Zeal For Truth

Before commenting on the last two counterfeit gospels, let’s look at the entire list to summarize:

1. Formalism
   I participate in the regular meetings and ministries of the church, so I feel like my life is under control. I’m always in church, but it really has little impact on my heart or on how I live. I may become judgmental and impatient with those who do not have the same commitment as I do.
2. Legalism
   I live by the rules—rules I create for myself and rules I create for others. I feel good if I can keep my own rules, and I become arrogant and full of contempt when others don’t meet the standards I set for them. There is no joy in my life because there is no grace to be celebrated.
3. Mysticism
   I am engaged in the incessant pursuit of an emotional experience with God. I live for the moments when I feel close to him, and I often struggle with discouragement when I don’t feel that way. I may change churches often, too, looking for one that will give me what I’m looking for.
4. Activism
   I recognize the missional nature of Christianity and am passionately involved in fixing this broken world. But at the end of the day, my life is more of a defense of what’s right than a joyful pursuit of Christ.
5. Biblicism
   I know my Bible inside and out, but I do not let it master me. I have reduced the gospel to a mastery of biblical content and theology, so I am intolerant and critical of those with lesser knowledge.
6. Therapism
   I talk a lot about the hurting people in our congregation, and how Christ is the only answer for their hurt. Yet even without realizing it, I have made Christ more Therapist than Savior. I view hurt as a greater problem than sin—and I subtly shift my greatest need from my moral failure to my unmet needs.
7. Social-ism
   The deep fellowship and friendships I find at church have become their own idol. The body of Christ has replaced Christ himself, and the gospel is reduced to a network of fulfilling Christian relationships.

We now only have therapism and social-ism to deal with. Like the other two divisions I made in this exposition, these two counterfeits really do go hand in hand. Let’s take a look:

The Counterfeit Gospel of Therapism
Original Description:

I talk a lot about the hurting people in our congregation, and how Christ is the only answer for their hurt. Yet even without realizing it, I have made Christ more Therapist than Savior. I view hurt as a greater problem than sin—and I subtly shift my greatest need from my moral failure to my unmet needs.

In many ways, Way of the Master and other biblical evangelism tools have been formulated as a reaction to this “ism.” In this counterfeit, the emphasis on a person’s spiritual needs are transferred away from repentence, moral deficiency, sin and justice and towards various “life enhancement” needs: peace, happiness, wellness, health, fulfillment and so on. Again, the “Four Spiritual Laws” evangelism method is a perfect example of this - where people are encouraged to have a “relationship with God” because:

• “God has a wonderful plan for your life”
• We need to “experience abundant life.”
• Experience “God’s love and plan for our life.”
• He can “Make me the kind of person You want me to be”

This is therapism 101 - “Oh God, I’m just so sad and unfulfilled - I need another goofy, platitude-ridden, experience-based set of feel-good motivational speaking lectures to make me feel happy again.” No, you need a saviour because you will go to Hell, in spite of the fact that God loves you, because you refuse to repent from your sin and trust in Jesus Christ to forgive you.

This is not accomplished by willful deception, but by genuinely caring Christians who have let the cares of the world gradually replace the power of God to save from sin. The have moved from obedience to the bible to vain sacrifice. Christianity becomes less about God’s sovereignty and supremacy, and more about the believer and what he can manipulate from a wealthy parent. God is not someone we submit to, but a genie who grants our wishes, both physical and spiritual.

The Counterfeit Gospel of Social-ism
Original Description:

The deep fellowship and friendships I find at church have become their own idol. The body of Christ has replaced Christ himself, and the gospel is reduced to a network of fulfilling Christian relationships.

Many good things can become idols, getting between God and man - the bible, the name of God and even the body of Christ. The bible commands us to have genuine fellowship with the body - to “love one another.” However, we are also warned not to put family and friends above Christ. In fact, our Christian faith will likely cause our relationships to suffer (Matthew 10:21).

Christians get weary of the world, and in the exact opposite reaction as activism (changing the world by Christian means), social-ists seek to completely remove the world and focus on their “church family.” They build church schools, colleges, singles groups, marriage groups, youth groups, elderly groups, day-care, co-ops, businesses and so on until their entire life is one giant clique. They attempt to create heaven on earth by complicated networks of Christian communities, on which they rely more than the bible, more than the Holy Spirit - more than even God himself.

