In part one of this blog, I mentioned the first three dimensions of the “Gospel of Self” that Al Mohler dealt with in his address at the 2007 “Together for the Gospel” conference … self-fulfillment, self-sufficiency, self-definition.  I found these ideas captivating, not only in understanding the culture we live in, but also the ways it tries to seduce us into thinking these vain thoughts.  Here are the remaining four.

SELF-ABSORPTION.  Our culture is increasingly driven by the idea that the only thing that matters is “me.”  When people become so absorbed in themselves, they make decisions apart from a concern for the impact on others.  And the idea of a principle of right and wrong (let alone a God who defines those values) becomes meaningless.  Mohler refers to a scenario pastor/counselors hear all too often.  “I divorced because I needed to, in order to become the self that I need to be.”  How different that is from true religion which focuses on God and His will, not self and its wishes.

SELF-TRANSCENDENCE.  “Spirituality” is popular today, but not in the traditional sense; and certainly not in any sense connected with what is derisively called “organized religion.”  People are interested in something more than the physical world.  But the new spirituality is sought within one's self through crystals and new age fantasies and in customized blends of religious ideas.  Spirituality is more of a metaphysical cafeteria where people pick a little of this and a little of that, and then stir it all up to give them a sense of “something” beyond themselves.  But that “something” does not exist outside of their imagination.  It is really only an extension of their own personality.  In contrast, the true God exists independent of any created being.

SELF-ENHANCEMENT.  We are living in an age when people are driven to whatever is possible (and science is making more and more things possible!) to enhance and improve themselves, even to the point of dangerous procedures.  Athletes take steroids to achieve levels of performance they could not attain in their own natural strength.  Mothers give their daughters breast augmentation surgery for high school presents to enhance their sensuality.  And we are hearing more and more about the potentials for genetically engineering babies with super intellects.  How different was Paul’s attitude when he wrote, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

SELF-SECURITY.  Here’s one that really hits home as a challenge for us to live in a way that is consistent with what we claim to believe.  All around us are people who believe they are safe.  This false sense of security is like a tranquilizing drug in our emotions.  Mohler writes …

We have childproof caps on our medicine bottles.  We have warnings on coffee cups from MacDonalds that we ought not to drive with the beverage in our lap.  We have vaccines, antibiotics, MRIs, and CAT scans.  We have OSHA, and bumpers on our cars that are made to receive the impact and then return to normal.  We are told to wear seat belts.  We have a massive military and a police force.  We have hospitals, and we think we are safe.  We even extend this financially: we want to retire, we have investments, and we feel safe.

How things have changed, though, in that realm since Mohler wrote those words.  The recent economic collapse should have shaken that sense of security.  But we’ll get past it, just like we got past 9-11, and that sense of safety will wash over us again.

Mohler points out, though, that throughout history, Christians have never had the right to feel safe.  Not only is that because of persecution.  Along with everyone else, we have always faced dangers from disease and famine and war, even before the word “terrorist” was common.  Our safety is not in our medicines or our economy or our military.  The only safety is in God.  And it is a safety that will not keep us from pain and suffering and death.  Rather, it is a safety that will use those very things as means of strengthening us spiritually and delivering us to a life beyond this one.

These seven dimensions of the “Gospel of the Self” can very easily seep into our hearts if we are not careful.  The temptations we face are not just lust and pride and a critical spirit.  We also face the temptation to adopt a self-focused perspective on life.  As the Puritan John Owen warned us, “Be ever killing sin, or it will be killing you.”

I am reading a book that contains the addresses presented at the 2006 “Together for the Gospel” conference.  Several of the most influential Reformed scholars of our time spoke to preachers there about the importance of “Preaching the Cross” (the book’s title) in an age when much preaching has been pitifully watered-down.  The speakers included Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, Al Mohler, R. C. Sproul, John Piper, C. J. Mahaney, and John MacArthur.  The addresses were published in this volume by Crossway Books in 2007.

One of the messages given - and printed - was by Al Mohler, whose blog/commentary I read almost every day (at www.albertmohler.com).  He spoke to the issue of “Preaching with the Culture in View.”  In that address, he elaborated on the ways in which our culture has become so absorbed with “self” as to make this virtually an anti-gospel, one that we can fall for as Christians if we’re not careful.  Here are the first three categories of this alternate gospel.  Next time, I’ll add the other four.

SELF-FULFILLMENT.  Radical individualism reigns and convinces people that they have a right to an exciting, exhilarating, satisfying life.  Happiness is the idol that tantalizes the heart.  To achieve that, people need therapy.  Preaching becomes a form of “group session therapy.” Christian bookstores are filled with “inspirational” books that offer a secular therapeutic worldview with a sprinkling of Bible verses to make them sound Christian.  Media evangelists of the health-and-wealth and name-it/claim-it schools promote this idea that God wants you to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of.  Mohler writes …

... that the psychotherapeutic worldview suggests that all Americans, all human beings through all history, in fact, are either in therapy or in denial ….  They believe that they have an alien problem that is to be resolved with an inner solution.  What the gospel says, however, is that we have an inner problem that demands an alien solution.

That alien solution, of course, is repentance and faith at the foot of the cross.

SELF-SUFFICIENCY.  People have adopted an exaggerated view of their own competency, which has led them to believe that they possess within themselves everything they need for the self-fulfillment they are convinced is their birth-right.  That includes a self-sufficient authority that frees them from bowing to any authority outside of themselves.  No one else has the right to tell them what to believe, or what they can or cannot do.  But the true Gospel calls us not to self-sufficiency – depending totally on ourselves, but to Christ-sufficiency – depending totally on Him.

SELF-DEFINITION.  This takes self-suffiency one step further down the path of radical self-autonomy by claiming that we have the right to define things in whatever way we choose.  Look at how our culture is seeking to redefine what it means to be human (using embyos for stem cell-research), what it means to be male and female (sex-change operations), even redefining marriage (gay marriages today, multiple marital partners tomorrow).  This is a part of post-modernism’s claim that all truth is socially constructed and is free for deconstruction by each individual.

Have we fallen for any of these lies?  Is culture’s anti-gospel infecting our thinking?  (part two - the next four - next time)

Betty and I wore black yesterday.  We're in mourning.  There wasn't much to celebrate.  We certainly understand the legitimate ecstacy of African-Americans to see such a man elected.  But if only it had been someone with views like Alan Keyes! 

As it is, we have a president-elect with the most liberal voting record in the Senate, and one who has already announced his intent to advance the agenda of those pushing for legalization of live-birth abortions and gay marriage, not to mention his economic philosophy that has all the marks of classic (failed) socialism.  (See Joel Belz's excellent editorial in the newest edition of World magazine.)   And then there's the matter of the kind of Supreme Court judges we can expect him to appoint.

There were two things to celebrate, though.  One is that the marriage amendments passed in California (!!!) as well in Florida.  The other is that God was not up for re-election.  He remains King of kings ... and of presidents! 

One of our members here at LOPC, Debbye Tate, wrote an excellent personal reflection about all this to her email friends yesterday.  With her permission, I include it here, echoing her sentiments ...