Why are there so many life long “Carnal Christians” today? Paul Washer does a good job explaining the problem in this video.
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Barack Obama is not alone. I recently posted some quotes that Barack Obama made in the past about his belief in getting to Heaven. I asserted that Obama doesn’t know “squat” about being a Christian, and that if he wanted to win the presidency he needed to appeal to “Evangelicals.” Well, if he wants to connect with “Christian” voters he is apparently doing the right thing. Deny that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, and you are in agreement with the majority of so called “Christians.”
Recent polls have been published which show that American “Christians” do not hold to the basic tenets of the Christian faith, specifically “one way to God.” Check out these numbers:
- 70% of religiously affiliated people believe that there are many ways to Heaven
- 57% of “evangelicals” believe in many ways to Heaven
And get this one:
- 60% of professing Southern Baptists believe that there are many ways to Heaven
Oprah’s gospel is now more accepted in the mainline protestant church than Jesus’ gospel is. And why has the church created so many who profess Christ but don’t possess Christ?
A few reasons:
- We have persuaded people to “choose Jesus” without telling them that they must “bow to Jesus.”
- We urge them to “just worship Him’” and not to worry about “serving Him”.
- We tell them to come and “get a healing” when they really need to come and “get a cleansing.”
- We tell them that He is “Love” and neglect that He is “Holy.”
- We teach His “Grace” and forget His “Commandments.”
- We talk about His “Mercy” and leave out His “Wrath.”
And thus, they can claim Him without believing Him. Yet it was Christ himself that said:
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
So Barack, if it is “Evangelicals” you need, then welcome to the White House.
Barack Obama realizes that he cannot win the Presidency of the United States without getting some percentage of the “Evangelical” vote. John Kerry and Al Gore have recently discovered this. So in order to try and pull some of those voters, Obama has been trying to appear more Christian, and even “Evangelical”. See the article Obama Is No Joshua by Cal Thomas. Looking at some of the statements Obama has made in the past show that he is not an “Evangelical.”
“I’m rooted in the Christian tradition,”
“I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.”
“The difficult thing about any religion, including Christianity, is that at some level there is a call to evangelize and proselytize. There’s the belief, certainly in some quarters, that if people haven’t embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior, they’re going to hell.”
“I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. When I tuck in my daughters at night and I feel like I’ve been a good father to them, and I see that I am transferring values that I got from my mother and that they’re kind people and that they’re honest people, and they’re curious people, that’s a little piece of heaven.”
These quotes demonstrate one thing, that Obama doesn’t know “squat” about being a Christian. He is a Universalist, in that he thinks you can believe in anything and go to heaven. His Christianity is based on tradition. He doesn’t believe the Bible, especially when it teaches that those who “haven’t embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior” are going to hell. He has no assurance that he will go to heaven when he dies, and apparently is putting trust in the fact that he is a good person.
The following verses of Scripture show that Obama is wrong and doesn’t believe the Bible.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
My six year old daughter could realize that Obama has no idea of what biblical Christianity is. I only hope that the so called “Evangelicals” do not fall for his religious speak this election year and vote this guy into the White House.
For the record, George Bush was also a Universalist, and didn’t believe that anyone would go to hell. I do not think he understood, or believed the Bible. Why did I vote for him? Because he stood up for the life of the unborn, and was against homosexual marriage. Obama, on the other hand, is the most anti-life senator in Washington, and would be the most liberal president ever.
Christians shouldn’t look for the candidate that is the most Christian, but the candidate that will stand up for Christian values. I don’t know that McCain is the best man, nor do I know, or believe, that he is a true Christian, but he is the more conservative choice. Unfortunately, he’s the only choice.
My family is in a time of transition. We really don’t know what we should call ourselves. We have long been associated with a movement. The Independent Fundamental Baptist movement. That really doesn’t say a lot about us, because there are so many unique “camps” that call them selves such. Most all of them in our area are associated with King James Onlyism.
There are numerous other “convictions” which the various independent churches hold to. These “convictions” vary from one extreme to the other among these churches. Many times when one church holds a “conviction” that another church does not, the church holding the “conviction” will feel it necessary to separate from the other church declaring it as “worldly.”
