Correction and Reproof of Liberal False Teachers

Today, I feel led to share a link to my friend Neil's blog - Eternity Matters.  He has written an excellent post that biblically "outs" the  false teachers from the realm of liberal Christianity!  You will learn a lot and be truly blessed by the truth he shares!

As usual, when Christians share the truth of the Bible with theologically liberal Christians, it often leads to a battle.  There is one commenter over there who was a bit up-in-arms because he thought that Neil was "judging" liberal Christians.

4Simpsons Blog - Eternity Matters

A simple way to out theologically Liberal Christians for the tares and wolves that they are - One of the easiest ways I’ve found to “out” false teachers is to ask if they believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. They very rarely do. They’ll...

 

Excerpt:

One of the easiest ways I’ve found to “out” false teachers is to ask if they believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation.  They very rarely do.  They’ll defend their false view with some tidbit they’ve heard then try to change the subject.  Some, like false teacher Chuck “Jesus is not the only way” Currie, come up with entire sermons designed to rationalize away plain texts like John 14:6 (Jesus answered, ”I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.).

Theologically Progressive/Liberals who claim the name of Christ mock the cross and the blood of the martyrs.  They refer to a few Bible verses, though almost always out of context, but if you keep them talking long enough they deny nearly all the essentials of the faith.

What they don’t know is that there are more than 100 passages supporting the truth that Jesus is indeed the only way to salvation.  When you point that out they work overtime to ignore you or change the subject.  Don’t let them do that.  And keep in mind that many of them have Masters or Doctorates in theology yet they have read the Bible so little that they don’t even know that truth!
  
Just ask them this: Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation, or do you rationalize away the 100+ passages affirming that truth? Follow-up question: If you deny those passages, then you are denying that the Holy Spirit inspired the original writings, so what is your evidence that the original writings were wrong but that the Holy Spirit is now accurately revealing truths to you?

 

 

 

Read it all HERE!



Neil asks the 2 pertinent questions at the end of that excerpt:

Just ask them this: Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation, or do you rationalize away the 100+ passages affirming that truth?

Follow-up question: If you deny those passages, then you are denying that the Holy Spirit inspired the original writings, so what is your evidence that the original writings were wrong but that the Holy Spirit is now accurately revealing truths to you?

Read the entire post and comments.  Neil answers each query and objection by utilizing biblical hermeneutics masterfully!


My comment there:


Unfortunately, liberal Christians often make the same mistakes as non-believers. They equate the necessary correction and reproof by fellow Christians as “judging” others. But the fact is that man can be guilty of “judging” God’s Word and rejecting the truth therein; precisely because it goes against their own personal beliefs regarding what constitutes sin. Instead of agreeing with what God has revealed in Scripture, they want to hold onto their own ideologies or secular beliefs. When they do that (by not utilizing exegesis, Scripture interprets Scripture – meaning proper hermeneutics), then they incorrectly interpret Scripture and thus the true meaning can be lost. Such methods easily lead one astray into heresy and apostasy.
 
We are only human – and when I get something biblically wrong, I want my fellow Christian brothers and sisters to correct me! The best way to do so is with Scripture itself! [I must add that Neil's post uses Scripture masterfully - and thus all that he wrote can be upheld biblically - which is the most important test in sharing the truth!]

There are many Scriptures that tell us to avoid such misinterpretations. 2 Timothy 2:16-17 is just one example:

2Ti 3:16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2Ti 3:17
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work

.
The importance of the Holy Spirit guiding the born-again believer can’t be emphasized enough! Jesus told us that he would send the Helper (at Pentecost) who will testify of him (Jesus), bring all we have learned back to mind and help us to properly learn, study, and apply Scripture!


Jhn 15:26
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

Notice that Jesus needed to depart in order for the Holy Spirit to be sent.

Jhn 16:7
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Jesus also tells us the purpose of sending the Holy Spirit to us:

Jhn 14:26
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

And we also find out that the Holy Spirit will abide in us forever:

Jhn 14:16
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—

This is why Jesus claims that he will be with us always, even unto the end of the age:

Mat 28:18
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth
.
Mat 28:19
“Go therefore[fn] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mat 28:20
“teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.[fn]


What’s more, the closer we get to the end times we know that there will be a falling away from the truth. This is why the 2 Timothy 3:16-17 instruction is so crucial when sharing the Gospel of Christ!

See the book of Jude for one example.



Hat tip:

4Simpsons Blog - Eternity Matters

A simple way to out theologically Liberal Christians for the tares and wolves that they are

Brain Study and Bible Study

The following is a brain exercise that I found over at the TEA Party Community website.  Apparently, if you can read it then you have a strong mind.  I was able to read it!  See if you can!



Hat Tip:  Patricia D.

P.S. My brain needed a rest today from all the scandals! How many are we up to now...7? 8??

Speaking of the brain,  Solomon was granted wisdom from God, thus:

"And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon." - 1Ki 4:34

  

How can wisdom be measured?  I think that it is particularly evident in those who read, study, meditate on, share, memorize, preach, exhort, and learn Scripture.  Man's wisdom could never compare to the wisdom and knowledge of God!

The Bible is THE greatest book ever written.  It is the God-breathed message to all men,  via all of the writers of the books in the Bible who were each carried along by the Holy Spirit of God as they wrote down Scripture.  There are many benefits to reading the Bible.  And, it serves as a great respite from all the chaos going on in this deceptive, sinful, and destructive world of immorality and relativistic havoc!

Phl 4:8   Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Love you Jesus!

~  Christine

Recognizing Spiritual Delusion

While checking my stats this morning, I noticed that a visitor came to this blog to read a post that I did way back in 2007.  The visitor typed, "end days will bring about a spirit of spiritual delusion" into the Bing search engine, and my blog post appeared on the second page.

Thought that I would re-post here today.  People are under the influence of all kinds of delusions these days.  They include emotional delusions, mental delusions, educational delusions, physical delusions, sexual practice delusions, and even political delusions.   But spiritual delusion is the most dangerous.

Why?

Because once someone is under a spiritual delusion, many of the other delusions also enter in and wreak havoc upon their lives!

