Denying hell is unwanted progress. Evidently, the progressives that went further didn’t know when to apply the brakes. Having abandoned clear biblical teaching in one area, they found that if they continued updating their doctrine, they would progressively become better friends with the world.
Franklin Graham On Newshub
Newshub’s slanted take on Franklin Graham’s “God Loves You” tour has had the mainstream church upset for the last few days, and with good reason.
In typical fashion, Newshub called upon a progressive lady “pastor” to give her angle on Graham’s work and, of course, she declared he had Christianity all wrong.
According to her, New Zealand doesn’t need saving. Hell and punishment do not exist. God accepts all things (except for Trump voters, apparently). And we (she said, speaking for all New Zealanders) are not old-fashioned bible-believing Americans. Therefore, Graham should just go home.
The Church’s Reaction and Non-reaction
The progressive Church has come under fire because of this. And rightly so. Such a clear and shameless rejection of biblical revelation proves that these progressives are not Christian. They deny the Master who bought them.
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2 Peter 2:1)
But while some things the lady “pastor” said were very upsetting to all, her claim to be a pastor went by like it was nothing.
I’m old enough to remember when women preaching was the issue that separated progressives from the mainstream. Feminism was the engine that drove “progress” back then. Now women preaching – a position not held for 1900 years of church history – is mainstream and acceptable. The concrete has dried on those doctrinal renovations, and the church happily stands on the old progress we made.
Unwanted Progress
But denying hell is unwanted progress. Evidently, the progressives that went further didn’t know when to apply the brakes. Having abandoned clear biblical teaching in one area, they found that if they continued updating their doctrine, they would progressively become better friends with the world.
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)