Responding To Your Feedback: Part 5

Every so often I receive comments on my blog posts and emails from readers who want to share their input on what I have written. Although many are supportive and friendly, plenty of others are critical, mean-spirited, inaccurate, or some combination of those attributes. On occasion, I do not respond to emails or approve comments because I don’t see how the exchange could be edifying. All that said, I would like to acknowledge some of these comments and emails when it seems appropriate. “Responding to your feedback” posts will be written directly to the author, but I will keep the individual anonymous by assigning him/her a nickname.

The Comment For The Day

Today’s comment was left on a post entitled “3 Reasons Saddleback Church Fails The Gospel And You.” Out of all the posts I’ve written, this one has been one of the most consistently read. It also receives the majority of the negative comments left at The Set-Apart Walk. Rick Warren, founder and former pastor of Saddleback Church, is loved by many Christians because they see him as a kind unifying figure. They also love his book, The Purpose Driven Life. I, on the other hand, see Warren as someone who waters down salvation, Jesus, and Christian living when he preaches. He has turned attending church into a social club experience rather than a spiritual one.

I’ve spent a lot of energy addressing this problematic pastor in the past, but today my focus is simply on a reader’s comment. If you want more about Rick Warren you can read:

Rick Warren And The Problem With Celebrity Pastors

Rick Warren, Female Pastors, And The Battle For The SBC

Your Church Just Might Be A Social Club

Moving on… I chose this comment because the reader is shooting buckshot at me. Nearly every sentence is a new accusation or doctrinally incorrect statement. So, we can unpack a lot in this short comment.

I will be referring to our author as “Shamer.” You’ll see why in a moment.

*I am presenting the comment with no editing.*

“So, Hell and Damnation is the way? How is THAT going to make people want to attend a church and become a believer. I think God approves of Rick Warren. Jesus said nothing in New Testament about women not being in ministry. That’s Old Testament. Except Paul in New Testament…..he didn’t even know Jesus or his heart. I’m sure Jesus would want Christians to adapt to the times. By trying to make a big fuss over things YOU disagree with is casting doubt for jealousy sake. Shame on you!”

Responding To Your Feedback

Dear Shamer,

I’ve held onto this comment for the better part of a year because I didn’t know if I should respond to your feedback. You say a lot here without saying much at all. You make big statements that imply enormous doctrinal consequences while offering zero proof.

The theme weaved throughout your feedback is assumption. You have assumed to know my motivations and feelings, to understand Christ better than Christians throughout history, and to know the depth of the Apostle Paul’s relationship with Jesus. Therefore, I’m asking you to take a breath, be willing to learn, and read this post with an open mind. Let’s get into it!

Responding To Your Feedback: Point 1

“So, Hell and Damnation is the way?”

Well, Shamer, you definitely get points for enthusiasm. You jumped right in, didn’t you? The post you’re responding to doesn’t lean in on damnation and eternal suffering, but it seems like you might think about these things as an either/or conversation. Wanting a pastor to address sin and acknowledge the very real consequences that come along with it is not the same as calling for fire and brimstone messages. There is so much beauty in God’s relationship with us. Let’s talk about all that from the pulpit, but what good is His love, grace, and forgiveness to an unbeliever if she doesn’t know what it’s all for?

We need to address sin in order to honestly and completely share the gospel. Do you not believe in an eternal punishment? God sure does.

A Sampling Of Verses About Sin’s Eternal Consequence

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

“And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

Matthew 5:30

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 10:28

“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”

Matthew 23:33

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:15

Jesus Is The Way

Hell and damnation are not the way. I never said that or even implied it. Jesus is the Way. It’s a very black and white subject. You can be saved through Christ Jesus or you can not be saved.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 14:6

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12

But why care about salvation if you don’t know from what you need to be saved? Jesus is not necessary if we don’t need a Savior, and we don’t know we need one unless we understand sin.

Responding To Your Feedback: Point 2

“How is THAT going to make people want to attend a church and become a believer.”

