COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANITY OF CONTEMPORARY CHURCH

By Akin Ojumu

Christianity is under assault. The faith that was once delivered to the saints is under siege. This has been the case since it emerged out of the dusty dry streets of Galilee. As the centuries have gone by, however, the intensity of the attack has gotten progressively worse.  

With stealth and cunning, reminiscent of the serpent in Genesis 3:1, the sons of Satan, masquerading as children of Light, have wormed their way into the Church with one objective in mind; to pervert the faith that was once delivered to the Saints.

Jude 1:3-4

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing have burrowed their way deep into the Body of Christ. These scoundrels have introduced into the Church a brand of Christianity that’s totally alien to the orthodox Christianity of the founding fathers of the faith. What they are peddling is a counterfeit religion. It is biblical Christianity that has been stripped of its core essence. In its place, they have constructed a pseudo-Christianity; a false religious system fashioned out of the rotten carcasses of the faith of Paul, Peter, and John.

The deadly religious Frankenstein monster that these people have created has a name. It’s called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD). Accessorized with Bible words and adorned with Christian slogans, this false religion looks Christian, sounds Christian, smells Christian, tastes Christian, and even feels Christian. But at its core, there’s nothing Christianly about it. It is an aberrant Gospel; a cheap knockoff of the original. This alien religion bears no resemblance to the traditional, historical, and orthodox Christianity of the early Church founded by the Lord Jesus and His apostles.

So, what exactly is moralistic therapeutic deism? Here’s how the good folks at Monergism describe it.

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD) is a term coined by sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton in 2005 to describe a common, informal belief system centered on a distant God whose primary goal is human happiness and moral behavior. Originally identifying this as the default worldview of many American teenagers, researchers found it often replaces traditional religious tenets with a focus on feeling good and being “nice.”

The Five Core Beliefs of MTD

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism consists of five basic beliefs, which, while superficially related to some elements of traditional Christianity, represent a distortion of orthodox doctrine. These beliefs are:

A God Exists Who Created and Orders the World and Watches Over Human Life on Earth:

This view acknowledges the existence of a distant and somewhat detached deity – similar to the God of Deism, who is primarily a creator but not actively involved in the day-to-day affairs of the world or individual lives. This is in contrast to the biblical teaching of a personal, relational God who is intimately involved with His creation and sustains all things by His power (Colossians 1:16-17).

God Wants People to Be Good, Nice, and Fair to Each Other, as Taught in the Bible and by Most World Religions:

MTD promotes a moralistic worldview, where being “good” is the primary purpose of life. This moral code is vague, mostly consisting of kindness, tolerance, and fairness. The ethical teachings of MTD are generally reduced to a lowest common denominator of ethical behavior without any grounding in the specific demands of God’s law or the holiness to which the Bible calls believers (1 Peter 1:16).

The Central Goal of Life is to Be Happy and to Feel Good About Oneself:

The therapeutic aspect of MTD is its most distinctive feature. Rather than focusing on worshiping God, repentance, or salvation from sin, MTD teaches that the primary purpose of life is to achieve personal happiness and self-fulfillment. Religion, under MTD, exists to support self-esteem and help individuals achieve their own goals and desires. This conflicts with the Christian teaching that the goal of life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (Isaiah 43:7; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

God Does Not Need to Be Particularly Involved in One’s Life Except When God is Needed to Resolve a Problem:

In MTD, God functions more like a divine therapist or cosmic butler, stepping in to help with personal problems but otherwise remaining in the background. This is a significant departure from the biblical portrayal of God, who is sovereign and actively involved in the world, and who desires a deep, covenantal relationship with His people (Psalm 139:1-18; Romans 8:28).

Good People Go to Heaven When They Die:

MTD offers a simplistic and universalistic view of salvation, suggesting that as long as a person is generally good, they will go to heaven. This view entirely dismisses the necessity of repentance, faith in Jesus Christ, and the atoning work of Christ on the cross (John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9). The biblical Gospel teaches that no one is inherently good (Romans 3:10-12), and salvation is a gift of grace through faith in Christ alone, not through moral works.

