Faith in What? Cultural Christianity, Celebrity Faith, and the Gospel We Have Nearly Forgotten.

I was raised by Bible-belt Christianity. Now, I live in the Bible Belt, Tennessee exactly, where almost everybody is a Christian.

Just ask them.

They believe in God. They grew up Baptist. Their grandmother prayed for them. They were baptized when they were eight. They walked an aisle at Vacation Bible School. They know “Amazing Grace.” They have a cross hanging somewhere in the house. They say “God is good” when something goes their way and “everything happens for a reason” when it doesn’t.

And apparently that is now enough to declare somebody a Christian.

It isn’t.

Not according to Scripture.

And frankly, I am sick to death of watching the church participate in this nonsense. I am sick of watching people be led astray.

We have spent so many years trying not to offend anybody that we have nearly lost the ability to tell the difference between Christianity and religious sentimentality. We call people believers because they mention God. We call celebrities Christians because they sing a gospel song. We confuse philanthropy with regeneration, kindness with conversion, spirituality with salvation, and vague affection for Jesus with submission to Christ.

Then when somebody dies—or even when our culture simply decides to canonize one of its heroes—we practically hold an evangelical beatification ceremony.

“She had such faith.”

“She loved God.”

“She had a good heart.”

“She did so much good.”

Fine.

Here is my question:

Faith in what?

Because faith does not save merely because somebody possesses it.

Muslims have faith.

Mormons have faith.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have faith.

Pagans have faith.

New Agers have faith.

Demons believe God exists.

James could not have made that much clearer:

“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
—James 2:19

So spare me the argument that somebody “believed in God.”

I bought into this lie.

I was a stripper for three years. Wearing a cross around my neck, “believing”… Believing what? That the thrice holy God of the universe was going to bless me in my sin? That “Jesus loves me right where I am…?”

That is not the gospel.

The question is not merely whether a person believes.

The question is whom they believe, what they believe, and whether the object of that faith is the Jesus Christ revealed in Scripture.

There is only one Christ who saves.

Not the culturally acceptable Jesus.

Not the therapeutic Jesus.

Not the Jesus who exists primarily to tell us how wonderful we are.

Not the Jesus who smiles benignly while we create our own morality, define our own identity, follow our own hearts, celebrate our own desires, and then slap His name on the whole mess.

The Jesus who saves is the Jesus of Scripture.

And He commands sinners to repent.

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We Have Made “Nice” the New Test of Salvation

This is where cultural Christianity has done enormous damage.

“She was so kind.”

Wonderful.

“She gave millions to charity.”

Wonderful.

“She helped children.”

Wonderful.

“She treated people well.”

Wonderful.

Those are good things.

They are not the gospel.

Unbelievers can be generous.

Unbelievers can love their children.

Unbelievers can build hospitals, feed the poor, donate millions of dollars, rescue animals, fund scholarships, and be delightful neighbors.

Reformed theology has never had a problem acknowledging that. We call it common grace. God restrains evil and permits human beings—even unregenerate human beings—to do things that are genuinely beneficial to their neighbors and society.

But common grace is not saving grace.

Kindness does not justify you.

Generosity cannot atone for you.

Philanthropy cannot reconcile you to a holy God.

Being beloved by millions does not wipe away sin.

And having “a good heart” is especially problematic considering that God says:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
—Jer. 17:9

If being nice could save us, Jesus did not need to die.

If generosity could save us, Calvary was unnecessary.

If sincerity could save us, there was no reason for Christ to bear the wrath of God.

If “trying to be a good person” could save us, Paul wasted a considerable amount of ink explaining justification by faith.

But Scripture says:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
—Eph. 2:8–9

And:

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.”
—Titus 3:5

That is Christianity.

Everything else is an attempt to sneak human goodness back into the courtroom and offer it as evidence before a perfectly holy Judge.

It will not stand.

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And Yes, Fruit Matters

Now somebody will immediately swing the pendulum the other direction.

“So works don’t matter?”

Oh, stop.