Read the post and find out for yourself!

~ Christine

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Saturday, July 07, 2007

Recognizing Spiritual Delusion

When it comes to studying and understanding the "shadow of coming events" predicted and prophesied in the Bible, no one does a better, more accurate job of communicating exactly what Scripture reveals than Dr. Ed Hindson. If you go to that website and read his impressive resume', you will, without a doubt, see how knowledgeable he is regarding end times events, Scriptural truth, and biblical prophecy.

One chapter, in Dr. Hindson's book Antichrist Rising, has stood out in my mind over the past few days. It is the chapter called, "Rise of False Prophets." The Bible informs us that false prophets and teachers have always been with us. Knowing God's Word is essential to being able to spot them. We are warned, however, that as the end times draw closer and closer, there will be a rise of false prophets in the world. So, how do we recognize them and most importantly, avoid being caught up in their deception?

According to the Old Testament (OT), we are told that true prophets of God must do three things in order to be considered genuine:

1. must speak in the name of the Lord, not some other god.

2. must have a message that is in accord with God's revealed truth in Scripture.

3. must give predictions of future events that come true exactly as stated.

Ed Hindson writes:

One of the most scathing denunciations of false prophets in all of Scripture is delivered by the prophet Jeremiah. In his time, Jeremiah had to deal constantly with false prophets who opposed his ministry, contradicted his message, and even conspired to have him killed. They kept telling the leaders of Jerusalem that the people had nothing to fear from the Babylonian invaders, but Jeremiah knew differently. Jerusalem was on the verge of destruction, and the people were about to be taken into captivity for 70 years.

"My heart is broken within me," Jeremiah confesses in his agony over these false prophets who "...follow an evil course and use their power unjustly" (Jeremiah 23:9,10). "Both prophet and priest are godless," the Lord responds (23:11). Then He tells Jeremiah His opinion of these false prophets:

Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD (verse 16).

I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied (verse 21).

I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, "I had a dream! I had a dream!" How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? (verse 25)

Yes...I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues....Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams....Because every man's own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God (verses 31, 32, 36).

Jeremiah could not make his complaint any clearer or his case any stronger. God is against those false prophets whose spiritual delusion causes them to invent their own message apart from God's truth. The Bible presents these people in seven categories...

Before I post those categories, I want to mention a few things that are crucial to this message.

In OT times, the Holy Spirit of God would "come, minister, and then depart from" the prophets of old. Any basic study of the Bible would bear this fact out. The fact that God is depicted as "being with a prophet or person," but then "leaving that prophet or person" shows this to be true. He is often called, "The Spirit of God" for "The Spirit of the LORD." For example:

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Jdg 3:10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

Today, the Holy Spirit works both outside, in the world to influence the unsaved towards repentance and acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior; as well as inside each saved believer. When a person is born-again (see John 3) , the Holy Spirit resides within the hearts of those believers. According to the Bible, Jesus told us that on the day of Pentecost, He would send a Helper for the disciples (and for us today as well):

Luk 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Notice that Jesus mentions we must ask for the Holy Spirit to indwell us. After repentance of our sins, we ask Jesus Christ into our hearts and he resides there in the form of the Holy Spirit. Jesus refers to Him as "another Comforter."

Jhn 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;



Jhn 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


Jhn 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:



Jhn 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

When Jesus was here, physically on earth during his 3 year ministry, he could only be present in one place at a time. After defeating evil, sin and death on the cross for the sins of the world, and His subsequent resurrection to life, he ascended to the Father and now resides at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The Comforter (Holy Spirit) can be in all places at all times and thus indwells each believer in Christ.

We are then promised that He will never leave nor forsake us.

Hbr 13:5 [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

This is why, no matter what happens to us on this earth, we can have the peace that surpasses all understanding precisely because we belong to Jesus! We can have absolute faith in Him! He's such an awesome Savior and Lord!

Now, back to the topic of this post.

I left off just before sharing the seven categories that false prophets and teachers can fall into:

Hindson:

1. Self-deceived. Some false teachers may be sincere, but they are still wrong. They have deceived themselves into believing their messages are true. As Jeremiah points out, their messages come psychologically from within their own minds and are not from God.

This is why I have stressed the point that the Holy Spirit of God will not lead you into thinking that contradicts Scripture! The "messages" may come "psychologically" from within one's own mind, (or, even worse from demons), but they are not from God if it contradicts God's Word!

Hindson:

2. Liars. Some false prophets are deliberate liars who have no intention of telling the truth. The apostle John says, "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the anti-christ - he denies the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22).

Now, admittedly, deliberate liars are easier to spot. However, sometimes the lie is so subtle, that even Christians can be fooled if they don't have a firm foundation in the truth of the Bible. Notice in Ed Hindson's second definition of a true prophet, he states:

2. [A true prophet] must have a message that is in accord with God's revealed truth in Scripture.

God's revealed truth in Scripture is the operative phrase. Anyone can read, study and even teach from the Bible. But if their ideology does not match up with God's revealed truth in the Scriptures, then beware! You may be led astray from a false teacher!
Hindson:

3. Heretics. These are those who preach heresy (false doctrine) and divide the church. Of them John said, "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us" (1 John 2:19). The apostle Peter said, "There will be false teachers among you. they will secretly introduce destructive heresies....These men blaspheme in matters they do not understand" (2 Peter 2:1, 12).

The phrase, "blaspheme in matters they do not understand" could refer to those under delusion and/or deception. We can all recall several examples of blatantly obvious heretical movements. The Jim Jones cult, the Heaven's Gate group, and David Koresh. However, there are more subtle groups that would qualify as being called "heretical."

Hindson:

4. Blasphemers. Those who speak evil of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the people of God, the kingdom of God, and the attributes of God are called blasphemers. Jude calls them godless men who "speak abusively against whatever they do not understand....They are clouds without rain...trees, without fruit....They are wild waves of the sea...wandering stars" (Jude 10,12,13).

We even have a recent example of these types of people! Look no further than This debate between the "Rational Response Squad" and two Christian evangelists.

