The Gospel of Self
Part 7 of 7 on Recognizing & Resisting False Gospels
In this final post of our seven-part series, we turn to the subtle yet pervasive counterfeit known as the gospel of self.
Pride is the fountain of all other sins, and that’s what this false gospel is rooted in.
But it’s presented to us in a rather innocent way initially. Ever heard the maxim, “My faith is personal”?
That is the soil where the gospel of self plants and germinates.
The statement sounds true, but it is a half-truth. A half-truth is even more destructive than a full lie. A lie is at least readily detectable. But a half-truth slinks in next to all the other truths we celebrate without detection.
Yes, your faith IS personal. It is personal in the sense that God, in His sovereign grace, got a hold of you personally and pulled you out of a life of sin into a new life with Christ. But what most people mean by “personal” is “private.”
We can’t read the gospels and conclude that we’re encouraged to keep our faith in Jesus privatized.
Who determines truth?
When we privatize our faith, eventually our beliefs become a cheap caricature of the historic Christian faith. Tragically, we end up at the same place as the culture: “I determine truth. I shape reality. I define my spirituality. Jesus helps me realise my best self.”
Key symptoms of this worldview include, but are not limited to…
A Theology of Control
In the U.S., we live under the illusion that our time, energy, and resources actually belong to us. But these good gifts are afforded to us by the God who owns all of them. When we live under the assumption that everything in our lives is ours and more is owed to us, we’ll try to exert more control over them, even God. In this framework, our image of God is not a supremely powerful, omnipotent being to worship, but a universal power to use for our benefit. Instead of living from a posture of trust toward God and His will, we seek to impose ours upon Him. Without even realizing it, we can buy into belief systems that co-opt the name of Christ and baptize their ideology in Christian language. Many televangelists have lucrative careers twisting scripture in such a way that feeds our carnal desires rather than starving them. When we’re simply feeding our desires with whatever looks most appealing, the drift from the true gospel will continue.
A Buffet-style spirituality
When God is beholden to us, we are free to pick what we like from different religions and leave behind what we don’t. We might fill our plate with spiritual food that tastes good, but do we ever consider we might be taking in things that will harm us? An honest look at Jesus shows that he doesn’t offer Himself among an array of religious options to choose from. He tells us life is found in Him and in Him alone. But when we see Jesus as one option among many, we form Him into someone beholden to our dreams and desires.
A Brand Ambassador Jesus
When Jesus is subservient to me, He is no longer a savior who calls me to take up my cross, but more like my life coach to help me realize my full potential. Jesus is no longer the Christ and Lord, but a buddy that perfectly aligns with my personal ambition, preferences, or political views. A good pastor friend of mine once said, “If your God loves all the people you love and hates all the people you hate, your God is you.” Friends, Jesus is not your brand ambassador any more than Gordon Ramsay is your personal sous chef. The only way we can live a full, beautiful, and abundant life is when He takes His rightful place on the throne of our hearts.
Why This Matters for Church Health
When the Gospel of the Self takes root in a church, it undermines sound doctrine, ecclesial authority, spiritual formation, and community life. In some measure, it creeps its way into church life. Here are some examples:
Doctrinal drift: When the self becomes the center, Sunday sermons get reshaped to validate personal preferences instead of conforming believers to Christ.
Fragmentation: If “my truth” overrides shared truth, community collapses into individual silos rather than a single unified body (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12).
Spiritual shallowness: Faith becomes about feeling good about myself, not about dying to self and living for Christ (Luke 9:23).
Church vulnerability: When a congregation accepts “pick what you like” Christianity, it opens the door to other counterfeits we’ve unpacked (therapeutic, judgmentless, quietist, etc).
A VULNERABLE Culture
Recent data confirms that we are living in a context that makes anyone vulnerable to the gospel of self.
A major survey found 58% of U.S. adults believe moral truth is up to the individual to decide. Even among born-again Christians, 46% rejected the idea of absolute moral truth. Arizona Christian University
Another report revealed 54% of Americans view religion as a matter of personal opinion rather than objective truth. Baptist Standard
Meanwhile, the share of U.S. adults identifying as Christian has dropped to 62%, and the number of religiously unaffiliated (“nones”) sits at 29%—which suggests the church is operating in a more fluid, pluralistic environment than ever. Pew Research Center
These statistics remind us: the cultural soil is fertile for self-centered gospels that replace the unconditional surrender to Christ with the unconditional affirmation of self. We will give up one in service to the other. The question is, which one?
How to Recognise & Resist the Gospel of the Self
For church leaders, how do we recognize the gospel of self and its various manifestations (all the aforementioned false gospels)? Here are four steps we can take:
1. Check the Center Jesus and His will and ways are the animating center of a believer. Some simple questions that invite self-examination will help here. Questions like “Is Jesus exalted as Lord in my life? When I pray, is it a prayer of surrender to Him, or am I trying to manipulate Him?” The reward for following Jesus is more of Jesus. If we’re adding something to that, we may need to check our hearts.
2. Embrace Objective Truth
We don’t determine truth; we discover it in God’s self-revelation (John 17:17). When truth becomes what feels right, the gospel collapses.
3. Prioritize Community Over Individualism
Faith lived “my way” isolates. Faith lived in the body of Christ unites. Sound doctrine is taught, shared, and held together—in sermons, small groups, and relationships. But the gospel of self threatens loving community because we’re repelled by anyone who challenges us.
4. Teach Transformation, Not Just Affirmation
The gospel of the self affirms what you already are. The real gospel transforms who you are (2 Corinthians 5:17). Churches must regularly call people to death to self and life in Christ, not simply self-expression.
The real gospel calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus—not to make ourselves the center.
Questions to consider
Where do you see “self-centered spirituality” in your own life, your church, or wider culture?
What steps can your church take this week to realign around Christ’s lordship rather than personal preference?
How will you teach truth as objective (rooted in Scripture), not optional (subject to individual preference)?
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References
Barna Group. (n.d.). Americans Are Most Likely to Base Truth on Feelings. Barna Research. Barna Group
Hanegraaff, H. (2009). Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century. Thomas Nelson.
Baptist Standard. Most in U.S. view religion as opinion rather than objective truth. Baptist Standard
Pew Research Center. (2023). Religious Change in America. PRRI
Arizona Christian University Cultural Research Center. (2020). American Worldview Inventory 2020 – At a Glance. Arizona Christian University
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Thank you for walking through this series. May your church be strong in the true gospel, discerning in the age of counterfeits, and healthy—rooted in Christ, built together, and proclaiming the good news faithfully.
Grace & Peace,
