Light Brings Salt
Volume 3, Issue 11 March 13, 2005
Dedicated to the Systematic Exposition of the Word of God
Consumer Christianity
Part II
T. A. McMahon
Consumerism was introduced to
humanity in the Garden of Eden. Satan had a self-serving concept that he wanted
to sell to a potential customer who had no need-one who, living in a perfect
environment, had it all, materially and spiritually. His strategy (comparable
to the prevailing methods of 21st-century marketing) was to create a desire
where no real need existed, convincing Eve not only
that she needed something more but that what she had was somewhat deficient.
Moreover, in an effort to beat the Competition, Satan began his pitch by sowing
doubt regarding God's command and its resulting penalty for disobedience.
By calling God a liar, the
adversary no doubt rattled Eve's trust in Him:
"And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said,
'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden '?" ...And
the serpent said unto the woman, "You surely shall not die!"
Then, in the wake of further maligning the Lord's character, came the
irresistible "do it for you" sales pitch: "For God
knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen 3:1, 4,5).
Consumerism, being all about profit, must include a
profit-oriented buyer as well as seller. Eve certainly had her own desires
stirred, for without them, no sale could have been made: " When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one
wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband
with her, and he ate." (Gen
3:6). Thus, the cry of the soul of
consumerism, "How will it profit me?" birthed itself in Adam and Eve
and all their descendants.
Consumer Christianity is a
mentality or methodology that attempts to enrich Christians both temporally and
spiritually, as well as to attract converts to the faith, through ways and
means that are true neither to the Word of God nor the work of the Holy Spirit.
Whether introduced subtly or overtly, wittingly or unwittingly, it always
involves what appeals to humanity's fallen nature. Furthermore, consumer
Christianity ultimately indulges and glorifies self rather than God.
History is replete with instances of man's consumerism and
selfism. Let's briefly survey the history of God's
chosen people, the Jews (Dt 14:2), and His church (Ti
The New Testament gospels and
epistles abound with examples of consumer "Christianity." Peter's
objection to what Jesus said He would have to suffer for our salvation
demonstrated more than just fleshly sympathy; Jesus intimated that it was
disobedience of a satanic nature (Mt 16:21-23).
Furthermore, Christ's response to Peter defines what
consumer Christianity is all about: "for you
are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." Our
Lord's other disciples were also given to the
"what-could-best-benefit-me" mentality. Blinded by self-interest to
what Jesus told them of His impending suffering and death, James and John reacted
by seeking an elevated position in His coming kingdom: " "Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on Your
right, and one on Your left."
(Mk 10:37).
The Apostle Paul rebuked Peter, who, along with Barnabas,
drew back from the Gentiles in order to accommodate those of the circumcision
(Gal
Consumer Christianity, whether
manifested in the early churches or in today's assemblies (from mega-churches
to home fellowships), is simply doing things man's way rather than God's way. The history of the church from the
first century on is a distressing chronicle of true and false Christians
deviating from the Word of God, doing what seemed right in their own minds
while professing to be doing it in the name of Christ and to His glory.
Although the results have often been spiritually devastating, God has been
faithful, merciful, and longsuffering with His own. As we draw near to the
Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, however, consumer
Christianity will so transform the professing church that it will be shocking
to any true believer unless, of course, he or she has been desensitized by the
gradual acceptance of many of the appealing "new products and
processes" (i.e., unbiblical teachings, practices, and worship forms)
being "sold" today.
Following the Rapture of the
Bride of Christ to be with Him (1 Thes
After giving information about
the coming apostasy and the Antichrist, "whose coming is after the working
of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders," the Apostle Paul,
inspired by the Holy Spirit, further explains why the deception will be so
pervasive and powerful: "...because they received not the love of the
truth." He then gives us reason to be astonished: " And
for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might
believe what is false," (2
Thes 2:9-11).
This "strong
delusion" affecting the lost is comparable to the hardening of Pharoah's heart. It neither induced sin nor subjugated Pharoah's will; yet it allowed circumstances to develop
that his wicked heart could not resist.
There is no reason to assume
that only "those who perish"
(v. 10) will be caught up in the Last Day's delusion. As we've noted from the
Scriptures, many of the heroes and heroines of the faith at times opted for
their own ways rather than God's way. They let their own desires override God's
only antidote for spiritual delusion: a love for the truth. As
it was then, so it is even more today, as the apostasy gathers unprecedented
momentum.
In the third chapter of Second
Timothy, Paul speaks prophetically, identifying some of the characteristics
that we need to urgently heed concerning the end-times deception: "This
know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be
lovers of their own selves, covetous...lovers of pleasures more than lovers of
God; having a form of
godliness, but denying the
power thereof....never able to come to the knowledge of the truth....[A]s Jannes and Jambres withstood
Moses, so do these also resist the truth" (2 Tim 3:1-8).
Let's consider these things in
light of what is taking place in evangelical churches today. Humanistic
psychology, with its emphasis on self-love and its brood of other selfisms, has become an accepted and promoted doctrine
among pastoral counselors and "Christian" psychologists. Prosperity
evangelists have turned covetousness into God's foremost commandment for
millions of professing Christians. Seeker-friendly churches are working at
filling their pews with lovers of pleasure while discouraging (and in many
cases dismissing) lovers of God. Purpose-driven churches are marketing formulas
of godliness in place of the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. The growing
adulteration of God's Holy Scriptures in the form of subjective paraphrase and
visual "translations" is creating both a resistance to the truth and
an anemia regarding spiritual discernment. Finally, regarding the ingredients
of apostasy, the magicians "wowed" those crowding Pharoah's
court with their pagan showmanship, mystical presence, and counterfeit signs
and wonders (Ex
Has "strong
delusion" made inroads into the evangelical church? If you don't think so,
you may have difficulty finding another explanation for the following agenda
and participation at the 2004 National Pastors' Convention. This event,
sponsored by Youth Specialties (
The Convention's evening
programs included Christian comedy acts, The Jesus Painter (who "paints
portraits of Christ in under 20 minutes"), "Tribe Church Drumming
Experience," "Personal Emotional Health Discussion," an
"emergent Pub with Live Music," and "Late Night Contemplative
Prayer Services."
The greater percentage of
speakers were practitioners of mystical Christian prayer and worship forms
(referred to as "authentic faith"), and the rest appeared to be
advocates of, or at least encouragers for, the development of new methodologies
and liturgies for the emerging culture of the 21st century. One
topic was titled "A New Theology for a
Most of Christianity,
according to the Scriptures, will progress into an apostate church as the
return of the Lord draws near. Jesus said to His disciples, "It is
impossible but that offenses will come: but woe unto him, through whom they
come!" (Lk 17:1). He later posed this question:
"When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Lk 18:8) The implied answer is no.
How could this happen? The
essential "love of the truth" is being extinguished by "all that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life" (1 John
As for the signs that would
adversely affect the generation at His Coming, Jesus warned that His disciples
should "take heed that no man deceive" them (Mt 24:4). If we are not the generation that is living
in the time of "strong delusion" in preparation for that day, how
much worse can it get? Pray that His Body of believers will increase in their
love for His way, His Word, and His truth.
Note: Article is excerpted
from The Berean Call Newsletter of March 2005.