What is your faith based upon? Is it Christ alone, or do you unknowingly follow a half-truth version of Christianity?
In fact, a partial understanding of the Bible can easily develop into false doctrine. Care must be taken not to take a Biblical truth (for example, “God is Love”) and exalt it above the other scriptural truths or attributes of God (e.g.: God is Just, God is Holy, God is Jealous). Two of the most common half-truths in Christianity I see in our culture are a moralistic and a therapeutic faith. These terms have been discussed in depth in several books but for the sake of simplicity I sum them up this way:
Moralistic Christianity (i.e.: legalism):
“…our acceptance and justification before God has nothing to do with cultural expectations of what a Christian should act like…“
This Christianity may claim Christ’s death as the basis for their faith, but in practice teaches that our actions make us right with God. This plays out in the way we base faith on whether or not a person drinks alcohol, smokes, listens to the right music, attends enough church events, or even which “acceptable” sins they participate in – gossip and hate may be tolerated, but premarital sex and liberal social views are not. This Christianity prizes the appearance of holiness over genuine life change, because genuine change is often messy, awkward, and requires a concerted effort to love people who are different. Unfortunately this false faith is extremely prevalent, and many who assume themselves Christians are in fact basing their faith on something other than Christ’s atonement.
The truth within the lie is that our actions should reflect our faith, but true salvation is based on Christ alone. When our hearts are transformed by God we begin a process of sanctification by which we put former sins to death, turn from our old ways, and live each day more like Jesus. However, our acceptance and justification before God has nothing to do with cultural expectations of what a Christian should act like and everything to do with the grace of God to forgive all sin.
“Although it may make us feel good to think that God won’t allow us to go through more than we can handle, it is a lie. It’s a half-truth, a false truth, and a misunderstanding of scripture.“
Therapeutic Christianity (humanism, prosperity gospel):
This Christianity teaches that our faith in God exists in essence only to comfort us and make our lives easier. We worship or attend church because of what we get out of it, rather than to honor God. Faith is seen as an act that results in tangible benefits including better relationships, financial gain, peace and comfort, or success in all your endeavors. Another phrase I hear often is that “God won’t give you more than you can handle” in reference to the trouble we face in life. Although it may make us feel good to think that God won’t allow us to go through more than we can handle, it is a lie. It’s a half-truth, a false truth, and a misunderstanding of scripture. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says,
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Our God is amazingly faithful, and he will not allow us to be tempted by sin more than we are able to endure. However, the truth is we live in a fallen, sin-damaged world and our lives may be filled with trouble, persecution and hardship – often well beyond what we can handle on our own. Sometimes these are consequences of our own sin, sometimes they’re due to the actions of others. Other times God plainly asks us to do things that require great faith and reliance on him instead of our own abilities. From Moses to Gideon to the Disciples and Apostles, scripture is full of examples of people who’s lives were constantly “more than they could handle”, yet God was still faithful to them. Be careful not to base your faith on your circumstances. Instead, base your faith on the unchanging truth that God loves you and has already provided everything you need to live a Godly life. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.