I came across this recently at Tullian Tchividjian’s blog. It’s an excerpt from Al Mohler’s article.
In our own context, one of the most seductive false gospels is moralism. This false gospel can take many forms and can emerge from any number of political and cultural impulses. Nevertheless, the basic structure of moralism comes down to this –the belief that the Gospel can be reduced to improvements in behavior.
The seduction of moralism is the essence of its power. We are so easily seduced into believing that we actually can gain all the approval we need by our behavior. Of course, in order to participate in this seduction, we must negotiate a moral code that defines acceptable behavior with innumerable loopholes. Most moralists would not claim to be without sin, but merely beyond scandal. That is considered sufficient.
Living in the south now for 5 years, I’ve encountered a lot of “moralists” who would call themselves Christians but obviously are confused on what the gospel really is. Undoubtedly, whether you’re in the south or not, you have encountered these people in your sports ministry as well. Some of these people may even attend your church.
It’s important as sports ministry leaders that we are mindful of these people in our ministries. We have an opportunity to share with them what Jesus dying on the cross really means. We need to be able to differentiate what the gospel of grace is compared to the self-improvement way of life that they are living.
