for a Savior.
“Prosperity Gospel is one of the most preached messages that gives people the wrong view of the Gospel,” junior Jackson Sherwood said. “It is common for pastors to sugar coat the message so that people in the congregation will feel at ease. Preaching half the Gospel leads many astray. If someone believes in the Prosperity Gospel, they will be frustrated and confused when they go through trials in life.”
As Christians, we need to have confidence in our faith and focus on sharing and standing up for the true Gospel. We are called to love every person, but by refusing to contend for the truth, as Jude mentions in verse three, we are leading people astray because we are afraid to communicate to them that our beliefs and practices are different.
Instead of watering down the true Gospel and attempting to fit the unbeliever’s lifestyle into Christianity, believers can show God’s love through actions and conversations that may lead to deeper discussions where Christians can share about Jesus.
“Showing God’s love means asking other people how their day is going because people are always going through something,” Sherwood said. “Whether it’s good or bad, people appreciate it when you show genuine interest in their well-being. Even if you don’t know the person well, God calls us to share His love with everyone.”
When having conversations with people on the street, in church and at school, we can show God’s love by setting a good example and sharing the Gospel with them. If we do not share the Gospel, and we say nothing to refute the “feel good” message, we are hurting and leading them to hell instead of showing them the way to eternal life with Jesus in heaven.
Easy Believism proclaims a false hope and sense of belonging among both believers and unbelievers but often leads to doubt and a crisis of faith. This “feel good” message encourages a shallow view of Christianity by communicating that personal change is not required after salvation because of God’s love. In reality, however, God loves us so much that He is willing to help us change and gain confidence through Him by finding our identity in Christ. His love and forgiveness are what prompts us to love Him and to obey His Word.
“For someone who is not confident in who they are or what they believe, I would advise them to read what God says about them,” Sherwood said. “What God says about that person is all that matters.”
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