“Law-Lite”: Salvation From Unhappiness By Doing Your Best. There is no condemnation in Osteen’s message for failing to fulfill God’s righteous law. On the other hand, there is no justification, either. Instead his message is of upbeat moralism that is somewhere in the middle: Do your best, follow the instructions I give you, and God will make your life successful. “Don’t sit back passively,” he warns, but with a gentle pleading suggests that the only reason we need to follow his advice is because it’s useful for getting what we want. God is a buddy or partner who exists primarily to make sure we are happy. “You do your part, and God will do his part.” “Sure we have our faults,” he says, but “the good news is, God loves us anyway.” Instead of accepting God’s just verdict on our own lawlessness and fleeing to Christ for justification, Osteen counsels readers simply to reject guilt and condemnation. Yet it is hard to do that successfully when Osteen says God’s favor and blessing on my life depend entirely on how well I can put his commands to work. “If you will simply obey his commands, He will change things in your favor.” That’s all: “…simply obey his commands.”
According to Osteen, everything depends on “us”, and he claims it’s easy. One wonders if he has ever had a crisis of doubt or moral failure that stripped him naked in God’s presence. I doubt he has seen God’s Law in truth, and his actual crimes against God from violating that Law. Osteen seems to think that we are basically good people and God has a very easy way for us to save ourselves-not from his judgment, but from our lack of success in life-with his help. “God is keeping a record of every good deed you’ve ever done,” he says-as if this is good news. “In your time of need, because of your generosity, God will move heaven and earth to make sure you are taken care of.”
It may be “Law Lite,” but make no mistake about it: behind a smile that eschews any talk of God’s wrath, there is a determination to assimilate the gospel to law, an announcement of victory to a call to be victorious, indicatives to imperatives, good news to good advice. The bad news may not be as bad as it used to be, but the good news is just a softer version of the bad news: Do more. But this time, it’s easy. And if you fail, don’t worry. God just wants you to do your best. He’ll take care of the rest.
So who needs Christ? At least, who needs Christ as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29)? The sting of the law may be taken out of Osteen’s message, but that only means that the gospel has become a less demanding, more encouraging law whose exhortations are only meant to make us happy, not to measure us against God’s holiness.
What Osteen teaches is NOT biblical. The truth is, God’s angry wrath abides upon those who live in sin, and for self. They commit crimes against God and break His law in their thoughts, by their words, and their actions, and they think very lightly of it. Yet, the day will come when God will hold them accountable…because their crimes are against GOD. Therefore, if they refuse the free gift of God in Jesus Christ, if they don’t Repent of their sins, forsake living rebelliously against God and the teachings of Scripture, and trust that Jesus is who He said He is, and whom the Scriptures declare He is as well as that Jesus paid the full fine for their sin penalty…if the don’t do this, they will die in their sins, and be judged by God, and sent to Hell to be punished eternally, and there they will be in torment, have no hope of escape or release.
We are bad people, who can be saved by a good God. The True and Living God, who has proved that he cares for His creation. He shows His loving-kindness toward us that while we were His enemies, He paid a huge price in order to show His grace and mercy toward us. Get right with God today www.NeedGod.com Don’t be like those people who refuse to obey God. They will die in their sins and receive what they deserve. God offers you forgiveness, grace and mercy, and a right relationship with Him. Do it today.
For information critiquing Osteens teachings >> download free book
**************************************************************************
Info based on blog article, “Law-Lite” Osteen. See whole article at: http://blog.echurchwebsites.org.uk/2009/11/16/joel-osteen-glory-story-case-study
More on false prosperity
More on word faith cult & false teachers
.
