This rescource was submitted by Brian Johnson - thanks brother!

Patrick

DANGERS OF A “MAN CENTERED” GOSPEL
by Brian Johnson
www.whatisthegospel.org.uk

During the 20th Century a man-centred gospel began to emerge in evangelistic presentations of the Gospel. Evidence suggests that the man-centered gospel had its origins in the USA.

The gospel message is sometimes altered in a way that gives man prominence in the gospel message given to people. For example, it often begins with: “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life” (note than man gets two mentions here, while God only gets one and Jesus is not even mentioned at all!). Neither Peter nor Paul ever preached such a message, nor does any book of the Bible - since it is not the Gospel. While it is true that God draws the sinner out of love for His creation, and that Christ died to make it possible for him to be saved, it is not true that God has a wonderful plan for every lost sinner. His plan for lost sinners who reject Jesus Christ is that they will be thrown into Hell. There is nothing wonderful about that!

Some concentrate on a way of preaching that sets out to address the "felt needs" of the people. This, again, puts man in front as the major player. According to John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostles Peter and Paul, it is God's - not man's - priority that constitutes the true Gospel: "God commands all people everywhere to repent". (Acts 17 verse 30)
 
In his article "A God Centred Gospel", Brian L Watts says: "God is the author of creation itself, and everything that happens in the created order must also start with Him. Anything that does not start with God is idolatrous and false. Christ, the image of the invisible God, is before all things; in him all things hold together (Col 1:15-17). Anything which cannot measure up to this acid test is a "different gospel."

Does God Appreciate Me?

Martin Luther once said: "God does not love us because we are valuable; we are valuable because God loves us."

John Piper in his online book “God Is The Gospel ”says: "The acid test of biblical God-centeredness—and faithfulness to the gospel — is this: Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you, or because, at the cost of his Son, he enables you to enjoy making much of him forever? Does your happiness hang on seeing the cross of Christ as a witness to your worth, or as a way to enjoy God’s worth forever?" He later adds: "The sad thing is that a radically man-centered view of love permeates our culture and our churches." He concludes: "We are willing to be God-centered, it seems, as long as God is man-centered."

A man-centered Gospel always elevates man by making light of his "sin nature" and of the law which convicts him of sin. The true Gospel always lifts up God and his righteousness, and points to the law which reveals to a man his own sinfulness before a holy God.

The Gospel that appeals to man offers the prospect of making his present life better and easier, with the added improvement of more successful relationships and a happier lifestyle overall. Thus the requirements of a holy God are not seen as paramount, unlike scripture.

Appealing to man's view of himself and his needs as a Gospel basis suggests that the preacher is embarrassed by both Jesus' and the Biblical Gospel's "insufficiency" and so needs the preacher's help to get people into the Kingdom! Paul's words are appropriate here: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing." and "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" Preaching according to man's "foolish" wisdom will only reap "man's results". Will these stand at the Judgement?