However, some examples of "blasphemers" are not always as obvious as the atheists who participated in that debate. The ability to subtly "speak abusively against whatever they do not understand." can apply to false converts, as well. They are often referred to as "sheep in wolves clothing."

Hindson:

6. Seducers. Jesus warned that some false prophets will appear with miraculous signs and wonders to seduce or deceive the very elect, "if that were possible" (Mark 13:22). Our Lord's implication is that spiritual seduction is a very real threat even to believers. This would account for the fact that a few genuine but deceived believers may be found among the cults.

Did you catch that? It bears repeating:

A few genuine but deceived believers may be found among the cults!

Now, I am often accused by gay theology proponents of "being judgmental," or "displaying hate," or "not being willing to discuss our differences," or "not living in harmony with," or "not being willing to accept that which they are preaching," or "not being willing to compromise," etc. I could go on and on, (as one well-known blog is named).

But now, we have an example of someone in the gay christian movement who demonstrates, through his own words, his unwillingness to compromise. Besides, it is not written in the Bible anywhere that we should compromise on any issue regarding the Gospel of Christ!

Here's Mel White's "gospel":

“I will sit down with anyone who comes to the table with certain basic positive assumptions about us: that we are here, millions of us, and have the right to be; that our sexual orientation, too, is a gift from our Creator who is pleased when we accept the gift with gratitude and pride; that on average we live productive and responsible lives; that we are perfectly capable of loving, committed relationships and are as equipped as heterosexuals to have families of our own; that uncounted millions of us are people of faith who serve our faith communities with creativity and commitment and patriotic Americans who serve our nation with courage and with honor; that we don’t seek “special rights” just the rights and protections guaranteed all Americans by the Constitution. Our dignity, our integrity, our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, our unqualified acceptance by our Creator are not up for debate.”

Gcmwatch quote:

Our bold. What is there to discuss, when he demands 100% concession from us?

Can you see, now, why groups like the "Equality Riders" cannot possibly reconcile with Bible-based Christian believers? Their leader unequivocally states that in order for us to do so, it would require 100% concession (a.k.a. compromise) to his ideology.

It ain't gonna happen...people.

Why? Because there will always be a remnant of the faithful who will never compromise God's Word! That's why!

Hindson:

7. Reprobates. This term means "disapproved," "depraved," or "rejected." Paul refers to those who have rejected the truth of God and turned to spiritual darkness. Consequently, God has given them over to a "reprobate mind" (Romans 1:28 KJV). They have so deliberately rejected God that they have become "filled with every kind of wickedness" (verse 29). As a result, they are "God-haters" (verse 30), whose behavior is "senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless" (verse 31). These people are so far gone spiritually that they know it and don't care. In Jesus' own prophetic message, the Olivette Discourse, He warned, "Watch out that no one deceives you....Many will turn away from the faith....And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people....For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles" (Matthew 24:4, 10, 11,24). Our Lord warned His disciples of the possibility of spiritual seduction by false prophets.

There are different levels of re probation going on out there. From the most severe kinds of re probation to the more subtle, and perceived "harmless" type like Mel White's Equality Riders.

Hindson writes:

The Bible describes Satan as the "father of lies" (John 8:44) and pictures him as the ultimate deceiver. His name means "accuser," and he is depicted as the accuser of God and His people (Revelation 12:10). he is opposed to God and seeks to alienate people from the truth. He misled the fallen angels (Revelation 12:3,4). He tempts men and women to sin against God's laws (Genesis 3:1-13; 1 Timothy 6:9). He denies and rejects the truth of God and deceives those who perish without God (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Ultimately, he inspires the false prophets and the very spirit of Antichrist (1 John 2:18-23).

The Bible clearly warns us that in the last days people will "abandon the faith and follow deceiving ['seducing,' KJV] spirits and things ['doctrine,' KJV] taught by demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). These false teachings will come through hypocritical liars whose minds have been captured by Satan's lies (1 Timothy 4:2). Thus, the process of spiritual deception is clearly outlined in Scripture:

1. Satan - Father of lies
2. Demons - Doctrines of Devils
3. False Teachers - Messengers of Deceit

The term angel (Greek angelos) means "messenger." God's angels are His divine messengers (Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 1:1), and His true prophets and preachers are called the angels of the churches (Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). By contrast, Satan is pictured as a fallen angel, the leader of other fallen angels, who deceives the world (Revelation 12:9). He is revealed as the ultimate power behind the Antichrist and the False Prophet who deceives mankind with false religion (Revelation 13:14, 15). Thus, the messengers (angels) of deceit are Satan-inspired false prophets and teachers whose messages are the very spirit of Antichrist.

A century ago, A.T. Pierson, the Bible teacher who often spoke for Charles Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, wrote,

"Evil spirits acquire their greatest power from their subtlety. They are masters of the art of deception, and aim to counterfeit that which is good rather than suggest what is obviously and wholly evil."

A learned and spiritually mature Christian friend of mine, Susan Smith, once said something that was quite simple, but extremely profound!

She wrote something like this (paraphrased):

"The greatest deception is not believing that we can be deceived."

So, as Christian believers, how can we be guaranteed not to fall into deception?

1. The first step, of course, is through repentance for all sin and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior over our lives.

2. The second step is to read and study Scripture; but the most important point in this second step is what Dr. Hindson stated, "we must have a message that is in accord with God's revealed truth in Scripture."

3. This leads to the third step. It is knowing and recognizing, the seven categories (discussed above), and types of people that could lead one into spiritual deception and delusion.


Hindson shares why we must be spiritually discerning:

The lure of false doctrine is that it presents itself as the truth. It appears as a corrective measure to established doctrine. It is propagated by those who are certain they have discovered some new revelation of truth or a better interpretation of old, established truth. Either way, they are convinced they are right and everyone else is wrong.

This is Satan's oldest trick. He appeals to our self-conceit and leads us into self-deceit. When he first approached Eve, Satan questioned the integrity of God's command and appealed to her selfish desire to be like God - the same desire that led to his own fall. And there is something selfish enough in all of us to want to believe that we can know what no one else knows. C.S. Lewis said,

"What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could "be like gods."...Out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we can call human history...the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."

