Tag Archives: great commission

Christian worldview

Those misunderstood Puritans (seriously)

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So much of history is distilled into sound bites that end up being the opposite of the truth, or at least a distortion of it because of what is left out.  The Puritans are a good example.  See Winging It: The Puritan Mission.

We are told that the Europeans in general and the Christians in particular were cruel, selfish, greedy folk who came to America to escape persecution and steal all they could from the natives. It isn’t true. Some of that happened, to be sure, but the original intent of the immigrants to America was a missionary intent. This is all the more confounding when you consider that these folks were dyed-in-the-wool Calvinists who believed that God did the choosing. Their job wasn’t to sit back and watch God work, but to obey the Great Commission and participate in God’s work. They did. Don’t buy it when you are told otherwise.

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The Great De-Commission

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One of the most convicting things about pluralistic Christians is how radically their actions differ from their professed beliefs.  Oh, we are all hypocrites at times, but their hypocrisy is foundational.

A pluralist is one who believes that all religions (or at least most of them) lead to God, and that Jesus is not the only way to salvation. 

Now anyone who has actually read the Bible should realize that you can’t take it seriously and conclude that Christianity teaches that all paths lead to God.  The Old Testament has countless warnings and consequences about following other gods, and the New Testament teaches 100 times directly or indirectly that Jesus is the only way to salvation.  Just open the book anywhere any see what I mean.  Pluralism just doesn’t make sense in light of the Bible.

To paraphrase something Edgar recently mentioned, try to imagine this conversation:

Pharaoh: We both worship the same God, so what’s the big deal?

Moses: Oh, good point.  Never mind about that Exodus thingy.

But here is where their hypocrisy is most evident.  If they really believed what they taught, then they would sent out reverse missionaries on a “Great De-Commision” to tell Christians (and other religions, for that matter) to worship whatever god the local culture follows. 

After all, if all these paths lead to the real God, then repenting and trusting in Christ is just a preference, not a requirement.  Why should anyone endure suffering for the name of Christ if religions such as Hinduism and Islam are merely different roads to the same place?

But these people never send out reverse missionaries.  They just sit in their churches either not really believing in Jesus or being too afraid to preach the truth.  They don’t obey the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.), but they also don’t implement the Great De-Commission, which would be the logical conclusion of their worldview.  They don’t tell go through the world telling people that all religions are equally valid paths to God and that you should just follow the practices of your local culture.

“Pluralistic Christian” is an oxymoron.  It mocks the cross.  If these other paths are adequate, why did Jesus have to suffer and die as He did?  It mocks the martyrs and the persecuted church.  If Hinduism, Islam, etc. are just as valid and we have as much to learn from them as they do from us, as some Liberal Theologians have been known to say, then why are these “fools” suffering for Christ around the world today and why have so many risked or given up their freedom, health and lives throughout history?

If you have supported “pluralistic Christianity” in the past, then I urge you to repent and speak the truth from now on.  If you can’t stand up and say that Jesus is the only way, then Christianity may not be for you.

Christian worldview

“Christian” Leftist don’t try to change the religious views of anyone except . . .

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. . . Bible-believing Christians.

A recent commenter made this point:

Progressive denominations have stopped trying to proselytize with their missionaries YEARS ago. Look at Global Ministries (UCC/Disciples of Christ). They make no efforts to convert people.

She was right.  Liberal Christians pridefully and willfully withhold the Gospel from those who desperately need it because they have made up a universal truth that you shouldn’t try to change the religious views of others.  They have no support from the Bible for that position, of course, and have to once again believe the opposite of what the Bible says to hold that view.  But notice how convenient it is.  They don’t have to do the hard, costly and often risky work of evangelism, and they get to act superior to Bible-believing Christians.

As bad as that is, notice their hypocrisy regarding whose religious views they do try to change: Those of real Christians!  Liberal Christians won’t share the truth of Jesus with others but will go to great lengths to change the religious views of real Christians. Think about how many Liberal Christians have come here trying to change my religious views.  But if trying to change someone’s religious views is wrong . . .

Here’s a composite conversation (Hat tip: Greg Koukl):

Liberal Christian: You shouldn’t try to change people’s religious views.

Christian: Uh, then why are you trying to change my religious views?

LC: Huh?

C: You are trying to change my religious views right now.  My religious views include the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.), among other passages, so I think we should share the Gospel wherever we can.  But you are trying to change my religious views so that I won’t want to share the Gospel with others.

The only good news is that their ranks will continue to shrink.  Oh, they’ll attract some people who want to feel churchy but have no interest in renewing their minds.  But most people will realize that they can save a lot of time and money by just staying home.  Why get up and go to church on Sunday morning just to hear the same things that the world tells you the rest of the week?

Just one more reason that Liberal Christianity is such a fraud.