I spent yesterday in Southern Illinois at my great-grandma's funeral. I dreaded the service because I knew the content would be based on the theology of her cult. Her pastor talked about Jesus coming to make it possible for his people to live sinlessly in this world. He said Jesus didn't come to give us an easy road and then proceeded to talk about how easy it is to completely stop sinning when you just set your mind to it. He went on to mock God's holiness and God's gospel. My heart was beating out of my chest as I fought the urge to talk back to him. It's probably good that I kept my mouth shut, but I do wonder a little.
It breaks my heart to hear people boldly proclaim a false-gospel. I saw multiple family members who are still committed to the heresy of the group. I am so torn between utter gratitude for being delivered from the cult and feeling heartbroken for those who I love who are still living in deception. As I listened to the preacher, my mind settled on the basic difference between Christianity and every other religion (including false-Christianity).
And this is what reminded me of the point God has been driving home to me this year. He is the God who saves.
Listening to the man rant on how God is drawn to our morality and striving reminded me of the slavery and shackles I grew up in. Listening to him describe the narrow path as our moral accomplishments reminded me of the prison cell of salvation by works. The narrow path is not our morality. The narrow way is faith in Jesus. The broad path that many find is not limited to immorality, but rather the idea that we are good enough to save ourselves. I am so thankful to serve a God who saved me and not one who is simply looking for a partnership. The cult I grew up in sang this song ...
"He gave me a chance to strive for his bride - Now something is working deep down inside - He's working on a people so that he'll be glorified - And he gave me a chance to strive"
There is no good news in their gospel. Jesus' sacrifice for them is like a golden ticket that gets you an invitation to the game. It's like Willy Wonka inviting you to his mansion and then eliminating you because you don't measure up. It's a great movie, but a horrible gospel.
I am thankful to serve the God who saves. I am thankful he saves the vilest of sinners like myself. I am thankful he has covered me in his blood and that I can boldly say that even now I am so united to Christ that I sit with him presently in heavenly places. I am thankful my future is sealed by the blessed Holy Spirit, and I am thankful my obdedience glorifies him but earns me absolutely nothing. I stand completely and totally robed in the righteousness of my Savior Jesus and I dare not add anything to that righteousness.
My heart is so torn today. I'm so blessed to be free. I'm so sad for those who I love those who aren't. Please pray for my family and friends who are still held in bondage.
Here are a couple songs that went through my mind as I wrote this post...
(Some of the pictures in the videos are better than others)
4 comments:
Danny, that was a powerful post. I agree with everything you said. The only thing I would add is that the pastor doesn't know he is mocking the gospel. He has been conditioned to believe in this theology since birth. He thinks he is preaching the gospel. He actually believes he is living a higher calling rather than lowering God's holiness to a human level (which has become so obvious to us).
I know you believe that those who promote such a false gospel hate and mock the true gospel. And I realize that is what made it so difficult for you to remain silent. (I am thankful you didn't challenge him audibly in that setting.) Maybe you think this doesn't matter, but they don't KNOW the gospel. Every time I thank God for delivering me from that bondage, I feel so much compassion for those who are still in it. And when I believed those false teachings, thinking they were a higher truth than most Christians had received, I would never have considered that I was in actuality mocking and hating the gospel. That was never in my heart. Nor was it ever in yours.
I agree that there is a big difference between someone IN a church like this and someone who is in leadership and is TEACHING a false gospel. I know you speak out loudest and strongest to the leaders. And I respect your conviction to do so. I could not be more in agreement with you about the deception and bondage. But I really do believe you did the right thing to be silent in this situation (even if you continue to wonder).
At the same time, I'm glad you posted this. People like me who place so much value in sincerity need to be reminded of what is at stake here. People like me need to be reminded of the utter inconsistency and contradiction of the man's words and his false gospel. Several quotes I loved in this post were:
"Her pastor talked about Jesus coming to make it possible for his people to live sinlessly in this world. He said Jesus didn't come to give us an easy road and then proceeded to talk about how easy it is to completely stop sinning when you just set your mind to it."
"The narrow path is not our morality. The narrow way is faith in Jesus. The broad path that many find is not limited to immorality, but rather the idea that we are good enough to save ourselves. I am so thankful to serve a God who saved me and not one who is simply looking for a partnership."
And this one...
"There is no good news in their gospel. Jesus' sacrifice for them is like a golden ticket that gets you an invitation to the game. It's like Willy Wonka inviting you to his mansion and then eliminating you because you don't measure up. It's a great movie, but a horrible gospel."
When I read that, I thought, "Wow. That sums up how I felt my entire life within those walls."
Keep praying for them. I believe that more eyes will be opened and some may even be in the process of opening at this very moment. I told someone today that I wondered if any of those still faithful to that group were caused discomfort by this man's message. If they were, they are in the process (even if they don't realize it yet). I agree with you that it was a terrible rant. But only God can open anyone's eyes. I believe that if you had said what was on your heart, it would have gone right past him. He would not have even understood what you were trying to say.
I realized while in Israel that the only reason someone else cannot see what God has so plainly revealed to me in His word is that God has not yet opened their eyes. Until God does that for each of us, we are blind and CANNOT see.
sincerity in itself is not a virtue. if it is, then we need to praise or excuse those who fly planes into buildings. paul talks about zeal without knowledge in romans. there is also a proverb, but i don't know it off the top of my head. i believe he (and those who hold to jesus plus anything for salvation whether the anything is speaking in tongues or some amoebaish standard of performance) knowingly mock salvation by grace.
Hold fast.
thank you, karen.
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