| | AD 2000
ECUMENICAL
EVANGELISM
A Warning!
NO OTHER GOSPEL
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed As we said before, so say l now again, If
any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have
received, let him be accursed"--Galatians 1:8,9.
GOD'S HOLY WORD, the Bible, makes it very clear
that there is only one Gospel to be preached
today. Without equivocation God says that anyone
who preaches any other Gospel is under His curse. Why?
Because any other Gospel is a perversion of the one true
Gospel. So strong is the command of God in this matter that
the Holy Spirit makes it plain that if the apostle Paul were
later to bring another gospel; or if an angel from Heaven
should preach any other Gospel, Paul himself and/or any such
angel would be under God's curse. Read carefully Galatians
1:6-10.
The only Gospel which can save anyone is the Gospel of
salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This
is the only Gospel which is, "... The power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 1:16). It is the
Gospel proclaimed throughout the New Testament including Rom.
10:8-17;1 Cor. 15:1-11; Eph. 2:1-10; and Titus 2 15 to cite
only a few confirmations of this im-portant truth.
It is the privilege and responsibility of believers to
preach that one true Gospel "to every creature, n beginning
at home and reaching out to others around the world as God
makes that possible. Those who know and have believed the
Gospel, love the Gospel and have a sincere desire to see
others saved also. Those who have no such concern for the
eternal, spiritual condition of the lost are either terribly
backslidden or have been deceived by preachers of "another
gospel" resulting in their being .professors of salvation
rather than possessors of eternal life.
Without question, there is a great need today for every true
believer to do everything Scripturally possible to preach the
one true, soul-saving Gospel to as many as possible as soon
as possible. Time is running out. The coming of the Lord
draweth nigh. Admittedly, the need is great and urgent!
However, this Scriptural desire to evangelize the world
should never entice believers to employ unscriptural methods
or form unbiblical alliances in evangelism. Yet, that is
exactly what is happening before our very eyes as leaders
from Protestant, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Roman
Catholic and Orthodox churches are saying with one voice, "We
must forget our differences and all join together to
evangelize the world for Christ by the year 2000. We cannot
reach this goal alone." Such a proposal has an understandable
appeal to every Christian, until it is examined in the light
of the Scriptures.
First of all, this proposal for "all Christians" to forget
their differences and unite for the purpose of evangelizing
the world, completely ignores the fact that Roman Catholic,
Orthodox and many Protestant churches preach another
gospel--a false gospel--a gospel which rejects salvation by
grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and makes baptism
and other so-called "sacraments" and good works essential to
salvation. To join hands, therefore, with those who preach a
false Gospel is absolutely forbidden by God. Christians can
never accomplish the task of world evangelism by uniting with
those who are under God's curse. It can only be human
reasoning, lack of spiritual discernment, and satanic
deception which have led so many Christian leaders and others
who do believe and preach the one true Gospel, to express a
willingness to join hands with those who preach a false
gospel.
In the second place, those who attempt to justify
unscriptural alliances in the preaching of the Gospel on the
basis that "it is impossible to accomplish the task of world
evangelism in any other way," are flying in the face of God's
strong condemnation of those who say, "Let us do evil, that
good may come... " Romans 3:8. Satan has advanced this false
philosophy through the years. It is exemplified by a major
tenet of Godless communism--"The end justifies the means." It
has been used by the Roman Catholic church through the
centuries to build its size, wealth and power. It would be a
tragedy of greatest possible proportions if Bible-believers
in these last days were to be deceived by the same satanic
philosophy, only this time it is applied to the mission of
world evangelism.
Many religious leaders are calling the l990's The Decade of
Evangelism. Already the Charismatic-Catholic coalition called
the North American Renewal Service Committee has announced
another Congress on The Holy Spirit and Evangelism to be held
in the Hoosier Dome at Indianapolis, Indiana, Aug. 15-19,
1990, as a follow-up of their previous meetings in 1977 in
Kansas City and 1987 in New Orleans. This can only be another
"mixed multitude" of Catholics, Charismatics, Pentecostals,
Evangelicals and Ecumenists in what they predict will be a
gathering of "unity and power." However, such a mixture
cannot possibly be justified without ignoring or twisting the
Scriptures.
Sadly, the vast majority of Christians today are in the very
same situation described by God in Hosea 4:6, "My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge...." Most Christians today
are either uninformed or are being misinformed as to the true
situation concerning the apostasy and compromise of churches
and denominations. They simply don't know what is really
going on behind the scenes. But how could they know?
Evangelical leaders like Billy Graham, Bill Bright, Leighton
Ford and others are trying to appease those on both sides of
the theological fence. To make matters even worse, many
fundamentalists have waited so long to tell their people the
truth, that they now remain silent for fear of losing members
and support, even though the situation grows worse by the moment.
