Comparison of American Christianity to a Biblical View

(Wide groups of American Christians, which cross denominational lines, have unbiblical beliefs. This is a summary of some of those beliefs in comparison to the
Bible.)

American Christianity
Hallmark 1: Revivalistic.
Calls on people to make a decision
for Christ and to invite Jesus into
their heart.

Hallmark 2: Pietism
Emphasizes that the Christian life is
about growing in good works Its
about my thinking, my saying, my
doing. Gods view of me depends on
my good works.

Biblical View
The natural person does not accept
the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are folly to him, and he is not
able to understand them because
they are spiritually discerned. (1
Cor. 2:14)
The Christian life is completely
dependent upon Christ and his good
works. Christs righteousness has
been imputed to us sinners. When
God sees a Christian he sees Christs
works, not our works.

Hallmark 3: Mysticism
Emphasizes experiencing the
presence of God in your heart. The
worship service and especially the
music are supposed to do this. When
God is present in your heart, you
know it because you feel it.

God has promised to be with us

through his Word - his Word preached
and his Word bound to water and
bread and wine. Concerning the
heart Jesus said. For out of the heart
come evil thoughts, murder,
adultery, sexual immorality, theft,
false witness, slander. (Matt. 15:19)

Hallmark 4: Enthusiasm
The belief that God gives revelation
by speaking directly to me in my
heart. The Word of God is confirmed
by the Holy Spirit tugging on your
heart.

The Holy Scriptures are true no

matter how you feel about them or
think about them. The Holy Spirit
uses the Scriptures to create and
sustain faith without any input or
cooperation by us.

They teach that sin is a sickness.

They understand that something is

The Scriptures say we are dead in

our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). In

Conclusion
Asking a person to make a decision
for Christ makes salvation dependent
upon that persons decision and it
asks him to do something he is
unable to do. Conversion is the Holy
Spirits work.
Thinking that Gods view of me
depends upon my good works leads
me to either pride because of my
obedience or despair because of my
disobedience. This leads to a Law
based life rather than a Gospel based
life.
The heart is the problem not the
solution. Look for God where he
promises to be in the external
Word, not the corrupt heart. Where
the Word is preached and the
Sacraments are administered God is
present with his people and through
these means he offers his love and
salvation.
God gives us everything we need
concerning salvation and the
Christian life in the Holy Scriptures.
To look for Gods Word inside of us in
addition to the Scriptures discredits
the power and effectiveness of the
Word and the Spirit.
Sin is not a sickness that we can be
cured of. Our sinful condition is much

Comparison of American Christianity to a Biblical View

(Wide groups of American Christians, which cross denominational lines, have unbiblical beliefs. This is a summary of some of those beliefs in comparison to the
Bible.)

American Christianity
wrong with us, but they believe that
it is curable. This view of sin affects
their view of salvation: a little
sickness only requires a little healing.
They teach we are sinful because we
commit sinful acts. Therefore we sin
by an act of our will.

Some in American Christianity

(Calvinsts) believe Jesus came to
save only the elect (limited
atonement). Confirmation of election
is by personal piety and works.
Election based on my works is never
a sure thing. They can never say with
certainty that Jesus died for me.
They believe the Word of God is
good information. But in order for it
to be of any value, one must act
upon it.
Their preaching is primarily about
how to live a better Christian life.
After a person has come to faith,
they focus on the Christian
overcoming sin and growing as a
Christian as evidenced by good
works.

Biblical View
order to believe in Jesus, the Holy
Spirit, working through the Word,
must resurrect us from the dead. This
is completely outside of us and our
control.
The Bible teaches that we are sinful
because we have a sinful nature.
Original sin has corrupted the very
nature of humanity (Eph. 2:3).
Therefore we sin because we are
sinful.
The scriptures say that Jesus came to
take away the sins of the whole
world. Because of this, you know for
sure that Jesus life, suffering, death,
and resurrection are for you. This
is made clear in the external Word
and Sacraments. Through them I
know for certain that Jesus is for me.
The Word of God is powerful and is
the instrument of the Holy Spirit to
convert people.