Examples of these “convictions” are things like: women wearing pants; Christians attending movie theaters; listening to Contemporary Christian Music; listening to Bluegrass; listening to Southern Gospel; owning a television; owning a computer; and many other such things.
The reason I put the word conviction in quotes was because I do not see them as true convictions. If they are convictions, I do not believe they are from either the Scripture or the Holy Spirit. Thus, in my opinion, they are just preferences.
But if they are preferences, why would they be reason for one group to separate from another? What do I mean by separate? I mean, not cooperate; not support evangelistic meetings; not support missionaries supported by another; and such. So why is this? I could give you their reasoning, but it doesn’t even make sense to me, and I was one of them for years.
There are also legitimate doctrinal issues which the different “camps” split over. These are things such as the interpretation of the word “repentance;” the doctrine of “Lordship Salvation;” the differing views of eschatology; the views on creation; views of soteriology; the meaning of “husband of one wife;” and a host of other things which one might think to be better left to the individual believer.
Anyway, we lived by many of the “convictions” of our camp because that is what was expected. In order to be a “good Christian” you had to do this, this, and that. No problem. It wasn’t that big of a deal, and in many cases it was also my preference. Then one day all that changed. We went public with our belief on the KJV. Once we did, we were no longer welcome in any of those camps. That was the one thing that most all of them had in common. The KJV was God’s Word for English speaking people, and people who support modern versions aren’t welcome. So, we no longer held to that position. We left our church. Still believing the same on all the fundamental doctrines, we had to decide what we would now be.
What are we? That is something I am still trying to figure out. I know that I am Baptist. I believe in local church government. I believe in a pastor(s), deacons, and voting congregation. I believe in Baptism by immersion of Believers. I believe in the observance of the Lord’s Supper by believers. But there are so many different types of Baptist. Who do we belong to?
Since the only thing that really drove me out was the KJV issue, maybe I should just find an exact replica that doesn’t teach Onlyism. That’s not the easiest thing to do where we’re from. Besides, why not find one that is more like us in other ways? A church that doesn’t have personal “convictions” which aren’t found in the Bible. (At least ones which we don’t find there.)
Finding that church will be impossible. All churches have standards, and believe their standards are based on a proper interpretation of the Scriptures. All I am asking for here is honesty. If the Bible is not specific in this area, don’t be so dogmatic. Just call it a standard, and give the individual believer the liberty which he or she has in Christ. There is no need to break fellowship. And please, get out of this second and third degree separation crap. It reeks of Pharisaism.
So what am I?
Here is what I believe.
- I believe in the inspiration and total innerancy of the Scriptures.
- I believe in one God who exists in three distinct persons. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.
- I believe God literally created the universe and man, without any mix of evolution.
- I believe Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified on a cross, placed in tomb (fully dead), and raised again on the third day.
- I believe that all humankind is born in sin, guilty before God, and can do nothing of themselves to improve their state.
- I believe that salvation is by the grace of God, with no mix of anything.
- I believe in a literal burning Hell for all people who die without being born again, and a literal heaven for all those who pass on from this life and have been born again.
- I believe Jesus is literally coming again and will set up His kingdom on earth.
What do these beliefs make me?
A Bible Believing Fundamentalist
These above beliefs are what I consider fundamental to the Christian faith. I believe that anyone who holds to these core doctrines and has been born-again can be called brother or sister in Christ. I believe these are the core doctrines required for fellowship and cooperation in evangelistic efforts.
But for joining a church I need to be a little bit more specific. The following are areas which I do not believe disqualify an individual from fellowship, but are based on my personal interpretation of scripture, and that the church I join must hold to.
- I do not agree with the charismatic movement
- I do not believe in modern day speaking in tongues
- I do believe in eternal security of believers
- I do not believe in a Limited Atonement
- I do believe in man’s ability to accept or reject the Gospel
- I believe in a Dispensational interpretation of Scripture
- I believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church
- I believe in a literal 1000 year earthly reign of Christ
- I do believe in the Baptist Distinctives as I stated above
- I do not believe that women are to hold the position of pastor or deacon
- I do believe that believers should be separate from the world
- I do believe that believers should be relevant in the world
- I believe in the Great Commission
So what does this list make me?
A Bible Believing Baptist Fundamentalist
So why am I so confused?
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