The Narcissistic Gospel Message
WHAT IS THE NARCISSIST GOSPEL?
In simple terms the Narcissist Gospel is a false Gospel that focuses on the person instead of the work of Jesus Christ. In other words, a person views Christ’s death and resurrection as the payment for their sins while also denying the fundamental other half of the Gospel itself. Instead of with a heart of contrition and brokenness over their sin, coming to Christ in utter abandonment of themselves and this world, they come to the cross with chin held high with the idea that God died in their place because they are worth it, and special, and God would of died for them if they were the only ones alive. They take an entitled view of the cross and Christ, thereby denying the cross and Christ. They fail to understand that we are wretched, naked, poor (Revelation 3:17) and that we are in need of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that we must Repent and Believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15) as Jesus commanded us to.
IS IT REALLY THAT MUCH OF AN ISSUE?
If you have to ask that question, I would praise the Lord for you as the chances you are in a Biblical church are very high! What a wonderous thing to not run into this sort of person. However, as a digital ministry our influence spreads across the entire Globe through platforms like TikTok. Being a digital ministry brings in many to our online Discord community who descend from all manner of theological persuasions. This is also exacerbated by the fact that finding a Biblical Church is getting harder and harder as the days grow evil and iniquity abounds. This is true even for those such as myself in my home Country of Canada where finding a truly Biblical Church is extremely difficult, and even more so in Countries like one of our Leaders, Simon, whose Country is ruled by unbiblical Lutheran Churches.
Suffice it to say, the lack of true biblical churches, the rampancy of false conversions, and the plethora of online content creators espousing all manner of heresies and delusions, it is actually far more common than you might think, especially as soon as you step out of the immediate realm of the Biblical Church.
And so, it happened that a certain individual joined our community and sparked this very thing by espousing it numerous times to numerous people. Of which we dealt with it in love repeatedly until a teaching had to be made. Naturally that teaching is now what you are reading, of course, adjusted with further consideration and growth.
THE FALLOUT OF THE NARCISSISTIC GOSPEL
This particular insidious theology attempts to rob from God the glory of salvation, by placing the sinner as worthy of salvation by the very merit of their existence and nothing more. Keep in mind it is not viewed as God who gives them value by His love, but that they have salvation worthy value apart from Christ by simply existing. The issue with this is salvation cannot be as the Bible describes as being received by "Grace" if it is merited or deserved as in the case of being worthy. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us it is by grace through faith we are saved, which literally means by unmerited favor. By that unmerited favor through faith, we are saved. If someone believes they deserved Christ to die for them, it is likely they have no true sorrow over their sin, and are still unconverted.
“ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
THE ANTI-NARCISSIST/TRUE GOSPEL
We have taken a look at the Narcissist Gospel, or what could essentially be also called “The Inverse Gospel”. Let’s now instead take a look at the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Paul preached, taking you through the Law of God (Galatians 3:24-26).
You are sinner in need of grace:
If you have lied, it makes you a liar.
If you have stolen something, regardless of its value, it makes you a thief.
If you have taken the Lord’s name in vane and used it to swear, you are a blasphemer.
If you have looked upon someone with lust, you are an adulterer.
If you have ever hated someone, you are a murderer.
If you have had sex outside of marriage, you are a fornicator.
We can do nothing to earn our salvation:
We are enemies of God (Romans 5:10-11).
God loved us despite us not loving Him (1 John 4:19).
Our “good” works are like filthy rags to Him (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23).
There is none good but God (Matthew 19:17; Romans 3:10-18).
We have nothing to offer Christ for our sins we have committed (Mark 8:37).
It is appointed for a man to live once then the judgement (Hebrews 9:27-28).
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23).
It is because of God’s mercy, grace and love that we can be made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).
It is by no merit of our own, but only because of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Christ became the payment for all our sins:
We have no value, we are sinners destined for Hell (Romans 6:23)
Jesus died to demonstrate God's love to us not because we are special (Romans 5:8)
We are made just by his work (Romans 3:24)
God loves us solely Because God IS LOVE not because we are worthy (1 John 4:8)
Christ commands all men everywhere to Repent and Believe the Gospel (Acts 17:30-31; 2 Peter 3:9; Acts 26:20; Matthew 3:8; Mark 1:15)
In short, the Gospel is that you have broken God’s moral law, the 10 commandments is that law God gave to us to convict us of our sins. But what the law could not do, grace through faith by the work of Christ accomplished our righteousness which is solely in Christ. The Gospel by biblical definition excludes earning, or otherwise deserving salvation or God’s love by the merit of our own existence. Even the thought of being granted that Love by the nature of God in any way that includes a deserving attitude neglects the reality of the Gospel. We truly deserve death and Hell, and God who is just will send all men (and women) to that place who refuse to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ by faith.
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES TO STUDY
According to Job 15:16:
We are filthy.
We are abominable.
We drink sin like water.
According to Jeremiah 17:9:
Our hearts are deceitful above all things.
Our hearts are wicked.
According to Jesus in Mark 7:20-23:
Evil comes from within out of our hearts and defiles us.
Out of us comes evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
According to Isaiah 64:6:
We are all unclean things.
Our righteousnesses are filthy rags to God.
Our iniquities make us fade into nothing.
THE NARCISSISTIC GOSPEL IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK
Despite the teachings of the Narcissistic Gospel found online and in cult movements like the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) and Word of Faith movements. That proclaim we are inherently precious, valuable, and worthy In God’s eyes, the Bible tells us that we are wicked sinners, and all of us have fallen short of the Glory of God, and are in need of God’s grace.
You hear this theology creeping into worship songs like that famous song from Hillsong called “What A Beautiful Name“ that reads:
“You didn’t want heaven without us, so Jesus, you brought heaven down.”
This song and many like it, are subtle examples of The Narcissistic Gospel where God is seen as someone who “needs us” and did not want heaven without us. As though to say God “needs” anything or wants anything, which if you are unaware, is blasphemous to its core.
God is the great “I AM” who needs nothing, nor wants nothing, for to want or need something is to be without. To be without is to lack, to lack is to be less than perfect, to be less than perfect is to not be God. To then assign these characteristics to God, where this same god is a god who is fussing about in heaven needing more of us, is to elevate us to a position of pure narcissistic value, and lower God to a position of a emotional tyrant who is up in heaven desperately waiting for us to come there. Like a dog waiting for its master.
It goes without saying that Hillsong, along with all the Word of Faith and NAR cults, are the furthest thing from true biblical Christianity. The wide acceptance of songs which hold messages like this, are a great example of how prevalent this insidious theology is.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are not beauty itself as has been stated by people following this theology. We are sinners in need of Grace, who with a broken spirit and a humble, contrite heart (Psalm 51:17), must accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Faith and not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9), understanding that He who knew no sin, became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
