Monday, September 05, 2005

The Gospel According to Satan

He reassures us we're all human; we all make mistakes. God simply tolerates and understands all our unhealthy choices. Holiness is too offensive; but happiness is satisfying. Commitment, vows, covenants are so pedestrian; live for what completes you and makes you happy. And that is why sin is called sickness, disobedience is called disease, and adultery is nothing more than addiction. If you trapped by sensuality, you donĂ‚’t need repentance but sexaholic therapy to understand your inner child longing for appreciation and intimacy.
From The Gospel According to Satan by Steve Camp (emphasis mine)

We see this everywhere. People go to Oprah and Dr. Phil to solve their problems rather than confessing their sin to God and repenting. They join support groups and go to counselors rather than trust that if they are truly repentant God can, and will, give them the strength to deal with the temptations they face.

In our society God is someone who stands far off and cares not about our struggles. In our society God lets, perhaps even causes, evil to happen. If God were truly loving there would be no pain, no murder, no rape; none of the things in the world are actually our own fault. Sin isn't sin. A sinner just has a sickness that, with the right counseling and plenty of positive thinking, can be dealt with. You should never call anyone a sinner, nor tell them what they are doing is wrong, because you might damage their self esteem.

In our society God is impotent. You have to approach life's problems with a 12 step (or perhaps just a 5 step program if you are really ambitious)program and a counselor to see any good get done in the world, because we all know God can't save the lost, heal the sick, raise the dead, or avenge those whose rights have been trampled.

In our society God is rendered to nothing more than what is right for me may not be right for you, but we are both right. Jesus and Buddha are both the way to heaven. Don't believe in any of it? That's fine, because atheism is perfectly fine as well.

The problem with this concept is that it just isn't true. Sin is evil and does in fact exist. We are all sinners, every one of us.


Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
...

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8, emphasis mine)

...

The Bible is explicitly clear, you must know and accept the Bible’s Jesus as your personal savior, He is the only way to heaven, the only way to salvation and a restored relationship with God.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
From my article There is No Right or Wrong with The New Gospel (Bold and italics in original)

But through a true relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we can be set free of the sin, we can be healed. God can take anything traumas that were done to us as children and heal us of them. But you have to let God work in your life. Meditation, walking labrinths, self esteem workshops are not going to fix you. But God can.

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