I get this kind of question often. People want to accuse me of pushing away the lost by adhering to the Bible. They tell me that discussing sin and calling out false teachers (something I make no apologies for) will discourage others from becoming Christians. I strongly disagree.

I’m guessing you don’t know my testimony, Shamer. I was saved at twenty-six after coming face-to-face with my sin and spiraling to an emotional and spiritual rock bottom. Facing the reality of my sin only made God’s love and Christ’s death and resurrection all the more attractive to me. No one else had ever loved me like that. No one else ever will.

The Lord brought me to a place of humility by exposing my sin. That was key for me to understand what Jesus had done was actually for me because I couldn’t save myself. I finally knew I needed Jesus.

You Might Be Pursuing False Conversion

Did you know there is such a thing as false converts? Many people call themselves Christians who are not truly born again. I’m sure some of them are liars with bad motives, but many don’t know they aren’t saved.

These false converts think belonging to a particular church, being baptized, growing up in a Christian home, attending church, giving to a church, etc. can save them. People who attend a church that does not faithfully preach the entire gospel (sin and all) is drawing in new converts through positivity, self-help, and encouragement.

That sounds nice, but you can’t be a believer if you point back to attendance at a welcoming church as how you became a Christian. A new believer needs to have acknowledged her sin, confessed it to God, and repented of it. She must believe in Jesus and accept Him as her Savior and Lord. Which Jesus, though? It must be the Jesus of the Bible who condemned sin and had expectations for His followers such as enduring persecution, forsaking those who would keep them away from Him, and obeying God. Jesus was not and is not rooting for you to live your best life now, Shamer. He will turn many “believers” away.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Matthew 7:21-23

Responding To Your Feedback: Point 3

“I think God approves of Rick Warren.”

You’re free to think whatever you want, but you thinking it doesn’t make it right.

Take what you know and hear about Rick Warren and compare it to Scripture. Does he twist and misuse Bible verses intentionally to make a point or sell one of his products? (Yes.) Has Rick Warren consistently addressed sin while sharing the gospel? (No.) Does he forge fellowship with false religions such as Islam and fail to witness to them about our Savior Jesus Christ? (Yup.)

If you pick up your Bible, even infrequently, you would recognize the red flags about Warren. I can’t speak for you in particular, Shamer, but you sound like someone who gets her doctrine from blogs and mega pastors. If that’s you, pick up that dusty Bible and study out what I’m saying. You might end up agreeing with me.

Responding To Your Feedback: Point 4

“Jesus said nothing in New Testament about women not being in ministry.”

Well, you’re not wrong, as far as I know. Jesus did not say, “Women should not be pastors.” Here’s a problem I have with your logic here. You’re arguing from silence. Using your logic, I might point out that Jesus never said women can be pastors, therefore, they can’t. Of course, you would think my reasoning was faulty and didn’t have any merit. You’d be correct, but your argument falls into the same trap.

One portion of Scripture to investigate this topic is Matthew 19. Jesus discusses divorce in verses 4-9, but He begins by affirming the creation account.

“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”

Matthew 19:4-5

Jesus hasn’t corrected anything here, and that’s important to note. He’s reiterating its truth. And in the creation story, what do we learn about men and women?

“And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

Genesis 2:18

You might also see “help meet” translated as “helper suitable” in other versions. What does it mean, though? Men and women complement one another. Their roles, strengths, and weaknesses won’t be the same. And, we can assume a leadership role for the man because woman was created, in part, to be his help meet…not the other way around.

If the husband is the leader, spiritually speaking, in his home, is it such a far leap for you to connect the dots and see that female pastors would be incongruent with God’s design for male and female roles? Have you heard of Mike Winger? He’s a fantastic and thorough Bible teacher. He has a series on this topic. Check it out. (Use the timestamps for the parts you want to listen to.)

Responding To Your Feedback: Point 5

“That’s Old Testament. Except Paul in New Testament…..he didn’t even know Jesus or his heart.”

Be careful here. The Old Testament and New Testament are not diametrically opposed. A great deal of the Old Testament still applies to the New Testament. Burnt offerings? No. Differing roles for men and women? Yes.