Conclusion
worse than that. We are spiritually
dead. For us to be saved requires
that God the Holy Spirit come to us in
the Word and resurrect us from the
dead.
If sin is an act of the will then an act
of the will can overcome sin. But
since people are by nature sinful, no
act of the will can overcome our
sinful condition. We are helpless to
overcome sin. Thats why we need
Jesus.
The biggest problem with American
Christianity is that it does not provide
certainty of salvation. But God
teaches that salvation is all his doing.
It is not dependent upon us in any
way and is available to everyone who
believes in Jesus. Its true - Jesus died
for you!
American Christianity shifts the focus
off of Christ and his work and on to
the Christian and his work.

The primary focus of preaching

should always be on the death and
resurrection of Jesus. The preaching
of the Law shows that there is
nothing good in me and the Gospel
shows all good is found in Jesus.

Preaching about the Christian and his

works takes the focus off of Christ
and his work. All people need the
Law to show them their sin and the
Gospel to show them Jesus their
Savior.

Comparison of American Christianity to a Biblical View

(Wide groups of American Christians, which cross denominational lines, have unbiblical beliefs. This is a summary of some of those beliefs in comparison to the
Bible.)

American Christianity
They see the Bible as a rule book
that instructs us how to live. They
see the Bible as primarily Law, that
is, it teaches them what to do.
To know how God feels about me,
they tell people to look to their
feelings, experiences, and
circumstances of life.

Biblical View
The Bible does contain instructions
on how to live, but it is primarily a
book about Jesus. It reveals Gods
promise of salvation made available
through faith in Christ.
To know Gods disposition toward me,
I see that Jesus went so far as to die
on a cross for me. By the cross we
know that God loves us.

The major metaphor they use is:

relationship. Does it feel like God is
far away or close? Do you talk to God
frequently? Is your relationship with
God deepening?

The metaphor used in the Bible is the

court room. God is the Judge. Satan
is the accuser. Jesus is our Advocate.
God declares us righteous
(justification) for the sake of what
Jesus has done for us.

For them repentance is an act of

the will. One turns oneself around to
get right with God. One turns from
disobedience to obedience.
They treat conversion as an act of
the will. I cannot believe in Jesus as
my Savior until my will causes me to
make a decision for Christ.

In repentance we are completely

passive. God uses his Law to make
us sorry for our sins. Then God uses
the Gospel to create faith in us,
which receives his gift of forgiveness.
The will is the object of conversion.
Our will is converted by the Holy
Spirit and the powerful and effective
Word of God.

They do not believe a pastor can

rightfully say, Your sins are
forgiven. They believe only Jesus
can say this.

Jesus said, Whoever sins you forgive

they are forgiven. Jesus has all
authority and he authorizes pastors
to absolve sins.

Conclusion
To treat the Bible as a book primarily
about how to live is to miss the main
purpose, which is the wonderful
promise of salvation that is found
only in Jesus Christ.
Looking anywhere other than Christ
to see how God feels about them will
lead people to uncertainty. The Bible
reveals the depth of Gods love for us
in Christ.
The relationship model robs us of
comfort and assurance. Sometimes I
feel close to God and sometimes I
dont, which may or may not match
reality. The truth is that Christians
are justified before God because of
Christs work no matter how we feel.
Saying that repentance is an act of
the will robs God of his glory. By
doing so, one takes credit for doing
something that God does.
The efficacy of the Word of God is
replaced by power of the will. But in
reality the will is opposed to God. The
Holy Spirit targets the will as the
object of conversion.
Absolution is one of Gods great
gifts to the Church where we hear
with our own ears that our sins have
been forgiven. They miss out on this

Comparison of American Christianity to a Biblical View

(Wide groups of American Christians, which cross denominational lines, have unbiblical beliefs. This is a summary of some of those beliefs in comparison to the
Bible.)

