By Pastor Stephen Hess –
According to the Bible, there is only one true gospel. This gospel is the good news that because of Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection, sinners can be made right with God through faith alone. This is the message that the apostles preached from the beginning of the church. Yet even in the earliest days of Christianity, distortions of this message began to creep in and “false gospels” began to spread.
One example of this is found in Paul’s letter to the Galatian church. At the beginning of Galatians, Paul writes to the church: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6-7). Paul knew that there was only one true gospel, but he was also aware that some people were distorting that gospel. Apparently, some teachers in the Galatian church were arguing that faith in Christ was not sufficient to save a person, but that one must follow certain Jewish ceremonial laws in order to be saved. Paul made clear that justification before God was based upon faith alone and that anything else was a false gospel. He even said, “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:9).
Still today there are people who distort the gospel of Jesus Christ and preach false gospels. One of the most widespread examples of this in the United States today is what has been called the “prosperity gospel.” The prosperity gospel is the false teaching that it is God’s will for Christians to be healthy and wealthy, and that if we simply have enough faith God will bless us with material prosperity. Essentially what the prosperity gospel does is “Christianize” the American dream and suggest that our own material prosperity is God’s greatest concern. Instead of denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Christ (Mk. 8:34), the prosperity gospel turns the message of Jesus upside down and suggests that Christianity is about indulging all of our material desires.
The prosperity gospel has been one of the fastest growing false teachings in America today. It has become so mainstream that many well-known mega-churches and celebrity preachers have embraced these teachings. Sadly, not only has this become cancerous to the church in America, but these false teachings are being exported to other countries around the world. Now more than ever there is a need for the American church to have theological clarity and to call people back to the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
On Saturday April 13th at 6:30pm we will be having a movie night at Highview where we will be showing the new documentary called “American Gospel.” American Gospel examines how the prosperity gospel (sometimes called the Word of Faith movement) has distorted the gospel message, and how this theology is being exported abroad. The film powerfully presents the true gospel to viewers and calls the church to embrace the message of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Christ alone.
We invite you to come join us and bring a friend on April 13th. You will leave feeling challenged, encouraged, and sharpened!