I saw a post on Facebook a couple of months ago that asked what would prompt a person to choose not to buy specific Gospel tracts, and I responded with “bad theology” and ‘mixing Law and Gospel”. This post will just address bad theology.
Walking through a dark Wal-Mart parking lot with my wife, a lady pops out between two SUVs approaching us quickly pleading for our attention for some reason or another. I was just concerned about getting in between the crazy lady and my wife. The lady thrusts out a pamphlet and says, “Jesus loves you.” I told her simply, “Thanks for sharing that message with us.”
My wife thinks the lady is what is completely wrong with Christians – popping out on people at night in middle of a parking lot, looking like a homeless lady and acting like you are on speed – guess really excited by the Holy Spirit. Even though approach was a little offsetting, I hoped to find a good read from the pamphlet.
NOPE!
Here’s an excerpt from the lady’s tract:
“Please here this. People don’t go to hell for their sins.”
WHAT??? Our sins do not deserve eternal damnation?
The tract continues:
“They go to hell for rejecting Jesus Christ as their Sin Bearer, their Substitute, and the One who died in their place for their sins.”
That’s true! But they also go to hell for all their other sins too. Apparently, there is a good number of people on line who argue that sins don’t send people to hell, just their rejection of Jesus. Do a search for it, more people think this than I had previously thought. Romans 5 comes to mind to say that people die because we all have sinned. Galatians 5 ends with a long list of all the works of the flesh, which are all damnable works, that are sin. Wages of sin- death – Gift of eternal life comes through Jesus. I think it’s pretty clear that all sin is damnable. James 2:10 for instance gives this implication. If we break one command, we are guilty of breaking them all. What’s this talk of not going to hell because of the sins we commit? Where does this originate and why?
Bad theology – Bad Gospel Tract.
Not to mention, it closes by asking a person to “pray with all your heart” a prayer that presumably makes you a Christian. What if you don’t pray with all your heart? It’s not a prayer that saves? Oh wait… is it my full dedication that makes me saved, my full heart in participation, or is it solely the work of Christ in me, my hope and glory upon which I am saved? See what I mean… bad theology. And this last example is mixing Law and Gospel, inserting your works into your salvation. So maybe I did hit on both topics with this one post.
Visit www.contradictmovement.org to find links to my Youtube page, Facebook page, and my book and evangelism conversation starting products. Peace in Christ. – Andy W.
Andy Wrasman 