American Christianity
For them the Lords Supper is a
memorial meal. The main doers in
this meal are the people. For them
Jesus isnt doing or saying anything
in this meal. Its all about the
experience of feeling close to God.
American Christians seek to derive
comfort from their own feelings and
experiences, resolve and good works.
Since they believe all spiritual
activity happens inside us in the
heart, they look for comfort on the
inside.

They use good works to try and

please God, to seek his favor. They
use good works as evidence to
provide certainty and comfort that
they are saved.

They believe there will be a series of

events that will occur leading up to
the End that fulfill biblical prophecy.
For them these events prove the
truthfulness of Gods Word.
They see Israel only as a nation and
not as the people of God (the OT

Biblical View
Jesus puts his body and blood into
the bread and wine for us to eat and
drink for the forgiveness of sins. In
this meal Jesus comes to us and
gives us the gift of the forgiveness of
sins.
Before he ascended, Jesus gave
several commands: make disciples
by baptizing and teaching, preach
repentance and forgiveness to all,
eat the Supper often, forgive the sins
of the penitent. Through these
external things Christ provides great
comfort to sinners that God loves
them dearly.
God gave the external means of
Baptism, preaching, the Lords
Supper, and Absolution to provide
certainty and comfort. He has us do
good works to help our neighbors.

Jesus tells us about the End in order

to cause us to repent and to look
with expectant joy for his coming in
grace. He wants us to know he is
coming to rescue us and to take us to
eternal paradise.
Israel, as the OT people of God, is a
picture of the Church who lives by

Conclusion
great gift.
Since they are the main actors in the
Supper, it is all Law and no Gospel.
They do not recognize that Jesus is
present giving us the gift of
forgiveness that he won for us on the
cross.
Feelings and thoughts are subjective
and often waffle in the face of reality.
Looking to the inside for comfort
introduces uncertainty. God has
given us objective means which are
external to our sinful hearts that give
us certainty and comfort that God
loves us and wants to save us.
Comfort and certainty come from
trusting the work of Christ, not from
trusting our good works. God doesnt
need our good works but our
neighbors do. American Christianity
uses good works in a way that God
never intended.
Their teachings about the End
Times focuses on current events
instead of Jesus coming in grace to
give us salvation. It draws our
attention away from the eternal
peace and joy that Christ will bring.
By not seeing the OT Israel as a
picture of the Church, they miss out

Comparison of American Christianity to a Biblical View

(Wide groups of American Christians, which cross denominational lines, have unbiblical beliefs. This is a summary of some of those beliefs in comparison to the
Bible.)

American Christianity
church) who are beset by internal
and external strife.
They believe that if God gives a
command, then we must the ability
to keep the Law, that God would
not give us a command that we are
unable to fulfill.

Biblical View
faith and is beset by internal and
external strife.
God gives many commands (Ten
Commandments), but we are unable
to keep them perfectly as he
requires. Therefore God must do for
us what he requires of us because we
cant.

They teach that you have to be for

Christ and they ask, What have you
done for Christ?

The scriptures teach that Christ is for

you and answer the question, What
has Christ done for you?

They teach that baptism is the first

act of obedience of a believer. It is a
public act that shows my
commitment to Christ. It is a
testimony about my decision for
Christ.
They teach, concerning Gods will
for our lives, that we must pray and
fast to determine what course of
action God wants us to take. So they
teach that there is no Christian
freedom in our earthly Christian lives.

Baptism has to do with salvation. In

Baptism God clothes us with Christ,
raises us with Christ, and cleanses us
in Christ. In baptism God claims us,
adopts us, and makes us his
disciples.
Gods will for our lives is made
known in the Ten Commandments.
God says, Use whatever vocations
you have (i.e., husband, father, son,
employee, etc.) to love and serve
others. Make the best choices you
can based on the situation you are in
using Gods Law.

