Did Joel Osteen's wife commit 'blasphemy'?

 

World News Daily | August 30, 2014

Victoria Osteen, wife of megachurch minister Joel Osteen and co-pastor of the Houston, Texas, Lakewood Church is under fire for comments being called blasphemous during a recent Sunday morning service.

Osteen, addressing the church’s large congregation as her husband stood by nodding his head in agreement, said, “I just want to encourage everyone of us to realize when we obey God, we’re not doing it for God – I mean, that’s one way to look at it – we’re doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we’re happy.

“So I want you to know this morning: Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doing it for God really. You’re doing it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy. Amen?”

While Osteen’s perspective on obedience and worship appears compatible with the theme of her latest book, “Love Your Life,” it’s out of step with the Bible, according to online critics.

Steve Camp, pastor of the Cross Church in Palm City, Florida, told Christian News Network Osteen’s words were essentially blasphemous.

“It’s the age old sin of idolatry – that it’s not about God, it’s about us,” he said. “True worship for the humanist is about how we feel at the end of the day and what gives us meaning, as opposed to what gives God glory.”

“She honestly believes that God exists to make us happy rather than holy,” Camp said. “She honestly believes that worship is about our fulfillment rather than His glory. That’s the bottom issue here.”

Camp continued: “First Corinthians so clearly says that whether we eat or drink, do it all to the glory of God. It’s not just self. Jesus said … in Matthew 16, ‘Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me.’

“The Osteens have just inverted that. They think it’s not the denial of self, but the exaltation of self,” Camp said. “They’re not trying to pursue a cross; they’re trying to pursue prosperity. And they’re certainly not following the biblical Jesus. They’re following whatever brings happiness and contentment.”
 

Source: http://www.wnd.com/2014/08/joel-osteens-wife-accused-of-blasphemous-remarks/#0OlDYG8GbiklVMU1.99