Apologies or Apologetics?

Early this September, I wrote a letter to my local Christian Radio station which you can view by clicking the link below
http://www.scripturehound.com/2008/08/one-way-to-god-but-many-ways-to-jesus.html





I have engaged in much correspondence with Lou all week and I will honor his request not post his reply in this public forum. Our talks have been rousing and thought provoking. I will share some thoughts I have, related to the article written by Fischer, which Lou read on the air. My thoughts relate in context to the seeker sensitive movement, and do not reflect personally on Lou in any way. I believe him to be a wonderful, loving, bible minded Christian. I enjoy his radio program very much as he has ministered to me many times.





We should be willing to associate with people of other denominations and faiths, but we must not associate with them in such a way as to lend credibility to their false teaching and our association with them should be motivated by our desire to lovingly share the Gospel with them. We must never be willing to compromise or withhold the Gospel in favor of maintaining those associations. I believe that we live in an age where more often than not, evangelicals make God's love out to be less than what it is. Gods command for us to "love" includes all of the characteristics listed in 1 Cor 13:4-7. Verse 6 is often over looked or mis-interpreted " does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth". Romans 12:9 gives another perspective, "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good."
I would never discourage a Catholic from being present at a biblically sound protestant service, but take for example the Billy Graham Crusades that encouraged local Catholic Churches to participate in the Shepparding of some of the converts in order to provide continued discipleship after the Crusade was over. Billy Graham should not have associated in that way with the Catholics.
Another illustration of a wrong association is the Protestant Church that I grew up in. I left that church partly due to the fact that they had a community Thanksgiving service every holiday and they let the local Catholic Priest speak as one of the keynote speakers every year. This type of association with the Catholic Priest gives the impression that his teachings are "A OK". Catholic doctrines are an evil contrast to the true Gospel. Jesus' finished work is complete, but the Catholic Church has piled on far more requirements than Jesus' finished work. I can't give you all the dates and places that certain doctrines entered the Catholic Church. What I do know is that somewhere along the line they gave priests the power to hear confessions and forgive individual sins, they also teach that one can not be forgiven of "original" sin without water baptism. they also started offering forgiveness through penance,which is making amends for sin. Little documents called Indulgences are also available for a monetary price, the more you pay the more sin can be covered.
None of these practices are biblical nor are they part of Christ's finished work. They are added to Christ's work as if Christ didn't do enough, we have to ad our own works to the pot.
This is why I say they are anti Christ, because they do not teach that faith alone by grace alone in Who Christ is, What He did, and Why He did it. is sufficient for salvation. If there are "saved" people in the Catholic Church, it is in spite of Catholic teaching, not because of it. When the opportunity arises, we should proselytize the Catholic people away from the Catholic Church or any other false religion, instead of leading them on as if we believe their Church is "A OK". It is the false teachings that we abhor, not the people. We must take a vocal stand against any false doctrine without ceasing to love the people.

I am reminded of 2 Tim 2:15 "Be diligent to a present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." It is my firm belief that all Christians should strive to become learned in the bible. If the only verse they know is John 3:16, they can not know enough about Jesus to have a saving faith. For example John 3:16 says nothing about the deity of Jesus, which is essential.
We must be very careful not to abandon traditional Protestant Christianity in as much as it is biblical. We don't give authority to extra biblical tradition, but we want to stay true to the so called faith that has been passed down in the holy spirit inspired scripture and the correct interpretation of it. When we begin to allow ourselves to think outside of the bible we risk falling into the same trap that so many modern evangelicals have already sprung. We don't need a new gimmick or a new psychological approach to saturate the spiritual market. We need a narrow minded biblical message that will only reach those whom God has chosen to draw to Jesus.

No matter what path you may take in life, if that path leads you to the Bible , praise God, because that is where you find Jesus. Jesus can be approached and embraced no matter how you have led your life.

Until next time

David