Joel Osteen's evil gospel

The following Christian Post article was published this week.

Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen says he isn't cheating anyone by not talking about Hell and repentance, insisting that people feel guilty enough already, and he wants to lift up believers instead of bringing them down. 

When asked in an Easter Sunday interview by CBS News' "Sunday Morning" program "Do you feel like you're cheating people by not telling them about the Hell part? Or repentance part?" Osteen answered: "No, I really don't, because it's a different approach."

Please understand how evil Joel Osteen is. Before we go any further, let's have a biblical discussion of the definition of evil. From Bible Study Tools:

This essay uses the term "moral evil" to include both social offenses (ethics, murder, theft) and cultic sins (those offenses aimed directly against the deity- blasphemy, idolatry). Moral evil, therefore, whether its setting be cultic or social, when carried out may be considered a sin. Cultic values are addressed in the first four of the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:3-11; Deut 5:7-15) and by the first of Jesus' "Great Commandments" (Matt 22:37-40; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27 ; cf. Deut 6:5); ethics are considered in the last six of the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:12-17 ; Deut 5:16-21 ) and by the second "Great Commandment" (Lev 19:18 ). 

If God is the definer of what is good (2 Sam 10:12; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19), right (Gen 18:25), and just (Job 34:12 ), it is not surprising that the Bible never attributes moral or cultic evil to him (Job 34:10). Indeed, he hates evil (Psalm 5:6) and is the avenging judge who punishes those who practice it (Isa 31:2 ; Micah 2:1). 

Because what is right was what was ordained by God, and what is wrong was what was proscribed by him, deviation from this paradigm constitutes what is evil. The most common term for cultic evil in the Old Testament (used over 200 times) is awon, "perversion, " possibly related to the verb awah, "to be bent," "to twist." As such, it refers to what is theologically perverted in some way. 

 Variance from God's moral law is evil. Theological perversion is evil.

In these days of tolerance and all-inclusiveness, people are reluctant to call evil what it is. The Bible, however, is clear that anything not of God is of satan. And satan is evil.

A different Gospel is evil.
Workers of iniquity are evil.
Immorality is evil.
Deluding people is evil.
Works salvation is evil.

That ground laid, here is an article which appeared this week in the Christian Mail, originally in The Christian Post

Joel Osteen Says He’s Not Cheating People by Not Preaching About Hell

Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen says he isn’t cheating anyone by not talking about Hell and repentance, insisting that people feel guilty enough already, and he wants to lift up believers instead of bringing them down. 

When asked in an Easter Sunday interview by CBS News’ “Sunday Morning” program “Do you feel like you’re cheating people by not telling them about the Hell part? Or repentance part?” Osteen answered: “No, I really don’t, because it’s a different approach.

He continued: “You know, it’s not hellfire and brimstone. But I say most people are beaten down enough by life. They already feel guilty enough. They’re not doing what they should, raising their kids — we can all find reasons. So I want them to come to Lakewood or our meetings and be lifted up, to say, ‘You know what? I may not be perfect, but I’m moving forward. I’m doing better.’ And I think that motivates you to do better.” 

Osteen has on numerous occasions denied that he peaches a “watered-down” version of the Gospel, stating in a February 2012 message that for many years religion has pushed down people, and people have been told that they can’t measure up to God.

“My goal is to make God good ..."

His goal is to deny the Gospel, omit the Bible parts he personally finds unpalatable, and to REMAKE God in another image. This is evil.

But are Osteen's followers hapless victims of an unscrupulous wolf? yes. And no.

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, (2 Timothy 4:3).

Dishonorable people who already know they are guilty, want to be indulged in their sin, and heap up teachers like Osteen to suit their dishonorable needs. And unscrupulous Osteen is only to happy to modify the Gospel in order to retain those dishonorable people. It is a match made in hell.

Here is Justin Peters explaining Osteen's theology and how it does not plumb with scripture. The 3-minute video summarizes,

Joel Osteen is a phenomenal false teacher and deceiver. He has attached the "Christianity" brand to his self affirmation, feel good pagan religion, and those who lust after his trinkets follow him by the millions down that broad road to destruction. Evidently it must be broad in order to accommodate their vast numbers.

Justin Peters in his series Clouds Without Water (http://justinpeters.org/) does a masterful job exposing the Word of Faith heresy and calling true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to more serious discernment... because the hour is real late folks...

Here is John MacArthur rebuking Joel Osteen's theology. The 6-minute video summary states:

Pastor John MacArthur exposes Joel Osteen as a pagan religionist, a quasi-pantheist, and an agent of Satan. He critiques Joel's book, quotes, and prayer and compares them with what the Bible teaches. This is an excerpt from John MacArthur's sermon, "A True Knowledge of the True God." Used by permission. You can read the transcript, watch, or download the full video here: http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/90-397