Because the gospel becomes relationship-based, keeping people happy becomes essential. Sin, hell, repentence and judgment do not make people willing to join these little Christian clubs - so therapism is usually adopted. In a church, this might mean that more concern is placed on “people comforts” such as the air conditioning, decorations, technology and programs rather than the teaching, fellowship and discipline.

Groups like campus life have this down to an artform - making fellowship about holding tanks with pizza, rather than genuine Christian fellowship. Real fellowship always supports the individual believer - it always comes back to the idea of the group empowering the individual, rather than the individual conforming to the group (Romans 12:4-13).

Conclusion
I hope this short series has been informative. But even in considering these seven places where Christians go astray - it is evident that there are many more “isms” that can be a trap. Feel free to continue the discussion in the comments - are there other “isms” that were missed, or were these ones discussed incompletely?

The point of this is to evaluate one’s self to ensure that key elements of Christianity are not being left out, or over-emphasized to the detriment of other equally important aspects. Christianity is an all-encompassing, balanced faith that is relatively simple in its practice. Complicating it through counterfeits like those mentioned is only going to lead the church astray, making it ineffective and impotent to accomplish that for which it was created.

My wife and I came across a remarkably concise listing of counterfeit gospels over the weekend. I wanted to take the time to explore these in slightly more depth than where I originally saw them (Between Two Worlds). I should note here that I haven’t read the book where these originated, and my interpretation may be completely different than the author’s intent.

The seven counterfeit gospels are:

1. Formalism
2. Legalism
3. Mysticism
4. Activism
5. Biblicism
6. Therapism
7. Social-ism

The Counterfeit Gospel of Formalism
Original Description:

I participate in the regular meetings and ministries of the church, so I feel like my life is under control. I’m always in church, but it really has little impact on my heart or on how I live. I may become judgmental and impatient with those who do not have the same commitment as I do.

Formalism boils the gospel down to loyalty to the church as a organization. It is notably different to legalism in that, rather than commitment to rules and precepts, formalists conform and support the organization of the church. They are probably people-oriented and talented (but as an ends to political and organizational fulfillment, not merely relationships).

I would suspect these people also long for the approval of their pastors and ministry leaders, and are at least mildly authoritarian. They need the constant approval of authority and use this to measure the effectiveness of their ministry.

They say “Hi” to as many people as they can, and have trivial knowledge of probably most of the people in the church - without pursuing the depths of genuine fellowship. The exception to this, is authority - with whom successful relationships may bring more opportunities to participate.

This type probably has trouble with competition and cliques. Again, these people are most loyal to the political aspects of a church as opposed to the people - so people represent a necessary evil. For example, they will serve and help people, but to the ends that it demonstrates their commitment to the church, not because they actually care about the people they serve.

The Counterfeit Gospel of Legalism
Original Description:

I live by the rules—rules I create for myself and rules I create for others. I feel good if I can keep my own rules, and I become arrogant and full of contempt when others don’t meet the standards I set for them. There is no joy in my life because there is no grace to be celebrated.

These people, especially in the modern seeker-friendly church, have a tougher time going about it - but they still exist in less traditional areas. They are also markedly different than formalists (who value commitment to the organization) in that they are committed to rules. The legalist is the guy who stares down the people who come in late, put their feet on the pews or wear shorts.

It has been my experience that legalists were often saved out of very licentious lifestyles. They overcompensate for their past behaviours by instituting a regiment of rules. These people do not trust freedom and liberty, and believe that churches (and usually society) need lawmakers and enforcers to keep everyone in line. If they encounter a brother sinning, it is because there was not a rule in place to prevent the sin (self-made or formally). The idea of conversion - that people can actually be changed an be governed by God and his Holy Spirit - is probably one they don’t really understand.

One of the biggest caveats to legalism, and how it is easily camouflaged is in a altered definition: Legalism is a lot of rules when really, legalism is rules apart from the bible. In other words, those who are overzealous for grace to the point of abuse are technically legalists - they have redefined grace to a rule apart from the bible, that means “I can do what I want.” It is very possible to find legalists who have created rules based in anti-legalism as a knee-jerk reaction. Freedom and liberty may be glorified to the point of becoming a rule unto themselves - which is also unscriptural.

Next time: Mysticism, Activism, Biblicism.