Of course they matter.

They just don’t save you.

They demonstrate what has happened to you.

The same Paul who says salvation is not a result of works immediately says:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
—Eph. 2:10

Jesus said:

“You will recognize them by their fruits.”
—Matt. 7:16

James said faith without works is dead.

The Westminster Confession calls good works the “fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith.”

This is not complicated.

We are not saved by fruit.

But a living tree eventually produces some.

And I am tired of Christians acting as though asking about fruit is somehow unloving.

Jesus told us to look for it.

Regeneration means something actually happened.

The Holy Spirit does not move into a human heart, regenerate the sinner, unite that sinner to Christ, begin the work of sanctification—and leave absolutely everything untouched.

Will Christians still sin?

Obviously.

Will Christians stumble badly?

Yes.

Will Christians need to repent repeatedly?

Until the day we die.

But the direction of the life changes.

There is conviction.

There is repentance.

There is increasing hatred of sin.

There is increasing love for righteousness.

There is submission to Scripture.

There is a growing willingness to say:

God is right and I am wrong.

That may be one of the clearest marks missing from modern Christianity.

Everybody loves a god who agrees with them.

The question is what happens when God doesn’t.

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Dolly Parton and the Religion of “Be True to Yourself”

And this is where the public celebration surrounding figures such as Dolly Parton becomes revealing.

This is bigger than Dolly.

Much bigger.

She simply represents something our culture has turned into a virtue: self-creation.

Parton spoke openly about constructing her public image. She famously told the story of the provocatively dressed woman from her childhood whom others considered the “town tramp” and whom young Dolly thought was beautiful. That image became part of the persona she intentionally cultivated.

That is not me insulting her.

That is part of the story she told about herself.

But my concern is not lipstick.

It isn’t blonde hair.

It isn’t cosmetic surgery.

And Christians embarrass themselves when they reduce biblical womanhood to hemlines and hairstyles.

My concern is the worldview underneath it:

This is who I want to be.
This is how I choose to define myself.
This is my identity.
This is my heart.
This is my dream.
This is my truth.
Be true to yourself.

America loves that gospel.

Jesus does not preach it.

Biblical womanhood is not about creating whatever version of womanhood pleases us and expecting God to bless the finished product.

Biblical womanhood begins where Christianity itself begins:

Christ is Lord. I am not.

My body is not autonomous.

My sexuality is not autonomous.

My desires are not sovereign.

My identity is not self-created.

My heart does not get the final vote.

God does.

Scripture says women are to adorn themselves “with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works” (1 Tim. 2:9–10).

That does not mean beauty is sinful.

It means beauty is not our god.

Sexual attention is not our god.

Self-expression is not our god.

Our desires are not our god.

And the modern command to “be true to yourself” is not Christian advice.

Sometimes being “true to yourself” is exactly what needs to die.

Jesus did not say:

Discover yourself.

Celebrate yourself.

Express yourself.

Affirm yourself.

Follow your heart.

He said:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
—Matt. 16:24

Those two messages cannot be harmonized.

One says follow yourself.

Jesus says deny yourself and follow Me.

Pick one.

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Stop Making God in Your Own Image

This may be the greatest idol in American Christianity.

We have created a god who suspiciously agrees with us about everything.

Our god likes what we like.

Our god hates what we hate.

Our god approves our sexuality.

Our god approves our priorities.

Our god never interferes with our dreams.

Our god never tells us no.

Our god never demands repentance.

Our god never speaks of judgment.

Our god never talks about wrath.

Our god never confronts pride.

Our god never commands submission.

Our god never tells women that femininity belongs to God.

Our god never tells men that masculinity belongs to God.

Our god never demands holiness.

Our god just wants us happy.

How convenient.

That god does not exist.

He is a mirror with a halo.

Romans 1 says fallen humanity:

“exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.”
—Rom. 1:25

Idolatry does not require carving a statue.

You can create an idol with a Bible sitting beside you.

Take the parts of God you like.

