The Therapeutic Gospel
Part 2 of 8 on Recognizing & Resisting False Gospels
When “Feel Good” replaces “Made New”
David knew something wasn’t right. He was anxious, restless, and weighed down. So he did what many people do—he sought help.
The first therapist told him he needed to face hard truths and grow. It was uncomfortable. He left and didn’t return.
The second was more direct—calling him to confront his habits and take responsibility. He bristled at the thought.
The third was different. Warm. Affirming. Always reassuring. “You’re doing your best,” the therapist said. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.” David left those sessions feeling validated. But here’s the problem: he never actually changed. He only learned to feel better about staying the same.
That’s the danger of what Trevin Wax (2011) calls the Therapeutic Gospel. It reduces sin to low self-esteem and salvation to self-affirmation. Instead of transformation, it offers validation. Instead of repentance, it offers reassurance.
The Cultural Pull of Therapy-as-Gospel
We live in a culture that prizes self-fulfillment above almost everything. According to Pew Research (2022), 84% of U.S. adults say enjoying what you do in life is essential to fulfillment, but only 20% say living a moral life is essential. In other words, feeling good is valued far more than being good.
At the same time, the self-help industry has exploded into a $13 billion market in the U.S., projected to grow steadily in the next decade (Marketdata LLC, 2021). The message is everywhere: you don’t need saving—you just need strategies. You’re not broken—you just need better boundaries.
Strategies and boundaries aren’t bad. They can benefit us greatly. But if sermons are merely “life tips” and “encouragement” while never addressing sin, repentance, and the cross, it’s an indicator that a church has become caught up in the cultural tide. We end up with congregations full of people who are comforted, but not converted.
Why the Therapeutic Gospel Fails
The therapeutic gospel isn’t all wrong. God does care about our well-being. He comforts the brokenhearted, gives peace to the anxious, and brings rest to the weary (Matt. 11:28). But if the gospel is reduced to therapy, it loses its power.
Jesus didn’t come to pat us on the back and say, “You’re fine. Keep going!” Truly, we cannot read the gospels honestly and come to that conclusion. Jesus calls His disciples to take up their cross (Luke 9:23). He didn’t die to make us feel better about who we are—He died to make us new.
As Paul writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
The Way Forward for a Healthy Church
A healthy church doesn’t confuse therapy with the gospel. It preaches Christ crucified, not simply Christ comforting. It calls people not just to affirmation, but to transformation. It’s not about keeping people comfortable in their sin—it’s about calling them into new life in Christ.
Pastor or church leader, let me encourage you to consider what ways the culture has encouraged your people to prioritize feeling good over being holy. How might you challenge them towards holy living in the contexts of preaching or one-to-one conversations? Consider how you have personally grown through times of discomfort and pain. Ask God to use your story to edify and encourage people entrusted to your care, and remind them that Jesus didn’t come to make us feel better. He came to make us new.
Grace & Peace,
Mike Wrigglesworth
References
Marketdata LLC. (2021). The U.S. self-improvement market. Marketdata Enterprises.
Pew Research Center. (2022). What Makes Life Meaningful? Views From 17 Advanced Economies. Pew Research Center.
Wax, T. (2011). Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope. Moody Publishers.
