Deconstructing false gospel's: Part 2

So “Easy-believism” is not the only gospel abuse out there. Certainly some other deconstruction's need to take place concerning false gospels. Traditionally, the simple gospel and the individual’s faith response to it has not been good enough for many. They either feel the need to rewrite it, ignore it, or try to add to it – all dangerous patterns when it comes to knowing how God wants us to respond to His Son and His plan for us. The “adding to” Christ’s statement has been the most used – think about it, nearly every religion has some form of a merit-based salvation or promise of eternity. “Do this: and you will be ok, you will make it. And then if you do this you will really make it.” Certianly this is not what we find in scripture: so let’s consider the next false gospel and do some deconstruction -

• Meritorious salvation – The idea you do something that merits God loving you. Work hard enough and God will...
love you eternally. So many people work hard to do good, in hopes that when all is placed on the balance scales of eternity that their good displaces their bad. Works salvation, social gospel, and liberation theology all put great emphasis on what you do and take the focus off of what Christ has done – what a scary thought to leave this earth based on your self-effort.

The initial problem with a work based salvation has to do with answering the question, “How much?” How much work has to be done? When will I know when I have crossed that threshold? Is that why the Pope retired? Did he receive a confirmation from the skies with a message that we should be waiting for? If our salvation is up to our works, what kind of scale in the heavens weighs this work. And, if it does indeed it exist, it seems to never change – it reads a BIG ZERO. Romans 3 says, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.”

So what other problems come up with this type of “gospel”? ….more to come