Today, the seduction is even more subtle than Hindson states here (IMHO). We could take one line from above and add to it:

"Either way, they are convinced they are right and everyone else is "intolerant," or "hateful," or "uncompromising," or "out of harmony with," or, as Mel White stated above regarding his non-biblical view that 'that our sexual orientation, too, is a gift from our Creator who is pleased when we accept the gift with gratitude and pride,' and 'our unqualified acceptance by our Creator are not up for debate.' "

In the second post on this topic, I will cover warnings that once spiritual deception sets in, it leads, ultimately, to spiritual darkness.

Some thoughts to preview:

1. Pride and arrogance are the sins that lead a person to become spiritually deceived.
2. Satan tempts us with our own self-centeredness and lures us into spiritual darkness with the bait of our own pride. The Bible calls this the "pride of life" (1 John 2:16 KJV).
3. Having been hooked by our arrogance, we are reeled in by our ignorance.

I know. All of this is so devastating and heart-breaking to read. However, there is hope!! It is found in none other than Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible. Anyone can come out of spiritual deception and darkness! It's happening every single day!!
I sincerely believe that some people just don't even realize that they are being deceived. Others, however, know it full well. But for those who may be currently studying under any number of 'sincere' preachers who have gotten off the theological track because they don't know enough theology to realize their errors, you can give them a "test" to see if they are worthy to be in the mission of preaching the Gospel message of Christ.

Just ask them if they are willing to be checked, according to the absolute truth of God's Word, on the accuracy of a certain doctrine, point, sermon or message that they have preached.

As my pastor has told us several times, he is only human and can make mistakes. That is why our "plumb line" to stay on track when it comes to sharing the gospel and God's Word, is to stay true to it (utilizing the proper apologetics tools of exegesis, hermeneutics, Sola Scriptura, and Scripture interprets Scripture), to the best of our ability.

If a preacher or leader says that they are not willing to do this, (and/or are also not willing to back up what they have said with Scripture) that could be a good indication that they may be in danger of being off of the proper theological track.

Bottom line? My faith has to be anchored in the truth if it is going to do me, and others, any good. The same is true for you!

In the next section, Hindson mentions that "once theological error falls into 'ecclesiastical cement' it is virtually impossible to eliminate it."

Once a false doctrine is accepted, it can be organized and perpetuated by a religious body, then perpetrated by a false defense (apologetic) which is based upon a false premise. It is then when we see such groups fall down that slippery slope as they accept false doctrine [no matter how much biblical Scriptural truth has been shown to them and has exposed their error(s)] as their "new truth." They can organize it, categorize it, debate it, systemize it, teach it, and/or demand it; but that doesn't make it true!!

When it comes to false teachers, the real problem is that the love of their own, skewed, erroneous teaching may drive them to the point where they will refuse to repent of it, even when their error is exposed!

The Bible says, "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts" (Ephesians 4:18).

Quotations Source: Antichrist Rising by Ed Hindson Copyright 2003 Ed Hindson; Published by 21st Century Press, Springfield, Missouri U.S.A. pp. 40-48 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever or stored in any database or retrieval system without written permission except in the case of brief quotations used in critical articles and reviews.

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6/9/07 Update:

GCM watch July Monument Award goes to Darlene Osborne of The Christian Online Magazine . Darlene has written an excellent article called, Has God Changed His Mind About Homosexuality?

HT: Gcmwatch

Not Of This World

Scripture informs us that we are to be in the world - but not of the world. These verses help explain the difference:

1Jo 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

In a previous comment thread, a commentator wrote objections about Glenn Beck "leading" Christians because he is a Mormon. First, I don't think that he has the power to lead any Christian either to or away from true faith in Christ. Second, I do think that Beck is correct about being very wary of the "social justice" religious movement. I think that they are far more dangerous to the gospel of Jesus Christ than Mormonism. Why? Because they are disguised as a "Christian" group. At least with Mormonism, we know that the addition of the book of Mormon has been forbidden as genuine Scripture (via what is written in the Book of Revelation) because it was added after the canon of God's Word was final. We are not to add or subtract from the original Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

Even the terms "social justice" sound like they could be deemed as "biblical." But the fact that the social justice leftists use the term in a completely different way and want to create a kind of "utopia" here on earth gives their motives away; at least to those who are discerning. Rather than preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ to the brokenhearted - sinners who are in desperate need of repentance, forgiveness, and salvation through the Savior - their focus on social justice demonstrates exactly what we are warned about in Scripture.

What the utopia "social justice" crowd wants is the exact opposite of what Christ preached:

Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Christ could not be clearer than when He made the claim that He "is not of this world" in the following verses:

Jhn 8:23 And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

Jhn 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."

Those who would place their own minds, wisdom and knowledge above God's written Word - the Bible; or, above God's Living Word - Jesus Christ (usually done through rejection of his sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary), are typically guilty of a myriad of errors. Whether the error they have involves a false religion, skeptism, agnosticism, atheism, heresy, apostasy, or spreading a false gospel; each and every one prevents individual souls from bridging the huge gulf between their sinful condition and the Creator - our Holy and Righteous God.

1Cr 1:20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

The "social justice" crowd is deeply embedded with the "foolish wisdom of this world." They display their own kind of false gospel through utilizing a kind of "fleshly wisdom":

2Cr 1:12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

When determining whether or not someones spirit is confessing the truth of the Spirit of God - the Bible tells us that "every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God," and "every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God."

Furthermore, we find that "he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

What's more, a true believer's testimony would always include: "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world."

If a religious movement of any kind does not recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of the world, then he/she is in error.

Note what the following verse tells us:

1Jo 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

The following is the entire chapter of 1 John 4. Take heed of all that is written!

1Jo 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.


1Jo 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,


1Jo 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.


1Jo 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.


1Jo 4:5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.


1Jo 4:6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.


1Jo 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.


1Jo 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.


1Jo 4:9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.


1Jo 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.


1Jo 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.


1Jo 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.


1Jo 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.


1Jo 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.


1Jo 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.


1Jo 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.


1Jo 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.


1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.


1Jo 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.