The program called "A.D. 2000 Evangelism" is
unscriptural and very deceptive. While not every religious
group uses this exact terminology, they all agree that it is
a wonderful idea for "Christians" to forget their differences
and work together in evangelism so that the task of
evangelizing the world can be completed by 2000 A.D. which
would make a wonderful "2000th birthday present for Jesus."
Such words easily capture the fancy of the Church and the
world, but are simply contrary to the Word. God says, "And
have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather reprove them. " Eph. 5:11. What could better represent
an unfruitful work of darkness than the preaching of a false
gospel?
It is, therefore, deplorable to realize that Evangelical and
Fundamental leaders who have the ears and eyes of multitudes
through their publications and radio and T.V. broadcasts give
absolutely no word of warning; and, in fact encourage their
followers to participate. Thank God, a few leaders recently
took a public stand in refusing to cooperate with Roman
Catholics in Evangelism. Be sure to read the Latin American
Statement of Concern reproduced in its entirety later in this
article, and pray for these brethren who have made it clear
they will not compromise the truth of the Gospel by working
with those who preach a false gospel.
In the coming months, several major ecumenical and
evangelical meetings are scheduled. These include the
National Council of Churches' Governing Board Meeting; the
World Council's Conference on World Mission and Evangelism;
the Southern Baptist Convention; and the Lausanne 11
International Congress on World Evangelization in Manila. At
each of these meetings, major decisions will be made which
will affect millions in the future. God's people need to have
the full inside story--the truth!
Every faithful servant of God has been given the important
responsibility of being a "watchman." (Ezekiel 33:1-16; 2
Timothy 4:1-5). We certainly recognize our human limitations
in seeking to exercise this God-given ministry, but we are
challenged to say with David of old, "Is there not a cause?
(1 Samuel 17:29).
We are thankful that the "I;Foundation of od standeth sure, "
and may God help all who name the name of Christ to depart
from iniquity even though it is currently being promoted in
the cherished name of "evangelism." 2 Timothy 2:19.
A WARNING CONCERNING
AD2000 EVANGELISM
"ALL CHRISTISTIANS SHOULD FORGET THEIR DIFFERENCES AND
JOIN FORCES TO EVANGELIZE THE WORLD BY THE YEAR 2000."
On the basis of this attractive proposal, we are now
witnessing the greatest and most deceptive push toward
ecumenical apostasy the world has ever seen. Joining hands
with "all" professing Christians to fulfill the Great
Commission under the banner of AD 2000 Evangelism has added
appeal by the further suggestion that the world could be
completely evangelized by such a united effort during the
next decade, and that this would constitute a wonderful
2000th birthday present for Christ.
This proposal, and movement has been given a name--AD
2000 Evangelism. It is receiving unprecedented favorable
responses from those who fail to recognize the unscriptural
principles upon which any such movement could possibly
function. Thus, an ecumenical-evangelical steamroller is
being created of unparalleled proportions. In their efforts
to forge an unscriptural unity through the years, liberal
ecumenical leaders have tried "peace," "love," "social
action," etc., but all these have failed. However, it now
appears that this newest tactic of Satan to produce an
unscriptural, ecumenical unity through the use of
"Evangelism" has a great potential for success unless God's
people wake up to what is really happening in the name of Evangelism.
This article is written as a warning about the dangers
and deceptions involved in AD 2000 Ecumenical Evangelism. I
wish it could be shorter for I know how few people today like
to do a lot of reading. The first part will endeavor to set
forth the basic reasons for our concern. But the longer than
usual length of this article should provide concerned
believers with ample documentation from original sources to
confirm our warning as to the dangers and deceptions of this
fast-growing movement. We urge you to read this report
carefully and distribute its contents widely.
Compromises are being made on the part of evangelical leaders
which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
Secret and semi secret consultations have been and are
continuing to be held by top ecumenical and evangelical
leaders in the interests of so-called "Christian unity." We
have reported some of these meetings in the past, but the
latest incidence of such a top-level consultation took place
Feb. 20-24,1989 in Stuttgart, Germany. It was a "semi-secret"
meeting in that the names of evangelicals participating were
not given and no statement was issued following the
consultation. A report was given by the WCC Ecumenical Press
Service, however, and it is so significant that we quote it
in full as follows:
EVANGELICAL, WCC REPS JOIN IN
EVANGELISM CONSULTATION
STUTTGART--For the first time, official representatives
of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, World
Evangelical Fellowship, and World Council of Churches have
met together to discuss evangelism and the attitude of the
organizations towards each other here, 20-24 Feb. 1989.
The consultation did not issue a statement, nor was a list of
names of participants released. Though segments of the WCC
membership describe themselves as evangelical, WEF and LCWE
are explicitly evangelical organizations, and have been
critical of WCC approaches to evangelism and other aspects
of church life.