Conclusion
in learning that the Church needs to
always cling to Christ in faith.
God gives us commands that he
knows we cannot keep in order to
show us our sin. American Christians
use the Law for the wrong purpose.
God gave the Law to drive us to Jesus
and not to please God or earn
salvation.
Taking the Christian life and
making it about you and what you do
instead of about Christ and what he
has done for you, emphasizes the
opposite of the Bible.
By taking baptism and trying to make
it my work instead of Gods work,
they are robbing God and making it
the opposite of what it is supposed to
be. They are taking Gospel and
turning it into Law.
They act as if God is hiding his will
from us and that we must try to
figure it out. But in his Law, God has
given us his will of how we should
live our lives. He tells us to look
around us and see what our
neighbors needs are. And then do
what you can to help them. He has
given us certain gifts and talents and
he gives us freedom to use them to
serve others.

Comparison of American Christianity to a Biblical View

(Wide groups of American Christians, which cross denominational lines, have unbiblical beliefs. This is a summary of some of those beliefs in comparison to the
Bible.)

American Christianity
They teach, concerning spiritual
things, that we have complete
freedom. We make a decision for
Christ to become a Christian. We
must make an effort to repent, to
believe Gods Word, to trust Jesus,
and to grow in the Christian faith.

Biblical View
In the spiritual realm we have no
freedom because we are dead in our
sins. God works in this realm to raise
us from the dead and give us faith so
that we can repent of our sin, believe
his Word, trust Jesus, and grow in the
Christian faith.

American Christianity directs the

Gospel to unbelievers and the Law
towards believers. Once you become
a Christian you must grow as a
Christian and do good works to
please God.

The Law and the Gospel are for

both unbelievers and believers. All
must hear that they are sinful and
need a Savior. Once we become a
Christian, we continue to sin. We
need the Law to drive us to Christ.
We need to hear the Gospel over and
over again as sweet comfort.

They do not believe in using

prewritten prayers. They believe they
are rote prayers that lead to
mindless repetition. They believe
prayers must come spontaneously
from the heart. They believe that
prayers like the Lords Prayer are
dangerous.
Many strongly believe in the
rapture, usually the pre-tribulation
rapture. They believe toward the
End, Christians will be taken up to
heaven and then God will work with
Israel and there will be a series of

When Jesus disciples asked him how

to pray, he told them to say the
Lords Prayer. This one short prayer
sums up what Jesus followers really
need.

Christ has promised to return. He

said the time when he returns will be
unexpected. Christians are to be
prepared for his return. To be
prepared is to live a life of daily
repentance, trusting Christ for

Conclusion
By saying we are free to decide, to
repent, and to believe, they flip
reality on its head. We have no
freedom in this area. God must do all
the work of making and keeping us
Christians. They take the work that
only God can do and make people
think that they can do it.
To deprive the Gospel from the
Christian is to deprive them of the
comfort of the Gospel. Christians are
sinful just like everyone else and
need to hear over and over again
that God loved us so much that he
sent his only Son to live for us, to
suffer for us, to die for us, and to rise
for us.
Since for them prayers must come
from the heart, they do not pray the
Lords Prayer. But since our hearts
are sinful, the prayers that come
from our hearts are tainted by sin.
Any prayer that we conceive cannot
be better than the prayer that Jesus
told us to pray.
The emphasis of the rapture is on
Israel and earthly events. This takes
the focus off of Jesus and puts it on
fulfillment. But Jesus is the fulfillment
of all of Gods promises. This view of
Israel sees Israel in a way that God

Comparison of American Christianity to a Biblical View

(Wide groups of American Christians, which cross denominational lines, have unbiblical beliefs. This is a summary of some of those beliefs in comparison to the
Bible.)

American Christianity
earthly events that occur before
Jesus returns. Earthly events are
used to verify the truth of Gods
Word.

Biblical View
salvation. God used Israel to bring
forth the Savior and to be a picture of
the Christian and the Church, both
positively and negatively.

Conclusion
never intended. Jesus said we should
be prepared for his return at any
time, but under this view Jesus
cannot return until 7 years after the
rapture.