God loves the sinner. God is gracious and longsuffering; He endures our transgressions. God loves us just the way we are. We are saved by grace, and not by our own merits. We are exempt from the law since we've received the Spirit of God by believing in the Name of Jesus Christ. Yes, yes, and yes. There is nothing you or I can do to make God love us more, accept us more, or win favor in His eyes. And subsequently, there is no evil we can commit that would cause Him to stop loving us, since anything we did, can or will do has been paid for on the cross. And nothing but the blood of Christ can wash away sins.
These are all truths, great Biblical truths, and I stand by them, and commend the author for expounding on the loving eternal grace that God is (I John 4:8).
But let us not forget that God is also a Holy God (Lev. 19:2), and He expects us to live Holy (Lev. 20:7, Matt. 5:48).
And please let us not forget that God is to be greatly feared (Ps. 111:10).
We should cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7:1). Jesus knew His disciples were imperfect, yet He urged them to strive for the perfection of God. He told the woman caught in adultery to "sin no more". But were they willing to do as Jesus commanded them? Never once in any of the gospels did the Lord tell people, "Hey, don't let your hearts be troubled over your repeated sins. Go on with your lives, and just be comforted knowing that My Father loves you."
There is a serious lack of uncompromised holiness in the church of Jesus today. Those that strive for perfection (remember that Jesus said, "be ye perfect") through the infilling of the Holy Ghost, through dying to the flesh daily, by nailing their sinful, God-displeasing carnality to the cross and meditating on the Word while seeking God's face dilligently (something WE must do) are often mocked and labeled "legalistic" and accused of practicing salvation through works doctrine.
However, it seems to me that the "ragamuffin" mentality depicted in this book is apt to condone sinful, lukewarm lifestyles by falling back on the "God loves me, and accepts me as I am" crutch. That type of mentality would certainly find this book enlightening - and it is, partially (I say partially because there is another part of God that is eclipsed in the book). Are you ready to discover what the other part of God is like?
Here it is: God sends sinners to hell.
Hell is real, and people really do go there for all eternity. As much as God loves the sinner, He hates the sin. Jesus spoke more of hellfire than He did of the love of the Father. Why? Because He needed to drive it home by saying, "Look people, hell is real. The second death is real. The lake of eternal fire is real. I love you, but I'll tell every hypocrite to depart from Me on that day."
The Ragamuffin Gospel does not expound the Judgment Seat of Christ. And for good reason; it wouldn't make the compromised, backslidden reader feel comfortable in his or her sin. It doesn't tickle the ear with love and peace (Jesus didn't come to bring peace, remember). It doesn't demand sacrifice on part of the believer. It doesn't require you to die daily. (1 Cor. 15:31)
For the chainsmoking Christian, it doesn't preach that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (and that it is a stumbling block to others new in the faith), and that everytime you light up you displease God.
I was recently at a Full Gospel Church (I am a youth pastor, and took our kids to a three day retreat) and was amazed to learn that the pastor's wife smoked (as the entire praise and worship team!). And not in secret, either. They lit up after the service outside, and some of the kids saw them.
Now, because of their "I'm a ragamuffin. I can do anything I want because God loves me" philosophy, I have newly-saved kids coming up asking serious questions. Why? Because they saw those in leadership positions compromised in their walk with the Lord. They saw them doing stuff that Jesus would never do. And now they have questions about ..., drinking, and worldly entertainment. "Is it all okay as long as you are saved?" They saw stumbling blocks. You might call them ragamuffin Christian smokers, but I call them what they are - stumbling blocks. And their lack of holiness caused strife within the Body of Christ.
In Matthew 18:6, Jesus warns of situations like these. I believe this is relevent, and a very serious issue. There are so many things Satan has devised to sidetrack and distance us from God, but none of these things should be found in the church. (Especially under the guise that God actually permits it!)
Now, another problem I have with this book is that the author should know better. Does he light up a cigarette in the lobby after he does a seminar? ... Does he just do whatever he feels like, and disregards God's holy precepts?
If not, then how can he (in a leadership position, remember) tell those struggling with sin to just "forget about it" and know that God loves them? This mentality is harmful, because only part of the truth is being conveyed. Yes, we are all ragamuffins, I have no problem with that. In fact, the word ragamuffin is too kind for me. I like the apostle Paul's self analysis "scum of the earth" better. I am scum, and God loves me, but--
But the author also should be telling them what Jesus, John the Baptist, what Paul, and what all the disciples were ordered to tell the world, while still preaching the love of God: "Repent, repent, repent!" (Mark 6:12)
For those who call me legalistic and narrow-minded, I'd like to remind you of the last words Jesus gave to His church. And that includes all us ragamuffins:
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent." (Rev. 3:19)