What exactly is the pep-talk gospel? It is a feel-good, motivational message, and nothing more. It lifts you up and cheers you up and puts a smile on your face without ever calling you to turn from sin, without ever confronting you with the consequences of disobedience, without ever talking about judgment or God’s wrath. That is not the gospel. According to this gospel, sadness is your adversary, not sin. Depression is your enemy, not depravity. Jesus doesn’t want you to feel bad, but He’s not calling you to turn from sin. That is the pep-talk gospel. Happiness, not holiness, is the goal.
