Delivered From Shallow Belief

Late one evening, what began as a casual decision to listen to a sermon turned into a spiritual wake-up call. What I heard would shake me to my core and challenge everything I thought I understood about my faith.

The sermon was titled “Ten Indictments Against the Modern Church in America.” In it, Paul Washer delivered a piercing call for Christians, especially pastors, to return to the gospel of Scripture not the cheapened, diluted version that has swept through much of the modern church. His urgent message struck at the very heart of what it means to be saved and exposed a devastating deception that plagues countless believers: shallow faith built on hollow decisions rather than the transforming work of God.

The Idolatry of Decisionism

Washer’s primary warning was against what he called “the idolatry of decisionism” the idea that salvation hinges on a single decision, a prayer, or a moment of human sincerity. He explained,

"Men today are trusting in the fact that at least one time in their life they prayed a prayer, and someone told them they were saved because they were sincere enough. And so, if you ask them, 'Are you saved?' they do not say, 'Yes, because I am looking unto Jesus, and there is mighty evidence giving me assurance of being born again.' No! They say instead, 'One time in my life I prayed a prayer.' Now they live like devils, but they prayed a prayer!"

This counterfeit gospel is dangerously widespread. A 2022 Lifeway Research study found that 56% of U.S. adults who identify as Christians believe that praying a prayer of salvation, without necessarily demonstrating ongoing spiritual fruit, guarantees their salvation. Washer’s rebuke cuts through this shallow assurance, reminding us that true salvation is not merely about a moment of decision, but about ongoing evidence of new life.

A Sobering Question

Washer’s words forced me to wrestle with a deeply unsettling question: Was I truly born again? The church I attended rarely, if ever, challenged its people with such probing truth. Being a Christian, in that context, seemed more about cultural identity than genuine transformation. We gathered in large auditoriums, enjoyed music and positive messages, but the gravity of sin, repentance, and the necessity of the new birth were seldom, if ever, mentioned.

I had to ask myself: Is my Christianity preparing me to die? For Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord’... and then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me’” (Matthew 7:22-23). These are not words directed at pagans, but at people who believed themselves to be Christians.

Do You Want God?

At the core of Washer’s message was this penetrating reality salvation is not primarily about wanting heaven it’s about wanting God. He said,

"My dear friend, everybody wants to go to heaven they just don’t want God to be there when they get there! The question is not, 'Do you want to go to heaven?' The question is this: 'Do you want God? Have you stopped being a hater of God? Has Christ become precious to you? Do you desire him?'"

Many professing Christians, Washer warned, desire the benefits of salvation but have never come to love the Savior Himself. Their hearts have not been regenerated. True salvation awakens in us not only faith but desire a longing for God Himself.

Religious Activity Is Not Enough

The danger of shallow faith is not new. John Bunyan, in The Pilgrim’s Progress, illustrates this sobering truth through the character of Ignorance. Though he traveled with the pilgrims, attended worship, and claimed faith, Ignorance reaches the gate of heaven only to be denied entrance and cast into hell. Bunyan writes, “Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gate of heaven.”

This chilling warning reminds us that outward religious activity sermons, songs, Bible studies means nothing without the inner reality of the new birth. A Christianity that never transforms a person’s heart is no true Christianity at all.

The Power of New Birth

The true gospel teaches that salvation is entirely a work of God. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Conversion is not something we manufacture through a prayer or emotional moment; it is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, who raises spiritually dead hearts to life.

As Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This rebirth produces real fruit ongoing repentance, growing holiness, genuine love for God, and increasing desire for Christ.

Pastors Must Preach the True Gospel

Much of the modern church has substituted this powerful message for a softer, less offensive version that allows people to feel spiritually secure without ever truly being saved. Washer urged pastors to reject this easy-believism and preach the weighty gospel that alone brings life:

"Preach justification by faith alone, the new birth, and the gospel that wakes the dead."

A pastor’s faithfulness in this matter has eternal consequences for his people. As Paul warned Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).

A Gospel That Will Stand in the Storm

True salvation is not fragile. It does not rest on a decision we made years ago, but on a living relationship with the risen Christ. When trials come, when death draws near, when we stand before God’s judgment throne, only this true gospel will hold firm. Paul writes in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Only a faith rooted in genuine love for Christ can face death with confidence.

The Call to Examine Ourselves

The apostle Paul urges us, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Have we been born again? Do we love Christ? Does our life bear evidence of His transforming grace? These are not questions of fear, but invitations to know the deep assurance that comes from true salvation.

Seek the Real Gospel

We must refuse to be content with a shallow faith. The world does not need more nominal Christians; it needs people who have truly been made alive by the Spirit of God. As a 2023 Barna study revealed, only 33% of professing Christians in America exhibit the fruit of true spiritual maturity marked by deep repentance, personal holiness, and vibrant love for God.

The true gospel is more than a religious accessory it is life itself. It is not merely about going to church but about being transformed into the likeness of Christ. Saints, let us not settle for cheap grace. Let us seek the gospel that shakes us, changes us, and prepares us to stand unashamed before our God.

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