The Gospel According to Liberalism

Here's something to ponder from Michael Horton's newest book The Gospel-Driven Live.

"In the 1950s, Yale's H. Richard Niebuhr described the so-called 'gospel' of Protestant liberalism poignantly: 'A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.' Each clause is telling. First, more like Mr. Rogers than the judge of all the earth, the sentimental deity of many Americans is incapable of wrath. Since he exists for us and our happiness, this heavenly friend may be disappointed and sad when we hurt ourselves, but he never sees sin as an offence primarily against himself and his perfect justice. Second, we may make mistakes--pretty bad ones, from time to time--but it would be wrong to call ourselves sinners, much less to imagine that we are captive to sin, helpless to do anything to will or work our way out of the mess. So, third, God brings us basically good people into a kingdom without judgment, since there is no law that could condemn and no gospel that could justify. And finally, for this sort of religious therapy you don't need a vicarious, atoning sacrifice if you are basically a nice person; what you need is a good example." (38, emphasis his)