1Jo 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?


1Jo 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

NKJV Footnotes:
(4:3) NU-Text omits that and Christ has come in the flesh.
(4:19) NU-Text omits Him.
(4:20) NU-Text reads he cannot.

Hat Tip:

Blue Letter Bible

What On Earth is the Millennium?

Last week, I introduced readers of this blog to Dr. David Jeremiah's new series, "Revealing the Mysteries of Heaven." Today's broadcast certainly doesn't disappoint! In fact, it brings much greater clarity to what is meant by what the Bible calls, "The Millennium."

A brief background:

The 1,000 years (Revelation 20:2-4) are often referred to as the Millennnium (Latin for 1,000). Just how and when this 1,000 years takes place is understood differently among Christian scholars. The three major positions on this issue are called postmillennialism, premillennialism, and amillennialism.

Today's broadcast, "What On Earth is the Millennium?" is covered in great detail, using Bible verses from the Old Testament to support the premillennialism view that Dr. Jeremiah reveals in his sermon.

Last week, I ordered the DVD set, book, and five study guides. This series is so good that I want to share it again with a group of five friends in my home! A few days ago, I got an email that told me the "Revealing the Mysteries of Heaven" DVD, book, and study guide set is on backorder! It's THAT popular!

I was planning on viewing all of the lessons that I had previously missed in the series when I got my set. But now, I find that since I will have to wait until mid-April to get the entire set, I want to view the previous sermons available online at LightSource. com: Turning Point.

Briefly, I want to point out that some Christians may believe in "Postmillennialism" or "Amillennialism." These are different views about the Millennium, but they need not cause division and controversy in the church because each view acknowledges what is most crucial to Christianity - Christ will return, defeat Satan, and reign forever! Despite what an individual Christian believes regarding the Millennium, Jesus Christ will unite all believers. Therefore, we should not let this issue divide us.

I once got into an argument...make that a "discussion" regarding the differing ideas about "whatever and whenever" the Millennium will be. Neither one of us ended up convincing the other of our views regarding this issue. Sometimes that's the way it goes!

However, the way that Dr. Jeremiah covers it in this series, the Premillennialism view fits with Scripture (IMHO) MUCH better than the other views do.

Hat Tips:

David Jeremiah.org

LightSource.com

Warning: Not Politically Correct Post on Religion

In the comment section of a previous post, the conversation shifted towards a conversation about whether or not Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same God.

Inevitably, when different religions are compared and contrasted, SOMEONE gets angry, hurt, sad, and/or disillusioned. Or, screams of intolerance, bigotry, and hate abound. When the disagreements fly, so do the attacks. I am hoping that it doesn't come to that, here.

This is why I am prefacing this post with the title:

Warning: Not Politically Correct Post on Religion.

SOMEONE, inevitably, will get angry about this post.

I just hope that we can have a civil, meaningful, respectful type of DISAGREEMENT on these issues.

With that said, here is how the conversation began:

Umm Yasmin said...
Actually Christine, Arab Christians use the word "Allah" because it literally just means "the God" in Arabic :)

Both Christians and Muslims believe there is only one God who created everything that exists; who is omniscient; timeless; and unchanging.

Whether you use one set of phonemes or another doesn't mean there is more than one God.

October 14, 2008 5:16:00 PM PDT

Christinewjc said...
So...umm yasmin,

Are you claiming that Christians and Muslims worship the same God?

October 14, 2008 7:23:00 PM PDT

GMpilot said...
CJW:
Are you claiming that Christians and Muslims worship the same God?

Yeah...the Jews, too. All worship the same God (which is why they are referred to as the "Abrahamic" religions). All three faiths claim Abraham as their founder.

Of course, none of them can agree on the exact characteristics of this God (except the ones umm yasmin listed), or its precise nature.

Those of us who do not worship any gods can only shake our heads.

October 14, 2008 11:25:00 PM PDT

Gary Baker said... [Note: edited for the purpose of this subject.]

Also, your argument on worship is contradictory. If people worship Gods with differing characteristics, they are not worshiping the same God. The Muslim god venerates in death in that the only way that you can guarantee yourself eternal life is martyrdom in the cause of Jihad. Outside of that, it basically comes down to a coin toss.
October 16, 2008 5:07:00 PM PDT

Umm Yasmin said...
Hi Christine,

Yes - of course, we may well (and do) disagree on how God has interacted in human history. Even Jews and Christians disagree on that score.

So if you say we (Muslims and Christians) are worshipping different deities, then this also means that the God that Jews worship is not the same God that Christians worship for obvious reasons (namely that Jews don't believe God has come to earth in the human form of Jesus Christ, just as Muslims don't).

October 16, 2008 6:47:00 PM PDT

Umm Yasmin said...
Hi Gary,

"The Muslim god venerates in death in that the only way that you can guarantee yourself eternal life is martyrdom in the cause of Jihad."

Actually, this is incorrect. There are two separate questions here: a) can anyone guarantee they have eternal life b) does jihad give guarantee of eternal life. They are related however.

Muslims believe that God promises to reward with Paradise, those who devote themselves wholeheartedly to Him and work righteousness in the world. There is no doubt about that at all. This type of person by definition is a Muslim, and has the assurance of salvation and eternal life in the hereafter.

The question is better asked, how do I know I am living up to being a true Muslim?

This is the same questions Christians might ask of themselves in regard to Christianity's promises about salvation. Because it is possible for someone to have been a Christian all their lives, but on their deathbed renounce Christ and blaspheme the Holy Spirit - would they be assured of eternal life? Matthew 7:21-23 says not.

Are atheists who were former Christians still saved? If you say their Christianity wasn't genuine, but if they honestly believed at the time it was, how do you not know you might end up the same way yourself? How can any Christian *guarantee* what they will do in the future that might invalidate their salvation?

In Islam, everything is judged by intention, and even someone who is martyred in jihad is not assured of salvation, if their intention was merely mundane or political. As Prophet Muhammad said: "One who died and had no intention for jihad, died as a hypocrite." (narrated in Muslim & Abu Dawud). As for whether God venerates death, well the Qur'an denies this when it says: "Kill not one another. Lo! God is ever Merciful unto you." (4:29)

October 16, 2008 7:13:00 PM PDT

Umm -Let me preface this by stating that what I will share will inevitably anger someone. That is not my intention, but it often happens when discussing various religious beliefs.

