Heres the main problem I have with positivists like Joel Osteen. They are so afraid to offend anyone with the truth that the Lord Jesus proclaimed, (that he is the ONLY way to heaven), that they water down the gospel of grace with a false gospel of positive self-esteem. I certainly dont have a problem with positive thinking, at least not unless it is used to mask the truth. And in this case it seems to me to be being used for that very purpose. For Joel Osteen, mentioning the name of Jesus Christ, the one and only Savior of mankind, is like pulling teeth. Hell do it. But you have to really pry it out of him. He wants to build a church filled with people who feel good about themselves, (and it seems, who flock to him in increasing numbers and plenty of money). Unfortunately, feeling good about yourself isnt how you get to heaven, but the very opposite. You have to repent of your wicked ways and believe in the work on the cross that Jesus did on our behalves, that he died for us, resurrected from the dead, and still lives to intercede on our behalves before the Father. Thats a very specific set of beliefs. And it doesnt include just anybody who happens to feel good about themselves. The only reason to feel good about yourself is if you know your name is written in the Book of Life. And for that to happen you HAVE to believe in Jesus. Theres just no way around it. Joel says he doesnt want to judge anybody, that that is Gods concern. And he would probably cite what Jesus said, Judge not lest ye be judged. But if you take that statement to mean we should not discriminate between good and evil, then you refuse to admit that the entire Bible is about doing that very thing. Why would a righteous God not expect us to favor his declared righteousness? A better way to understand Jesus statement is that we should not judge others without being willing to be judged ourselves. Our effort in Judging others should be that we do it righteously and with compassion, not in a mean-spirited way just to hurt peoples feelings and bring them down, but to enlighten, instruct, etc. And thats the best we can hope for in others towards ourselves. Im not saying that Joel Osteen is bound for hell. I agree with him that that is the Lords decision. But Jesus did say that if we are ashamed of him before men, he will be ashamed of us before the Father. And thats very sobering to contemplate, no matter how positive you might feel about yourself.
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:24:56 +0000
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