Discard the attributes that make you uncomfortable.

Keep love.

Dump wrath.

Keep mercy.

Lose judgment.

Keep grace.

Forget repentance.

Keep heaven.

Pretend hell doesn’t exist.

Keep Jesus the friend.

Get rid of Jesus the King.

Then call the finished product “Christianity.”

It isn’t.

And putting the name Jesus on a false god does not make him Christ.

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Jesus Was Not a Life Coach

Another thing I am exhausted by is the mutilation of the character of Christ.

We hear:

“Jesus loved everyone.”

Yes.

More perfectly than you or I ever will.

And because He loved sinners, He told them the truth.

Jesus welcomed sinners.

He ate with sinners.

He touched lepers.

He showed compassion to prostitutes and tax collectors.

He forgave wicked people.

And He commanded them to repent.

His opening proclamation was:

“Repent and believe in the gospel.”
—Mark 1:15

Repent.

That word has nearly vanished from American evangelicalism.

Because repentance requires admitting there is something about me that God condemns.

That doesn’t sell nearly as well as “God loves you exactly as you are.”

God’s love is infinitely greater than that slogan.

God loves His people enough not to leave us exactly as we are.

Grace does not baptize rebellion.

Grace does not celebrate sin.

Grace does not affirm self-rule.

Grace saves sinners from sin.

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The Bible Belt May Be One of the Hardest Mission Fields in America

I mean that.

Give me an atheist who knows he rejects Christianity and at least we know where we stand.

But cultural Christians?

They are often inoculated against conversion.

They got just enough Christianity to believe they no longer need Christianity.

Ask why they believe they are saved.

“I’ve always believed in God.”

“My daddy was a deacon.”

“My grandmother took me to church.”

“I was baptized.”

“I said the sinner’s prayer.”

“I walked the aisle.”

“I joined the church.”

“I try to treat everybody right.”

“I’ve never killed anybody.”

“I know I’m not perfect.”

None of that answers the question.

Have you been born again?

Have you repented?

Are you trusting in Christ alone?

Do you understand the gospel?

Is Jesus your Savior and Lord?

Do you love what He loves?

Do you grieve what He calls sin?

When His Word contradicts you, who wins?

Because Jesus said:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”
—Matt. 7:21

Read that again.

They call Him Lord.

These aren’t atheists.

These are religious people.

People who know the language.

People who claim association with Jesus.

And He says some of them are going to hell.

If that doesn’t terrify the average Bible Belt church, I don’t know what will.

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And This Is What Happens When Churches Stop Preaching the Bible

We did not arrive here accidentally.

For decades many churches replaced preaching with motivational speeches.

Pastors became life coaches.

Sermons became TED Talks with a verse stapled to the front.

We got relationship advice.

Leadership principles.

Five steps to a better marriage.

Three keys to achieving your dreams.

Movie clips.

Emotional stories.

Political rants.

Inspirational slogans.

And precious little exposition of the Word of God.

Then we act surprised when people cannot define justification, regeneration, repentance, sanctification, atonement, imputation, or even the gospel itself.

Paul did not tell Timothy:

Keep the congregation entertained.

Make sure everybody leaves encouraged.

Protect their self-esteem.

Never make them uncomfortable.

Avoid controversial doctrines.

Paul said:

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
—2 Tim. 4:2

And the very next warning explains why:

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.”
—2 Tim. 4:3

Welcome to America.

We do not merely have teachers telling people what they want to hear.

We have churches marketing it.

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“But You Can’t Judge Her Heart!”

Here comes the evangelical trump card.

“You don’t know her heart.”

Correct.

Neither do you.

Which means you cannot declare her saved simply because she talked about God, sang gospel music, gave money away, and seemed nice.

Do you see the double standard?

Apparently saying, “We should examine a person’s profession according to Scripture” is judgmental.

But saying, “She definitely loved Jesus and she’s definitely in heaven” is somehow humility.

No.

You don’t know that either.

I am not claiming omniscience.

I am claiming discernment.

Those are not the same thing.