You and all Muslims are entitled to your own beliefs.

Jews are entitled to their own beliefs.

Christians are entitled to their own beliefs.

However, when comparing the religions - they cannot possibly all be correct.

I have already shared my analysis about the differences between Islam and Christianity. In case you missed it, here is the link:

Do Muslims and Christians Worship the same God?

For Jews, it is a different story.

Christianity came, as a result of the fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah from the Old Testament writings from Judaism. It wasn't a made up religion (sorry - but true) by a self-proclaimed prophet who died and stayed in the grave.

Jesus rose from the dead, proving who he was and all that he claimed. He fulfilled most of the 300 plus prophecies written about the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. The remaining Messianic prophecies will be fulfilled at his second coming.

There are (currently) Messianic Jews who see Jesus as their Messiah. When Jesus returns the second time - many of the Jews living at that time will join in belief in Him along with their Messianic Jew brothers and sisters.

To be brief, I often like to share a discussion (paraphrased here) that I heard and saw on the Larry King show. Billy Graham was his guest.

Graham (again, paraphrased here) asked King, 'if the Messiah were to return today, what question would you ask him?'

King (paraphrased here) answered, 'is this your first or second visit?'

Basically, in a secular-put nutshell, that is what will be realized by the remnant of religious Jews who will still be looking for their Messiah in the end times.

This is the Christian worldview on this subject. Many Jews who might visit this blog and read this may not agree. It may even anger them. But the prophecies yet to be fulfilled from the OT actually state that they will "look upon Him whom they had pierced." At the crucifixion, John shared this fulfilled prophecy in his gospel:

Jhn 19:37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

[please note: I am NOT CLAIMING THAT THE JEWS , ALONE, WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHRIST'S CRUCIFIXION. THE TRUTH IS - ALL SINNERS ARE! WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE! AND, WE ARE EACH - AND EVERY ONE OF US - SINNERS IN NEED OF THE SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!]

The John 19:37 verse came from the prophecy of Zechariah:

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.

Revelation reveals that the Jews will realize that Jesus, whom they (along with the Romans and all of us sinners) had pierced, IS the long-awaited Messiah after all.

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

As Christians, Scripture has told us to revere the Holy Land of Israel. Preserve, protect, and partner with the "apple of God's eye" - Jerusalem.

We know that the Holy Land has been fought over for thousands of years. It is the focal point of Biblical prophecy, too.

Well, I'm getting too far off the subject so I will end here.

This HAS NOT been a politically correct comment. However, I have tried to share the truth as I have come to believe through the written Word of God. There is much, much more that can be said about all of this. I have attempted to be brief and to the point.

October 17, 2008 10:44:00 AM PDT

Anyone who wishes to add to this discussion, please feel free to share what you have to say in the comment section.

Life Begins At Conception

Received a comment on a thread from last month which argued about whether or not certain verses I had shared (regarding the biblical view that life begins at the moment of conception) were appropriately used for that view.

Here is the comment:

UY wrote:

Peace!
I'm not a Christian, and thus do not take my position on abortion from the Bible.

With that caveat out of the way, I wanted to simply point out that the Biblical verses you reference don't mention point of conception, merely a vague reference to the 'womb'.

Consequently, those verses could easily be used to support permission for abortion only in the early weeks (before the foetus can kick, twins can struggle in the womb etc.)

September 23, 2008 5:41:00 AM PDT

The fact is that Scripture interprets Scripture. Using just one verse (or, even scattered verses) to make one's point may not be "in line" with what the whole of Scripture tells us. False teachers make that mistake all the time.

However, when it comes to the "life begins at conception" argument, an examination of such a concept through the utilization of several Scriptures DOES make the point for such a belief!

Since God knows the past, present and future, He knew each of us well before we were even born.

The prophecies in the Old Testament which pointed to the Messiah, his birth, his ministry, his rejection, his crucifixion, his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead were all fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

I'm sure that many readers here can add to the following response. Please feel free to do so!

Here is my answer to UY:

There are many Bible verses that reference the fact that God "knew" us before we were born while in the womb.

Job 31:15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

Psa 71:6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise [shall be] continually of thee.

Psa 127:3 Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward.

Psa 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

Ecc 11:5 As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, [nor] how the bones [do grow] in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

Isa 44:2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

He knows our name before we are even born:

Isa 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Conception is mentioned here:

Hsa 9:11 [As for] Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

God even sent angelic messengers to tell of certain births and give the name of the child beforehand:

Luk 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Luk 1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

Luk 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

Luke 1:15 is describing John the Baptist. Note that he was filled with the Holy Ghost (Spirit) even from his mother's womb. This gives us a hint as to why the unborn infant John "leaped in Elisabeth's womb" when Mary, who was with child (Jesus) came near!

Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Luk 1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

Luk 1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed [art] thou among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of thy womb.

Luk 1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Jesus' name was given before he was conceived in the womb:

Luk 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

We also read the fact that believers in Jesus Christ are "called according to his purpose."

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Notice what Paul says about his former self (as a persecutor of Christians) before he was converted on the Road to Damascus by Jesus Christ, Himself.

Galatians Chapter 1

Note these specific verses, too:

Gal 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace,


Gal 1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:


Gal 1:17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.


Gal 1:18 ¶ Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.


Gal 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.


Gal 1:20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.


Gal 1:21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;


Gal 1:22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:


Gal 1:23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

September 23, 2008 8:28:00 AM PDT

*******
Please see an excellent post written by Bill Muehlenberg on the topic of abortion over at Culture Watch:

Morality, Reason and Abortion

Conclusion:

The facts on abortion are so clear, and the case against it so strong, that the pro-death crowd has to resort to twisted thinking, convoluted reasoning, and dodgy morality to try to make its case. But baby killing is still baby killing, no matter how it is dressed up or re-packaged.

Who Is Obama? Really?

