A Watered Down Gospel
I am sure a lot of you have heard by now that John Piper (one of my favorite authors) has asked Rick Warren to speak at this year’s Desiring God National Conference. But what has been absolutely hilarious for me is that bloggers and self righteous whose-a-what-sis have the audacity to complain about it.
Here are a few quotes from online publications…
The problem is not that Rick Warren is not a 5 Point Calvinist. The problem is that he consistently preaches a watered down gospel, and he began the seeker sensitive movement…
I have to add that Warren and his ministry have a lot to answer for: ecumenism, watered down gospel etc…
At the very least he (Warren) preaches (if you want to call it that) a watered down gospel. His arrogance is astounding as is the flippant manner with which he speaks of the Christ…
The Purpose Driven Life is the only Rick Warren book I have eve read; and I wasn’t impressed. I would echo what other critics have said, in that Warren uses a lot of scripture out of context. I have also never met Rick Warren, I saw him speak at a Pastor’s conference one time and I began the day not thinking that highly about him, but after hearing him speak, I gained a ton of respect for him.
First, in regard to John Piper asking Rick Warren to speak at Desiring God, the only thing I have to say is… who are we to challenge what John Piper does? The conference is his own! He can invite Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert for all I care! (actually I would totally go that conference!) And some of you may not agree with Warren’s message to the world …but if you as a pastor or religious leader feel you can’t learn anything from him – you’re crazy.
But I don’t want to talk about any of that.
I want to address this common accusation that I hear from people about main stream preachers; this whole idea that you can “water down” the gospel. What does that mean? I’d love someone to explain it to me. Because when I read the story of the bible, that’s exactly what I see Jesus doing!
The Pharisees had turned God’s Law into 613 mitzvot, and each person was only made right with God through an ancient OCD form of legalism.
Jesus comes on the scene (as a teacher) and he begins many of his lessons with this phrase, “You have heard it said…” and then he proceeds to “simplify” a very complicated law.
For instance, there are pages and pages of text devoted to marriage and adultery in the law, but Jesus comes on the scene and sums up the entire ancient text in two sentences.
Matthew 5:31
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
Another example was the Sabbath; much of the mitzvot was dedicated to the day of rest and Jesus often appeared to be breaking these hard and fast laws. When asked to defend his actions, Jesus says in Mark 2, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
That’s it.
And while I am sure you could write a whole book dissecting Jesus’ answer – you can’t help but notice that it is extremely simple. And I think there is a huge difference between “watering” something down and making it “simpler” and more “accessible.”
“Watering something down” means that that you are diluting something pure.
What once was delicious is now flat and tasteless.
What once had impact and was strong, is now feeble.
So maybe I misspoke on purpose earlier. Jesus doesn’t “water down” the law; so much as he “breaks it down” to its purist elements. Jesus’ explanation about adultery is clean and easy to understand. What once was complicated and filled with addendums, Jesus simplifies. When Jesus gives his philosophy on the Sabbath he gives a clear and level answer.
So why do “simple teachers” get criticized?
I think first because the simple teachers make the complicated teachers obsolete. If the law is hard and convoluted – then I need the Pharisees as the authority for God’s word. But if a simple teacher makes the teaching easy and “at hand” then I don’t need to rely on the human agent, and I can simply trust God.
And I think in a world where life gets more complicated; where we add more “apps” to our daily life… we need a simple, effort-less gospel. And I think if you search the scriptures, the bible has always warranted a “simple understanding” of God’s word.
Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge the Lord, and he will make your paths straight.
Another reason I believe the watered down label is tossed around so much is because a “simple gospel” implies a simple God and I think there is something in us that doesn’t want to admit that God can be approachable and knowable. So the more laws and dogma we build between ourselves and God it all helps to build the façade that there is distance between the Holy God and the sinful us. I would argue that James (the brother of Jesus) offers a very approachable and simple explanation of the gospel in his letter.
James 4:8
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Done. That’s the gospel.
Approach God as a knowable and assessable God. Clean out your old life and the Lord will exalt you and bring you into his Kingdom.
What is James forgetting?
In fact, the most memorized Christian verse is also Jesus making the gospel message easy.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Done. That’s the gospel.
How come nobody has ever accused Jesus for watering down the torah?
And I have heard must simpler definitions of the gospel from other authors:
Andrew Farley wrote that the gospel is as simple as “Jesus plus nothing.”
Scott McKnight said it’s as simple as “Loving God and Loving Others.”
Mark Driscoll is often heard repeating his axiom “it’s about Jesus and it will always be about Jesus.”
Done. That’s the gospel.
I think if anything Rick Warren has made Jesus and the idea of being a Christian – simple again.
Water has always been “good news.”
Proverbs 25:25
Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
Water refreshes, it builds, it restores and it is….good.
Every time we “add” something to water we give it our own flavor and often times make it less healthy. Jesus came and removed all of the additives and human elements to show a burdened world the truth.
The good news is, salvation to the poor.
The gospel is, come as you are.
Rejoice that the Lord, the God of Heaven has already paid the price
The gospel is easy.
The gospel is approachable.
The gospel is a peasant story
The gospel is knowable
The gospel is exchangeable
The gospel is effortless.
The gospel is costless.
The gospel is Jesus plus nothing.
The gospel is loving God and loving others.
The gospel is about Jesus and it will always be about Jesus.
The gospel fills
The gospel quenches.
The gospel satisfies.
The gospel ratifies.
The gospel sooths
The gospel heals
The gospel is water.
