Keeping the Presence of God

Easy believism is deadly.

Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon titled "Keeping the Presence of God," John Piper writes about this sermon:

"Oh, how different is the path of Christian maturity pointed out by Edwards and the path most Christians walk today. There is a kind of cavalier attitude toward our security today. There is little trembling. Little vigilance and earnestness and caution and watchfulness over our souls. There is a kind of casual, slack, careless attitude toward the possibility that we might make shipwreck of our faith and fail to lay hold on eternal life. We have the notion that security is a kind of mechanical, automatic thing. We prayed once to receive Jesus. We are safe and there is not place for “working our your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). That is not what Edwards sees in the Bible.
Therefore he pleads with his people, and I plead with you, to “keep the presence of God.” It is not automatic. "


Even very popular books like "The Purpose-Driven Life" are contributing to easy believism. I think Rick Warren has been used mightily by God, and am glad so many people are growing through his 40 day outline. But I agree wholeheartedly with Nick Jackson's comments in "A Purpose Driven Death." Here's an excerpt:

"Our seeker sensitive methods are failing as we widen the narrow gate with pluralistic, doctrinally illiterate converts. We are essentially raising an army of functional humanists who are becoming living stones in a giant ecumenical Tower of Babel.
How, can we go from “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” to “God has a purpose and plan for your Life?” We are standing on the shoulders of giants like Whitefield, Edwards, Spurgeon, Luther, and Calvin.
The Great Commission does not say, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever, Rick Warren has commanded you.” There is no simple formula for revival. We all thought Mel Gibson’s “Passion,” would save America and be as big as the second coming, but we are still murdering 4,000 babies a day and are about to allow men to marry men in America. Either we repent of our compromised Christianity and cleverly packaged Christian Humanism or we will see persecution (God’s method of church growth) come to America that will make Foxe’s Book of Martyrs look like a children’s book.
Friends, This is not a quick fix. We must rediscover the ancient pathways. We must first start by repenting in our own hearts and lives, and build our house on the Rock of Jesus Christ. We must build off the time tested methodologies from the Bible and not the latest New York Times Best Seller."

Let us be sober teachers of the Gospel, humble and working hard to keep the presence of God.