Postmodern Christianity, as I see it, is dominated by a canopy of false teachings and false teachers, a fact that while disappointing is not surprising. The Lord has prophesied just as much. False teachings butcher, bastardise, and banalise the Lord into something that appears seductively attractive but is in fact grotesque and rotten to the core.
In my view, the prosperity/hypergrace cult disfigures Jesus into a genie, conflating worldly blessings with salvation and the Creator with the created. Seduced and deceived, false believers seek the Lord only insofar as to get blessings from Him, not for Himself. Conflated and confected, God has become a genie, no longer Jesus.
Hypergrace succeeds in its seductive campaign by conflating pleasurable feelings with salvific grace. False believers jump headlong into the ditch of pleasurable feelings induced by hyperboles, feel-good self-help pep talks, overreaching enticements, confected emotionalism, slick cosmetic appearance, discotheque lighting and rock music, religious superstition and quack doctrines based on pompous idiosyncrasies and carnal desires. And of course (but not obviously) techniques of NLP or neurolinguistic programming that anchor and pace an unsuspecting audience to the hypnotic control of the preacher. Once again, conflation and confusion of individualistic feelings with true gospel salvation possibly make for large swathes of falsely-assured pseudo-Christians in our world today.
Does this sordid situation not remind you of these stern words of our Lord Jesus?
Matthew 7:13-23 [13] “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. [14] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. [15] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. [16] You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. [18] A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. [21] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ [23] And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
In these last days before history ends, we better keep our lamps bright and burning, staying vigilant to the end. Lest we fall into the ditch dug by false teachers and be condemned forever more.