Lukewarm Christianity is everywhere today. And with that comes a myriad of bad doctrines and misleading statements about Jesus Christ, the Bible, and the practice of our faith.
1. You can never lose your salvation - The quintessential lukewarm doctrine of the lukewarm church, receive salvation, then go do whatever you want, one and done, just like fast food, grab and go, get saved then go live however you want because hey, you can never lose it right? Let's Restore the concept that falling away is real, and we must guard against it by abiding in Christ!
2. Just Believe - The removal of repentance from the equation of salvation has been quite complete. Can you find a depiction of the gospel on a tract or graphic that includes repentance? Good luck. Let's work to restore repentance as something done in concert with faith.
3. Tithing is optional - a recent study showed that about 50% of pastors don't even teach or believe tithing is biblical, which is truly astonishing. But boy does this topic get people fired up. That's what happens when you hit someone close to their idol. The idol of course being money. Let's restore the reality of stewardship in regard to our finances, the value of tithing and giving offerings, not just 10% but above and beyond, which is the New Testament standard.
4. Only Love - This false concept of Love has gone so far in the wrong direction, you even have Christian rock songs that don't even call God by his name anymore, they just say "love." God is love, but he is much more than love, he is just, righteous, holy, a God of judgment and infinite power. When we over-emphasize love we create an idol of God that fits our preferences. Let's restore the concept that God came full of grace yes, and truth, and that God came not to judge the world but to save the world through Jesus (John 3:16) but remember to include the next verse which says, but those who do not believe in God's only are condemned already (John 3:17-18).
5. Fear is bad - We've lost the concept of the Fear of the Lord in our modern era. We think fear is mean and bad. But sometimes fear is a good thing. Not fear of man, but fear of God. To tremble before a holy God is wise, and the word says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Let's remember that the fear of the Lord is not only an Old Testament concept, but it says in Acts 5:11, "Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events."
6. Only heaven, no hell (or neither!) - When is the last time you heard hell mentioned from the pulpit? And even further, many pastors no longer talk about heaven either, well people don't get that kind of thing, they want to talk about stuff in this place. A gospel without heaven or hell is not the gospel. Let's restore the preaching of heaven, the New Jerusalem, New Heavens and New Earth, as well as Hell, the eternal judgment, conscious eternal torment, both realities are quite real.
7. Removal of Sin - many a modern gospel presentation goes something like this, well, you're hurting, you're lost, you can't find meaning so come to Jesus and he'll complete you. Fair enough, all that's true. But what's missing? Sin is missing. Sin is the reason Jesus died on the cross, to remove our sins. If we don't talk about sin, how can we preach the gospel of freedom from sin? Let's restore the teaching of sin as the issue which Jesus came to save us from.