Once again, Obama is trying to represent himself as "all things to all people." Unfortunately, when someone tries to do that they are often exposed in their lies and are seen as a deceptive phony!

Franklin Graham peppered Obama about ties to Islam. Candidate confronted on Christian faith, asked whether he accepts Jesus as savior.

The portion of the article that is VERY revealing was this:

"They focused on abortion, gay marriage, and then Franklin Graham tried to get Senator Obama saved," said Rivers.

The phrase "tried to get Obama saved" is very telling. Who usually talks like that? The unsaved, that's who!

Note this, also:

"According to River's account, Graham went on to ask Obama whether he believed Jesus is the only way to salvation."

A person who is genuinely saved through Jesus Christ would NEVER reply in this manner:

Rivers, a declared Obama supporter, recalled: "Obama said, brilliantly, 'Jesus is the only way for me. I'm not in a position to judge other people.'"

Rivers regards Obama's answer as a "brilliant" response? I'd say the answer is more akin to being an evasive response.

Genuine Christian believers are involved in the Great Commission. We take God's Word seriously - especially when Jesus said:

Jhn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Would Obama label Jesus' words in that verse as "judgmental?" It is, isn't it? ONE way to be saved is quite intolerant...no?

But such words are being presented by Christian believers in a POSITIVE way - meaning - that Jesus IS THE ONLY WAY TO SALVATION. Thank God for Jesus! We should have the attitude of being eternally grateful...not ashamed to share such truth! Thank God that there is ONE WAY!

Tolerance does not trump TRUTH!

Why would a true Christian deny this gospel message to others?

Once again, we are left with e2thexyz's question (at the Digg site), "Who is Obama, really...?"


HT: WorldNetDaily

*******

Jhn 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.


Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

*******
Related Articles:

Obama and the Inconvenient Truth

Read all of the Obama posts at An American Expat in Southeast Asia: Obama You may learn a LOT MORE about Obama from them!

The following one absolutely astounded me!

Jihad: From Jakarta To The Whitehouse

HT: An American Expat in Southeast Asia

Beware Of "Useful" Religion

During "Rev." Jeremiah Wright's National Press Club speech, he was asked about whether or not Christianity claims exclusivism. The question was presented through Jesus' words:

Jhn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

"Rev." Wright then replied utilizing additional words spoken by Jesus from another Bible verse:

Jhn 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.

Here is that portion of the transcript:

MODERATOR: Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but through me." Do you believe this? And do you think Islam is a way to salvation?

REVEREND WRIGHT: Jesus also said, "Other sheep have I who are not of this fold."

There are several things to notice. First, the moderator wanted to know whether or not Wright believed in Jesus' claim that He is "the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." The second part of this question included whether or not Wright believes that Islam is also a way to salvation.

Wright's answer implied that those following Islam might be the "other sheep" that Jesus was referring to in that verse.

If he had answered that the people who formerly followed Islam (part of the Gentiles referred to in the verses you will see below and at the Scripture Knowledge links) but were converted to Christianity, then he would have answered correctly. However, he did not say anything about conversion from that false religion. [Please see Question: Is Allah God? Answer: No!]

Apparently, Wright thought that John 10:16 either trumped or invalidated John 14:6 in some way. Nothing could be further from the truth!

First, look at Blue Letter Bible's Treasury of Scripture Knowledge regarding this verse.

I can post just two verses from that wealth of information at the "treasury" link which will explain exactly what Jesus was talking about.

Isa 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Jhn 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Isaiah 49:6 is a prophecy about the coming Messiah - Jesus - as being the "Light of the world" to both the Jews and the Gentiles.

In the BLB Scripture Knowledge section for Isaiah 49:6, we see many verses from John describing Jesus as our Light, and coming to earth for our salvation. Notice the additional Isaiah verses at that link which support the fact that Jesus was referring to the Gentiles as being "sheep that are not of this fold."

Wright is guilty of applying his own opinions to the Scripture verse in question. He is not using proper exegesis, Sola Scriptura, hermeneutics, or, the fact that Scripture interprets Scripture.

There are far too many analytical and interpretation checks and balances in Scripture that can easily be found by anyone who is willing to do the research. This is why those who are steeped in error - through either following or preaching errant theology - are easily found out!

If you have not read my previous post, or have not read Faultline U.S.A.'s excellent blogpost on Revisiting Obama's Liberation Theology, I urge you to read them. Of course, it is up to readers here whether or not they choose to read them before or after reading this new post. Either way, you will find that the errors of Liberation Theology merely leads to a kind of "useful" religion.

Over the past few weeks, I have been reading a fabulous Christian Apologetics book called "To Everyone An Answer: A Case For The Christian Worldview." It is truly an excellent resource!

The back cover of the book states:

In a society fascinated by spirituality but committed to religious pluralism, the Christian worldview faces sophisticated and aggressive opposition. A prior commitment to diversity, with its requisite openness and relativistic outlook, has meant for skeptic, critics and even many Christians that whatever Christianity is, it cannot be exclusively true or salvific.

When "Rev." Wright misused the John 10:16 quote at that news conference, he was broadcasting to the nation and world that HE THOUGHT Jesus was supporting religious pluralism!

In Chapter 17, author David K. Clarke provides a brilliant evaluation that exposes how all forms of religious pluralism are not genuinely superior to Christian exclusivism. Though religious pluralism may appear to be more open-minded, the truth is that pluralism is more subtly narrow-minded than exclusivism.

Clarke describes several different forms of pluralism in this chapter.

First, one form of pluralism interprets all religions as true in that they produce valuable results. This view, as I said above, actually means that religions are useful, not true.

Think back on what I previously wrote regarding "Rev." Wright's misinterpretation of one Bible verse. He took one verse out of context in order to make it useful for his own purposes. The additional Bible verses shared above (as well as at the Scripture Knowledge page links) unequivocally prove that Wright is absolutely wrong in his interpretation of that one verse in John 10:16.

Clarke goes on to state that he once debated a religious pluralist who stated, "most major religions are good because they produce emotionally mature, socially adapted citizens (which any society needs). So the various faiths - Islam, Christianity and Buddhism - are valuable because they develop good people."

