Your Morality Won’t Save You.
In 2005 the term “Moral Therapeutic Deism” was introduced by two sociologist in reflection and conclusion of their book, “Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers”. This term has been broadly applied not just to American teenagers, but Americans in general. The core of MTD is the belief that God exists, that the main purpose in life is to be happy and feel good, be good to others, God isn’t necessarily involved in your life on a day to day basis and good people go to heaven. This is MTD in a nutshell. From my experience as a counselor over the last decade, I can tell you that quite a few people I have counseled subscribed to this ideological world view; and in fact believed that this is taught in the Bible.
There are many problems with this viewpoint with the first being the presupposition that people are “good”. In MTD, we (the collective) decide what is considered good. We apply a definition of this term that is subjective at best and rooted in feelings. I see this thinking often in counseling; someone uses their feelings as a guide to life. If something feels good, then it’s good. If it feels bad, then it’s bad. This is childlike thinking. As an example, how often are you going to meet a 4yo that says broccoli is good? If you are being honest right now, not often.
People want to believe they are basically good and on God’s good side, because if they aren’t good and scripture is true then they’re in sin and need a savior. And no one likes to hear that they aren’t good and that their actions alone won’t get them closer to God. The truth is, we aren’t good. Romans 3:10-12 says this,
“as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Another unintended consequence of believing we are good and God just wants us to be happy is we become biblically illiterate. We have no idea what scripture says. We depend on the internet to teach us what’s God’s Holy word is saying. Reading God’s word is not a small endeavor, because his word is alive and it reads you more than you read it. God’s word examines your heart and pulls sin in your life to the surface. It is a painful process that we call sanctification. The Holy Spirit making us more like Christ every day. Reading God’s word regularly and honestly will expose you to a pursuing, loving, just and powerful God. You will be exposed to the truth of your condition, which is you are spiritually dead in your sin from birth. It says in Ephesians 2:1-3
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”
Scripture rightly shows us our state and how serious it is; it was so serious that God in eternity past made a plan of action to save you and me from the grips of death and sin and we see the fulfillment of that plan in Jesus Christ (John 3:16)
God’s goal is not to fulfill your subjective definition of happiness; it is to make you Holy (set apart) like Christ is Holy. God is intently focused on knowing you and you knowing him. He is not interested in your “good works”, as those things don’t merit you favor before God. God, Jesus Christ, is interested in a relationship with you that is active, that is transformative, that is substantial.
God is intimately involved in your life from beginning to end. He is the one who formed you and he is the one overseeing and guiding you through your life. We live in a painfully broken world, because of us, but God’s grace, mercy and love is still all around us.
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart (Psalms 95: 7-8). Do not be tempted by the lie that your morality will save you. Only Jesus can do that and he is inviting you into relationship with him.
Christian Bringolf MA LMHC