You claim he didn’t know Jesus, but are you sure about that? Paul explains that Jesus Himself taught him.

“But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 1:11-12

A few verses later Paul tells us he did not join the apostles immediately, so we know he wasn’t trained by them. Then, he states that he was away for three years before meeting up with Peter.

“Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.”

Galatians 1:17-18

So, you’re correct to say that Paul did not follow Jesus during His earthly ministry, but Paul clearly tells us that Jesus did, in fact, instruct Paul after his salvation. The details are admittedly unclear, but we don’t always get crystal clear explanations from the Lord.

One more thing…Peter, an undisputed apostle, affirms Paul’s authority as an apostle in Second Peter.

“And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.”

2 Peter 3:15-16

What Do You Think About The Bible?

Shamer, I feel like I should warn you about your stance on Paul. If you believe that he spoke only for himself with agendas and without an influence from Jesus, then you don’t believe in the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. Really, you set yourself up to throw out any portion of God’s Word you don’t like because you’ve placed yourself in a position to say what sounds like God to you and what doesn’t it. Friend, if any of it is untrue, then how can you know if any of it is true.

I recommend that you think long and hard about what you believe about salvation, the Bible, and Jesus. At this point, I fear you wrongly call yourself a Christian, and that sincerely breaks my heart. If you’re not sure about how to be born again, this link will take you to an abbreviated version of my testimony. I explain salvation at the end of it. I encourage you to read.

If you are a born-again Christian, though, spend some time in the Word remembering that each book is inspired by our Holy God. Yes, even the bits you don’t like.

Responding To Your Feedback: Point 6

“I’m sure Jesus would want Christians to adapt to the times.”

You’re sure? Oh, that’s nice… It’s also wrong.

The Bible doesn’t mince words on this subject. It’s simple. God doesn’t change.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Hebrews 13:8

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

James 1:17

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”

Isaiah 40:8

“For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.”

Psalm 119:89

“For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

Malachi 3:6

God doesn’t change. It isn’t His responsibility to change His ways to match our sinful lusts and desires. We, as believers, follow Him and deny ourselves (Luke 9:23). This is Christianity 101 stuff, Shamer. At the same time, it is definitely easier said than done.

Responding To Your Feedback: Point 7

“By trying to make a big fuss over things YOU disagree with is casting doubt for jealousy sake. Shame on you!”

I didn’t think I was making a big fuss, but I’ll accept that interpretation for the sake of argument. So, I must ask you a question regarding fusses. When should we make them? If I’m making a “big fuss” by calling out a pastor who teaches contrary to the Bible regarding pastoral qualifications and neglects to share the good and bad news, then so be it.

I’m not fussing over things I disagree with. I’m fussing over things that are incongruent with the Word of God. God is in charge of what is righteous and holy, not me. (Praise the Lord for that!)

Now, as for my alleged jealousy, please don’t assume my motivations. My motive is to be in service to God through my little blog. Rick Warren and other watered-down, seeker-friendly pastors are hurting the Church by leading Christians, many of whom are women, into bad doctrine. The pastors are stunting Christians’ growth and assuring unsaved church attenders that they are good with God. I’m not jealous, Shamer. I’m furious. I have no regrets and will continue to warn women about these dangerous leaders.

And you can keep your shame. My conscience is clear, and I don’t need your finger wagging to set me straight. The Holy Spirit convicts me when I should be ashamed, and He also nudges me to speak out against the very men and women you would defend. I hope one day you’ll understand the difference between being cruelly judgmental and warning believers about bad teaching and wolves.

Final Thought

Shamer, I’d like you to sit back and take some time with the Bible. Don’t listen to me or any of your favorite teachers, bloggers, and podcasters. Listen to God. Literally every point you made was incorrect and also incredibly common among scoffers and skeptics. I don’t know who has been feeding you, Shamer, but I pray that you stop listening and lean on God alone for clarity.

What about the rest of you? What would you say to the author of our feedback?

Image courtesy of Patrick Fore via Unsplash.