Clarke:

I said in return that traditional Christianity doesn't merely produce good citizens in this world, although empirical evidence shows it does do this. The real point of Christian faith is to activate a spiritual relationship with God, beginning in this world and continuing in the next. In response, my friend said there is no afterlife. His comment entails that the Christianity I embrace is not true.

Notice what happened: my friend began by offering the attractive thesis that all religions are true. But truth, it turned out, doesn't mean literally true but merely useful. When I asked him whether my faith - a faith that billions of Christians have followed for centuries - is deeply true, he said it isn't. Now he could be right. Maybe billions of Christians are wrong. I can accept that. What I can't accept, because it seems deeply confused, is this combination of claims: my faith is literally false, my faith is useful to society, and he's open-minded because he thinks all the world's religions are true. I'd rather he admit he thinks my faith, as I hold it, is just plain false. But here's the rub: that honest admission would involve abandoning pluralism.

Clarke describes the second form of pluralism as being one that accepts the truth of all religions, but only after they are properly interpreted. He gives the example of the "husk and kernel" analogy; claiming that the husk on the outside (each religion's doctrinal teachings) differs among faiths, but the kernel inside (the deeper meaning) is identical. Thus, the philosophy maintains that at a deeper level, all religions agree and are true.

Clarke reveals the fact that the pluralist "edits" each faith in order to get it in agreement with his own personal beliefs. Therefore, the "deeper-meaning-of-all-religion" is what he believed all along, while what he doesn't accept ranks as the "leftover husk."

What does all of this mean? Simply this: the pluralist does not take the Christian faith seriously. He says he agrees with the religion, but in reality, he only accepts an edited version of the Christian faith so that it ultimately ends up looking just like his faith!

Readers, you are already seeing the problem with such a view! But it gets even worse!

Clarke:

Then, on the grounds that his faith and his edited version of my faith look the same, he said all religions are identical. And he took credit for being open-minded. I, apparently, am narrow-minded. I felt as though I've been colonized by an imperialist power. He rejected my faith as I hold it. Then he reinterpreted it so it says what he believes and claimed we're on the same page. We're not on the same page. We hold different religions. And we should honestly acknowledge that. Again this would involve denying pluralism.

The third form of pluralism says that God is completely infinite and therefore unknowable. The author states that this deftly defended stance could, quite literally, fill a book! Clarke shares four brief points:

1. Many real religions do assert that certain concepts do properly apply to God. (Many say "love" properly applies to God but "terrorist" doesn't.)

This shows that not all religions are true and many are literally false. In fact some are downright dangerous (e.g. radical Islam).

2. If no concepts apply, then how can we know that the object of religious experience is good and not evil? How do we know we're encountering God and not a demon?

This is most obvious when cults are exposed. The recent exposure of the polygamy compound group whose men claimed a "spiritual" marriage to many women - including having sex with, and impregnating young girls whose ages are below the state law of consent - is an example of evil masquerading as a religion.

3. Pluralists often break their own rule regarding applying concepts to God. Just speaking about Ultimate Reality (as these pluralists say) applies the concepts ultimate and real to God. This seems inconsistent.

An example of such inconsistency being exposed was during a debate between Christian Apologist Greg Koukl and New Age guru, Deepak Chopra.

My previous reaction to that debate:

This broadcast was absolutely fabulous! Greg Koukl pointed out the fact that people can have differing beliefs regarding faith, but that it is logically impossible for them all to be true at the same time. His trust in Jesus Christ and God's Word stood in direct contrast to Deepak Chopra who admitted "embracing his uncertainty." Koukl's view demonstrates a steadfast and true faith where Chopra's view can only lead to theological oblivion.

4. Finally, why worship a God when we can't apply concepts like goodness, interest in us, or ability to overcome evil to that God? Isn't it morally repulsive to worship something as "ultimate and good" when we have no way to know whether that thing really is ultimate and good?

The logical inconsistency of religious pluralism is very obvious. If "Rev." Wright was ever in a debate with a learned Christian Apologist like Greg Koukl, the errors that he made during the National Press Club interview would be exposed for what they are - lies!

Clarke concludes:

I've focused on our topic by emphasizing the truth question. But pluralists want to focus on the salvation question. By ignoring the truth question, they can push aside pesky differences in truth claims. They can focus on the spiritual quest. But what's that? It's getting in touch with God. But what is God like? Is it personal (Islam) or impersonal (Buddhism)? It's overcome with human predicament. But what is that? Is it ignorance (Hinduism) or moral failure (Judaism)? It's pursuing spiritual life. And what is that? Is it a love relationship (Christianity) or a metaphysical absorption (Hinduism)? Is it finding our truest selves (Christianity) or extinguishing our truest selves (Buddhism)? These truth questions are unavoidable.

Saying that all religions help us achieve the spiritual quest is too vague. What is the truth about that spiritual quest? What is the true Summum Bonum - the Greatest Good? Religious analyses contradict. But getting the analysis right is important, for every practice depends on the truth of analysis. Should I take antacid or chemotherapy for my stomach pain? That depends on a truth question: Do I have heartburn or stomach cancer? Should I become a good citizen for today's society, as my pluralist friend encourages, or should I also prepare for the afterlife? That depends on a truth question. The truth question is unavoidable.

Those who try to focus only on the salvation question in fact assume background answers to the truth questions. (And often, these unstated assumptions deny traditional Christianity.) It's unreasonable to say that all the religions are true paths to the spiritual quest, meaning that every religion is a true path to whatever that religion defines as the spiritual quest. There's just too much variation on the truth question. Saying that all religions have it right, even though they're all literally false, creates rational tension. I submit that people who claim every religion is true paint themselves into a corner. In the end they will tend to believe their own religion is deeply true, and that other faiths are true to the degree they agree with theirs. And that, of course, is not pluralism.

Book Quotes Source: To Everyone An Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview
Intervarsity Press, 2004 by Francis J. Beckwith, William Lane Craig, and J.P. Moreland. pp. 301-303

HT: NY Times
Faultline U.S.A.
Blue Letter Bible
Book: To Everyone an Answer