Drawing the line in the sand
Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to talk about the Emerging church, and the dangers of this movement. But before I do so I want to simply point out a couple of key absolutes.
There is a question in many emerging conversations that claim to believe in God, yet deny the ability to have absolute truth; on anything. Citing that it would be arrogance to say something is “absolutely true” because who are we to define truth. They are right in that we cannot define truth, but the living God who will judge us all at the End of all things can, and did declares absolute truths. On the basis of those truths do we stand. If it be anything else we will surely find ourselves in the midst of flames when we stand before His throne.
Absolute truths:
- The Bible is Absolutely true
- Jesus is Absolutely God. Fully God and Fully Man.
- Jesus died to on the cross to free us from sin. We are saved by His mercy and grace alone, by no merit on spirituality of our own.
- Jesus’ physical body was raised from the grave.
- Hell Absolutely will befall those who do not have faith and a confession of Christ.
- Jesus Christ is absolutely going to return to the Earth.
- God will Absolutely judge wickedness
- God Absolutely loves us
- God is Absolutely sovereign
- The Triune God is Absolutely real
To question these does not help Christianity become more relevant in our culture. To question these truths puts you outside of the faith desiring to make a form of spirituality relevant in our culture.
To go outside of these truths, means that you are not a Christian, and not saved.
Friends and readers do not be deceived by the “New Christians” wanting to “re-paint the faith”. They are wolves out to deceive the people of God.
To be clear, it is not fair to say everyone in the Emergent church is a wolf. Instead those that would question the truths listed above.
More to come, but we must be sober to the brevity of the hour. We don’t have time to debate truths with those claiming to be brothers. We have a nation and world that needs the comfort and saving power of the gospel.
On this field I will vehemently contend for the faith.
To God be the glory for He is good.
Well said.
I especially like the point; “…we must be sober to the brevity of the hour. We don’t have time to debate truths with those claiming to be brothers. We have a nation and world that needs the comfort and saving power of the gospel.”
I stumbled upon your blog via Sliker’s blog and I have been blessed as I read your posts.
Thanks for sharing.
David
I’m interested in what you have to say about the Emerging church. (same as Emergent church, right?)
I read this statement a few weeks ago and felt it was so profound. “You can rest assured, you’re conforming God into your own image when He starts to hate everyone you hate.” Or everything, or whatever.
The moment we challenge the absolutes you named, we’re conforming God into our image.
Well said, Zack.
Rachel
There is actually a big difference between emerging and emergent..In my readings I saw that the emerging church is good, but the emergent church is borderline heresy.
Yes there is a difference. Which is why I used Emergent.
However, Emerging leads to Emergent- which is why I’m hitting the concepts not the names. Then “if the shoe fits…”
oh ok good deal…I can’t wait I have been studying the emergent and emerging churches lately so I am excited to hear what you have to say
Great post Zack. Christians are called to embrace the objective truths of Scripture at all costs, even if the progressive culture reviles us for doing so.
But I disagree with you that the urgency of the hour means that we are to forsake debating with those hostile to our truth claims. Part of how he can effectively share the gospel is by proclaiming these truths lovingly and passionately in the context of debate and dialogue. If we honor the truth in advancing our positions, then even some of those “emergent” Christians will become around.
If we retreat to the prayer closet and cut ourselves off from civic engagement then, as bearers of truth, we become irrelevant and are less able to bear witness to truth. I don’t want to hoard truth. Maybe I misunderstand your position on this matter, or maybe your not explaining it very well, but I don’t think retreat from dialogue is the right answer. Also, its unfair to proclaim to the Emerging Church that their theology is sending them to hell, and then turn around and refuse to discuss things any further.
Take care
Yes you are misunderstanding me. We engage in proclaiming truth, not debating whether or not the truth is the truth.
We preach Christ who is the truth (Heb 1) and pray God compels their hearts.
Karl Barth said: The best theology would need no advocates; it would prove itself.
For sure we don’t hide in a closet with “our truth”.
But we don’t need to question those things that are true.
The onis is on the Holy Spirit to testify of Christ. We are to be faithful to preach and present the truth.
I have an unsaved friend whom with, somehow I got onto the conversation of gay marriage & people living together before they are married. And his view is that both are fine, and that the church is too concerned with homosexuals and everything.
Though the conversation changed to more what is sin, and how can we know what sin is or what is right and wrong and who are we to judge it. For instance he brought up that people would use the bible say that slavery is fine. And I believe he was hinting at that christians view of sex out of marriage as well as the homosexual lifestyle being wrong is based off of a wrong interpretation of the bible the same as slavery was . Though he did not mention his underlying argument but merely slavery. His argument was basically how can we trust the bible or any other book.
His view is that we should judge things by our ‘moral compass’. Which brings us to the emergent church sort of thing.
Judge the bible or ways of thinking by one’s moral compass? I made the counter argument that the reason why people where able use the bible to say slavery is ok is because they had a messed up moral compass and proceeded to mold what the bible says to it, rather than read the bible and base their moral compass off of the bible. Golly our moral compasses are so fickle how can they be reliable.
Due to homework and being short on time that is where the conversation ended. It is very interesting the times in which we live.
Loved the post.
You know if you keep writing in this manner there is not going to be very much controversy on your blog
Well..thats fine with me! 