Is Self-Esteem Contrary To Christianity
by Johnny Kicklighter
The philosophy of self-esteem is probably the most influential doctrine to arrive on the scene in Christendom's recent history. At least in my lifetime, it has had as much affect, if not even more, on evangelical Christianity than the modern tongues movement that surfaced in the late 1960's. Not only has self-esteem psychology crept into every aspect of Biblical doctrine and practice but society as well. A Korean War era fighter pilot turned minister in the 1957 movie "Battle Hymn," was rebuked on the front steps of his church for preaching too harshly on man's condition, and not enough on love and forgiveness. Even Hollywood got into the act! Actually, the entire self-movement is perhaps the most single cause of the mainstream church losing the vision for preaching the cross of Christ. After all, if man's problems can be healed with positive self-esteem, and preaching the depravity of the human spirit hurts people's feelings, then it logically follows that our message must be changed.
If there is any doubt, review some of the sermons from the Puritan era and compare them to what we hear today. Here's a portion of Jonathan Edwards' famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God" given by him on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut:
"Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock."
Not only does Edwards expose the utter ruin of man with colorful metaphors, he condemns man's "healthy constitution" which can only refer to one's lofty self-esteem.
No comments:
Post a Comment