Contending for the Faith
This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. —Jude 3
Have you ever heard of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism? According to research* most American adults and teenagers live by this cultural religion. It is a religion that piggybacks upon existing Christian beliefs and then tweaks them just enough to rob the power from a thriving Christian life. So, what exactly does MTD look like?
Moralistic refers to the concept that most Americans believe in right and wrong. In MTD, people decide for themselves what those things are. As long as people live consistently according to their own list of rights and wrongs, they can call themselves moral people.
Therapeutic refers to the concept that most Americans believe God exists for our happiness, satisfaction, and fulfillment. God’s job, according to MTD, is to solve people’s problems and to help them get what they want out of life.
Deism refers to the idea that most Americans believe in a God who cannot really be known. In MTD, God watches people play the game of life and doesn’t get involved much unless, of course, when people need Him to fix a problem or help them get what they want.
There’s probably a bit of the MTD “infection” at work in all of our lives. Sometimes, we play fast and loose with moral definitions, creating wiggle room to hold to “morals” even when we know the Scriptures draw a different line in the sand. Sometimes, we expect God to be the “genie” in our hip pocket; when we want or need something, we rub the lamp (pray) and expect God to give us our three wishes. And sometimes, we, too, tend to view God as distant, unknowable, detached, and unreachable.
Yet, the Scriptures paint an entirely different picture. The Scriptures are a real, living source of authority in our lives. We were designed by God to enjoy Him and to live for His pleasure in all we do. And, we know that God entered into human history in the ultimate way, through His Son, Jesus, to reveal Himself to us—not from afar, but right here with us.
We contend for our faith by maintaining our commitment to the Scriptures and by holding one another accountable to sound belief. In doing these things, we will keep the faith.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Do you see examples of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism demonstrated in the lives of those around you?
2. Are there any indications that MTD has infected your life?
FURTHER READING:
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 Corinthians 10:31
* Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers by Dr. Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton; Oxford University Press.
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