In Defense of My Thought Process (Part I)

Principles, Ponderings, and Propositions

Most believers probably found these last three posts somewhat redundant, even possibly unnecessary. Unnecessary in the sense that any mature and biblically discipled believer both biblically and instinctively knows that TBN and such are not Christian nor do they teach a Christian doctrine. I had not scheduled a blog or expose on TBN or such in my monthly blog topic planning calendar. I like to plan topics a month in advance and then write them a week in advance, allowing for God’s Spirit to interrupt the schedule.

These last three blogs were a response to two or three emails that I received concerning my post “I Quit” and “This is what he really meant…” I love the emails even the ones that go to great length challenging my thought process. I read them carefully and weigh them carefully lest I be a fool and fail to consider the possibility that I can be wrong or have made a mistake. These emails help me review my thoughts, my statements, my references, my perspective, and even my motives.

Much of the email and the comments that I saw on other blogs simply allowed Anne Rice to be a Christian and that she was doing the right thing in denouncing “Christianity” as something that was false. This troubled me causing me to write the blog “I Quit.” Some of the emails sent to me mentioned TBN and men who claim to be preachers and spokespeople for God which only “pushed” my button. I loved one lengthy email that equally and almost poetically denounced TBN and their ilk.

First I only want to say two things. I do not expect TBN or their ilk to repent, become believers, abandon their false doctrine or go away because of my three part article. Greater men than I have thoroughly exposed and denounced their false doctrines and personages in a far greater way than I ever could. It was never my purpose to do an expose on TBN.

Second, nor was it my purpose simply to rant against Anne Rice or Mahatma Gandhi. First of all, Gandhi is now dead and forever in his place of eternal existence and nothing I say can change that. Second, Anne Rice unless she is moved upon by the Holy Spirit and is given life in order to repent and believe will not welcome, accept, or receive the things that I wrote.

I wrote, I suppose because I grieve for the countless number of believers that are deceived by today’s “spirit” of tolerance and acceptance that willingly, yet incorrectly makes room for non-believers to be considered as believers. I grieve because in a spirit and age of inclusiveness many people who are not believers are being quoted, lauded, applauded, and promoted as true believers of God.

This is a major concern for me. First, because it demonstrates that many in the church do not know what the gospel is or how to define Christianity. Secondly, it blurs the line and confuses both believers and non-believers when unbelievers are incorrectly classified as believers. Third, this tolerance and acceptance of all who say they love Jesus lends itself to being lived out in the lives of those who may be believers in an unbiblical manner. We live out what we believe or in some cases what we don’t believe. Fourth, it gives false hope to a huge number of people who think they are right with God when in fact they are not.

So, the reason for the past 4 or 5 blogs is simply to awaken the church to the reality that not everyone who says that they are a believer is a believer. I wanted to stand against this age of questionable or even non-existent discernment. It gives me no pleasure in any sense to be so passionately opposed to certain people or ideologies.

Am I advocating doubting everyone who says they are a believer? Certainly not. I give, for lack of a better way of saying it, “the benefit of the doubt” to everyone who names the name of Christ. However, I don’t just accept the claim blindly. I examine the fruit of the claimant’s life, their doctrines and teachings and their claim. In other words, what is the reason that for believing that one is a Christian? I listen carefully as to what a person basis their redemption or salvation. For example, if you tell me you are a first rate automobile mechanic, oops sorry – old school, technician, I accept that but at the same time I would like to see the basis for your claim. Did you go a recognized technician’s school, are you certified by a particular manufacturer, do you have ASE certification? Or, do you learn from Uncle Buck and by practice on the Chevy sitting out in the pasture? I realize this is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point.

I once had a woman tell me that she was saved and on her way to heaven as a Christian and child of God. What was the basis or her confidence and her claim? She was asleep in bed one night when a bad angel came into her room and circled around her as she laid in bed. Then a good angel came in an chased the bad angel around the bed three times and then out of her room. She is confident that the good angel cleansed her of anything bad and that this good angel would ensure that she got into heaven when the time came.

This maybe a unique and unrelated example to Anne Rice’s understanding of Christianity. However, I could not let this women’s confidence to unchallenged no more than I can let Anne Rice’s understanding of Christianity go unchallenged. Unfortunately I could not persuade this first woman to renounce her "vision" and trust in Christ alone. Fortunately, it is not too late for Anne Rice to renounce her false ideologies and trust the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

[To be continued Lord willing in tomorrow’s blog]