MTD represents a serious departure from historic Christian doctrine, and it has been recognized as a heresy because it undermines the core teachings of the Christian faith. Key theological issues with MTD include:

Denial of the Gospel:

MTD reduces Christianity to a message of moral behavior and self-improvement, without acknowledging the reality of sin or the need for salvation through the work of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that humanity is sinful and separated from God (Romans 3:23), and that salvation is possible only through the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). MTD bypasses the Cross, making Jesus’ sacrificial death unnecessary in its framework of self-centered morality.

A Therapeutic God, Not a Holy God:

MTD presents God as primarily interested in human happiness, rather than holiness. In contrast, the Bible reveals that God is holy and just, and He calls people to repentance, faith, and sanctification (1 Peter 1:15-16). The focus on feeling good rather than being transformed by the Gospel distorts the true nature of God’s character and His desire for His people.

Minimization of Divine Sovereignty:

In MTD, God is portrayed as distant and uninvolved in the details of human life unless called upon. This view minimizes God’s sovereignty and providential care, which are central to biblical theology (Psalm 103:19; Isaiah 46:9-10). The Bible teaches that God is intimately involved in the world and in the lives of His people, orchestrating all things according to His good purposes (Romans 8:28).

Works-Based Salvation:

The MTD view that “good people go to heaven” undermines the biblical doctrine of justification by faith. Salvation in Christianity is not based on human goodness but on the work of Christ’s righteousness, imputed to believers through faith (Philippians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21). MTD fails to recognize the biblical truth that all people are sinners in need of redemption through Jesus (Romans 3:23-24).

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism represents a serious departure from historic Christian orthodoxy, as it reduces the Gospel to a self-help moralism and ignores the central truths of human sinfulness, the need for grace, and salvation through Christ.

Why It Matters

MTD is the prevailing worldview in the vast majority of Churches in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. It is a counterfeit Christianity that prioritizes personal comfort, self-improvement, empowerment, success, and living the best life now, over traditional doctrines such as repentance, contentment, and sacrifice.

In the western world, the godfather of MTD is Joel Osteen. Across the pond, in the Africa subcontinent, the vast majority of contemporary preachers are moralistic therapeutic deists. Prominent Nigeria religious cult leaders such as Enoch Adeboye, David Oyedepo, Paul Adefarasin, Sam Adeyemi, Poju Oyemade, David Ibiyeomie, Matthew Ashimolowo, Chris Oyakhilome, Johnson Suleman, Joshua Selman, and Funke Adejumo all preach a version of moralistic therapeutic deism. These are all high priests and high priestesses in the temple of moralistic therapeutic deism.

The central theme of their sermons is that of a God who is at your beck and call. They’ve turned God into a cosmic genie who is bound to grant any of their wishes. In their view, God is “something like a combination of Divine Butler and Cosmic Therapist: He’s always on call, takes care of any problems that arise, professionally helps them feel better about themselves, and does not become too personally involved in the process.” Whatever it they want, the god of the moral therapeutic deists is duty bound to provide it.

Because humans love themselves, MTD messages strike a chord. People flock to this sort of ear-scratching, people-pleasing, seeker-sensitive ponderous platitudes. The popularity of the apostles of MTD hinges on the promises of providing solutions to all temporal problems. Of course, such messages are doctrinally vague and theologically shallow. It’s a message that promotes beliefs about God, morality, spirituality, and personal happiness that significantly depart from historic Christian orthodoxy.

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

If spending eternity with Christ is your ultimate goal, let me warn you that the counterfeit religion of the moralistic therapeutic deism will not get you there. It doesn’t matter how long you think you’ve been a Christian, it doesn’t matter your religious title, it doesn’t matter that you are active in Church, and it certainly doesn’t matter that you perform signs and wonders. If you subscribe to the false religion of MTD, you should know that you are not going to be welcome in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Isaiah 8:20

“To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no dawn.”

I hope and pray you are paying attention.

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References: “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” Published on the Monergism website.