All I'm hearing is some New Age, God-is-Love, one-size-fits-all crap!

A scene from ER. As told in Michael Horton's "Christless Christianity"

Lying in his hospital bed while he is dying from cancer, a retired police officer confesses to a Chaplin his long-held guilt over allowing an innocent man to be framed and executed. He asks, "How can I even hope for forgiveness?" and the Chaplin replies, "I think sometimes it's easier to feel guilty than forgiven.

"Which means what?"

"That maybe your guilt over his death has become your reason for living. Maybe you need a new reason to go on."

"I don't want to go on. Can't you see I'm dying? The only thing that is holding me back is that I'm afraid - I'm afraid of what comes next."

"What do you think that is?"

Growing impatient, the man answers, "You tell me. Is atonement possible? What does God want from me?"

"I think it's up to each one of us to interpret for ourselves what God wants from us."

"So people can do anything? They can rape, they can murder, they can steal - all in the name of God and its OK?"

"No, that's not what I am saying."

"Then what are you saying? Because all I'm hearing is some New Age, God-is-love, have-it-your crap!....No, I don't have time for this now."

"You don't understand."

"No, you don't understand!....I want a real Chaplin who believes in a real God and a real hell!"

"I hear that you are frustrated, but you need to ask yourself-"

"No! I don't need to ask myself anything. I need answers and all of your questions and all your uncertainty are only making things worse."

"I know you're upset."

"God, I need someone who will look me in the eye and tell me how to find forgiveness because I am running out of time!"








I saw that last January and it completely floored me. I am not one to watch TV...ever. I actually had the TV on for a friend that was over as he was doing his laundry. He was flipping through the channels trying to find a picture using foil and a broken rabbit ear antenna. We finally had success as this man was screaming at the Chaplin. I looked up from my reading to see a beautifully tragic display of the gospel being aired on national television. The Chaplin then runs out of the room and goes outside for fresh air. A doctor follows her out and they converse about her fears and questions. That too is another great dialogue.

I had forgotten all about this until I read a recount of it in a book I just picked up, "Christless Christianity". Micheal Horton uses this discourse as an example of how we no longer have an answer to the question of guilt that plagues us all. We have watered down the gospel to the place where "sin" and "forgiveness" are no longer in our vocabulary or our doctrine. We have taken the power out of the gospel and replaced it with feel good garbage.

As the above dialogue clearly shows, our new gospel is no gospel at all. It holds no answers. It gives no hope. Lord, forgive us. May we preach you, Jesus! And you crucified! Let us not be ashamed of you, our Lord. You are the only hope of salvation, the only hope for the guilt that is inside all of us. Let us feel that guilt, deeply in our soul. For it may be the catalyst we need to finally drop to our knees and cry out to you. Lord, save the empty Christianity that has pervaded the church here in America. If we have come you learn of you, or rather be known by you through power in spirit, how is it that now we have become so arrogant to think that we can follow you through our own power. What have we to add or bring before you that could possibly grant us favor with you? Lord, I am sorry for offering others a gospel that is lacking in power, one that is empty to save souls and conquer death, one that has you dying in vain. Forgive me. Forgive us.