Pragmatism: Trend or Trap?

John MacArthur @ http://www.sfpulpit.com considers pragmatism and asks if it is just a current trend or a trap. He notes:

I have witnessed the birth and growth of menacing trends within the church, several of which have converged under what I would call evangelical pragmatism — an approach to ministry that is endemic in contemporary Christianity.

What is pragmatism? Basically it is a philosophy that says that results determine meaning, truth, and value — what will work becomes a more important question than what is true. As Christians, we are called to trust what the Lord says, preach that message to others, and leave the results to Him. But many have set that aside. Seeking relevancy and success, they have welcomed the pragmatic approach and have received the proverbial Trojan horse.

He then overviews:

Recent History

The Down-Grade Controversy

The Effects of Pragmatism

First, there is in vogue today a trend to make the basis of faith something other than God’s Word.

Second, evangelical pragmatism tends to move the focus of faith away from God’s Son.

Third, today’s Christianity is infected with a tendency to view the result of faith as something less than God’s standard of holy living.