Give Them What They Want

“Give them what they want, they’ll get what they deserve” was a moniker local law enforcement adopted in the late 80’s and early 90’s after several “overzealous” police officer actions led to a number of abuse of authority complaints. This slogan was to remind the police officers that justice will be done to the offender and to allow the system to mete out the punishment. This would encourage police officers to treat criminals with more respect and prevent them from engaging in any type of “street justice”. The false gospel of affirmation alludes to the first portion of the above slogan and, in fact, gives those thirsting for acceptance, whatever it is that they want. This false doctrine promotes the idea that God affirms us all because He loves us unconditionally, so that you can have whatever it is that you want. There is no need for forgiveness, since our sinful nature is ignored by God and we are supported in whatever sinful activity we engage in. And we don’t need to feel guilty when engaging in sin, because, again there is no need to ask for forgiveness.

Unfortunately, the second part of the slogan will pertain to those that adopt this false doctrine. Those accepting of this false gospel will “get what they deserve” and be due the just punishment for disobeying the Lord. Deluding oneself to believe that God affirms us all and acquiesces to our sinful acts, will simply be leading toward Gnosticism. Gnosticism was a movement away from Christianity that began in the 1st century A.D. Gnosticism relies upon the individual or experiential knowledge of God and of the spiritual nature within us. (see Our mother, who is within us) Gnostics believe that they have privileged knowledge about God and the universe of which everyone else is unaware. Gnosticism allows and accepts different religious beliefs and incorporates tenets of those beliefs into their own. They promote the concept that salvation is achieved through relational and pragmatic knowledge. In other words, they rely upon human reasoning and experience! Sound familiar?

When one longs to have his or her lifestyle accepted and places demands that in order to be welcoming, the church must ignore Scripture and accept and affirm that lifestyle, that person places self and their identity as paramount, pushing aside our God and worshipping the self. The ELCA’s doctrine of bound conscience enables sinners to “thumb their noses” at the Lord and to engage in sinful behavior, believing that they can do so without consequence. The leadership of the ELCA continues their headlong rush to transform the church into what they consider an all loving and all inclusive social club by embracing all religions as truth and incorporating non-Christian principles to replace the long held foundational truths taught by Jesus and the Apostles. Those that believe there is no need for forgiveness deny our Savior, Jesus Christ. Where there is no need for forgiveness, there is no need for a Savior.

So, where is the leadership of the ELCA leading their membership? It would appear that this new world order of Christian Lutheranism perpetrated by the ELCA is far from the path that serves our Lord. This new and all accepting, all welcoming, church that is tolerant of everything is advocating for the worship of the self instead of our Lord. If this new religion promoted by the ELCA doesn’t need a Savior, doesn’t promote morality, advocates that other religions offer another path to salvation, and that one need not believe in anything at all to be saved, why would one choose to worship at an ELCA church? Why would we remain in fellowship with an organization that does not share the belief system ingrained in all of us since childhood? Those that choose to remain a part of this heretical organization are doing nothing short of supporting the denial of the truth that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If enough churches remain in fellowship with the ELCA, they will just continue down this path and lead more Christians into the abyss. Proverbs 1:28-33, “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. 29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

We must choose Jesus and deny the ELCA. There is no other way to turn the ELCA back to the Lord and if this fails, continue to pray for the faithful that remain, that they too, will rise up and break fellowship with this errant denomination.