Scripture commands us to test the spirits.

Scripture commands us to test everything.

Scripture warns about false converts.

Scripture warns about false teachers.

Scripture tells us we will know people by their fruits.

Scripture tells professing Christians to examine themselves to see whether they are in the faith.

So no, I will not pronounce the eternal destiny of another human being.

That belongs to Christ.

But neither will I participate in the canonization of celebrities simply because everybody liked them.

That also belongs to Christ.

The Lord knows those who are His.

My responsibility is to tell the truth about what saving faith actually is.

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False Conversion Is Not a Small Problem

This is what bothers me most.

We are talking about eternity.

Not whether somebody was talented.

Not whether their music made us smile.

Not whether they gave money away.

Not whether their personality was charming.

Not whether they seemed sincere.

Eternity.

Hell is real.

Judgment is real.

God is holy.

Sin is real.

The wrath of God is real.

And Jesus Christ is the only Savior.

So when churches tell unconverted people they are probably fine because they prayed a prayer when they were seven, we are not being loving.

When we assure people that vague belief in God counts as Christianity, we are not being loving.

When we tell people their kindness proves they know Christ, we are not being loving.

When we refuse to talk about repentance because it might offend somebody, we are not being loving.

We are helping people sleep on the road to judgment.

Paul told the Corinthians:

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.”
—2 Cor. 13:5

Not:

Remember the prayer you prayed.

Not:

Remember your baptism certificate.

Not:

Remember your grandmother’s faith.

Examine yourselves.

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So Faith in What?

That is still my question.

When somebody says:

“She had tremendous faith.”

Faith in what?

What gospel?

What Christ?

What understanding of sin?

What understanding of repentance?

What understanding of salvation?

Did she believe Jesus is one path among many—or the way, the truth, and the life?

Did she believe humanity is basically good—or dead in trespasses and sins?

Did she believe salvation comes through human goodness—or by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone?

Did she believe her heart should be followed—or crucified?

Did she believe Scripture has authority over her desires—or that her desires determined how Scripture should be understood?

Those are not petty theological questions.

They are Christianity.

And before anybody thinks this article is really about Dolly Parton, understand this:

It isn’t.

She is merely an illustration.

The real target is us.

The church.

The Bible Belt.

The millions of cultural Christians who think proximity to Christianity equals conversion.

So ask yourself:

Do I know Christ?

Have I repented?

Am I resting in Christ alone?

Has my faith produced fruit?

Do I submit when Scripture confronts me?

Do I love Jesus—or merely a version of Jesus who never disagrees with me?

Am I following Christ?

Or have I baptized my preferences and called them Christianity?

Because one day every sentimental slogan disappears.

There will be no denomination to hide behind.

No grandmother’s faith.

No baptism certificate.

No church membership roll.

No political affiliation.

No charitable donation receipt.

No popularity contest.

No celebrity status.

No carefully manufactured persona.

Just you before Jesus Christ.

And on that day, “I believed in God” will not be enough.

The demons believe.

“I was a good person” will not be enough.

There is none righteous.

“I followed my heart” will not be enough.

Your heart deceived you.

“I was sincere” will not be enough.

Sincerity cannot turn error into truth.

“I did good things” will not be enough.

By works of the law no human being will be justified.

There is one hope.

Jesus Christ.

The Christ of Scripture.

The Christ who lived the righteousness we could never live.

The Christ who bore the wrath sinners deserve.

The Christ who died.

The Christ who rose.

The Christ who commands all people everywhere to repent.

The Christ who forgives completely.

The Christ who regenerates.

The Christ who transforms.

The Christ who will return as King and Judge.

The Christ who does not stand at the edge of our self-created life applauding while we “follow our hearts.”

He commands:

Deny yourself.

Take up your cross.

Follow Me.

So before we declare another celebrity’s faith “beautiful,” perhaps we had better recover enough biblical Christianity to ask the question the church should have been asking all along:

Faith in what?

Because eternity is far too long to get that answer wrong.