The gathering was convened and chaired by Walter Arnold,
executive secretary for missions and ecumenical relations of
the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Wurttemberg (Federal
Germany), and David Gitari, bishop of the Diocese of Mount
Kenya East in the [Anglican] Church of the Province of Kenya.
Arnold is a member of the WCC Central Committee. His
denomination supports both the WCC and more strictly
evangelical organizations. Until 1986, Gitari, vice-moderator
of the WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism,
chaired the WEF theological commission.
In a brief written comment afterwards, Gitari and Arnold said
the meeting was "conducted in a spirit of love and
understanding, even though there were at times disagreements
on theological and methodological issues. There was a
stimulating discussion regarding commitment to the cause of
world evangelization.
"All participants expressed their gratitude for the
opportunity of sharing together their convictions regarding
evangelism. The effort was to hear each other in honesty and
sensitivity."
Representatives of each organization made presentations on
"the nature and practice of evangelism--how we perceive it
and how we go about." Gitari and Arnold said "hope was
expressed to continue further discussions" after the WCC World
Conference on Mission and Evangelism in San Antonio (Texas/USA)
in May and the LCWE world gathering in Manila in July.
The 21 participants spent their mornings studying the New
Testament book of Ephesians and worshipping together. Bible
study was led by Vinay Samuel, a parish pastor in the
[United] Church of South India, and general secretary of the
Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion.
One of the participants, Eugene Stockwell, WCC director for
world mission and evangelism, saw the first importance of the
meeting on the fact that it took place at all. He said there
was "very frank sharing of [theological and practical] points
of difference "on evangelism. But, he observed, "what unites
us is greater than what divides us"--"commitment to Jesus
Christ as Lord and Saviour."
Asked for examples of some differences, Stockwell said
evangelical critics of the WCC sometimes accuse it of giving
too much attention to social, economic, and political manners
"instead of a clear call to biblical evangelism, as they
would put it. On the other hand," he said, ';while affirming
the authority of the Bible, some in the WCC constituency
would not want to use words such as 'infallible' or 'inerrant' to
describe it."
Who could possibly have imagined, even a few years ago,
that "Evangelism" could ever become sort of a magic word
which Satan could use to blind the minds of so many true
believers! The devil's unscriptural ecumenical movement has
discovered that "Evangelism" is a new, and thus far, a very
successful way to lure uninformed and unsuspecting Christians
into its program of a false, unscriptural unity. This new
appeal goes something like this: "We cannot seem to find
agreement concerning doctrine, but surely we can forget our
differences and join together as 'Christians' on a 'higher
plateau' (Evangelism) to complete the task of preaching the
Gospel to every creature."
For most Christians, this sounds like a suggestion "almost
too good to be true" and an invitation filled with too many
possibilities to refuse. The very word, "Evangelism" is so
much a part of every born again Christian's heart and life
that the announcement of almost any program of world
evangelization has an instantaneous appeal and is apt to
receive a favorable response. The problem is that very few
Christians are yet aware of the way in which united efforts
in "Evangelism" today are being used to help build the
one-world harlot church of the antichrist instead of winning
lost souls to Jesus Christ.
There are several important facts God's people need to know
about the dangers of AD 2000 evangelism:
First--this new ecumenical evangelism requires the acceptance of
Roman Catholics and liberal protestants as partners in evangelism,
rather than those who need to be evangelized.
Second--the Roman Catholic Church, which has been and
continues to be one of the Gospel's worst enemies, is
especially deceptive today because it has a new, "evangelical
face" while continuing to preach a false gospel.
Third--Evangelicals have followed the path of compromise for
so long that they have lost almost all spiritual discernment.
Evangelical leaders have become "blind leaders of the blind"
and those who follow their leadership are in danger of
falling into the ecumenical ditch!
Fourth--the Charismatic movement, with its false teachings
concerning the Holy Spirit and its claim to new revelations
from God, has become a catalyst to bring together liberal
protestants, Roman Catholics, Orthodox,Charismatics, and
evangelicals into unscriptural fellowships and ministries
especially in "Evangelism."
Fifth--the unscriptural Pentecostal-charismatic teachings are
now being promoted within evangelical churches under the
deceptive title of "Power Evangelism" or "The Third Wave
Movement." The two best-known proponents of this supposedly
less-extreme, modified version of the dangerous, deceptive
Pentecostal-charismatic teachings are Dr. Peter Wagner of
Fuller Seminary and Dr. John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard
Christian Fellowship. Both are fully committed to the
ecumenical, unscriptural AD 2000 Evangelism movement.
Sixth--the silence of so many Fundamentalists with regard to
compromise and apostasy has left most of God's people in
ignorance as to how the Devil is using "Evangelism" to
produce an entirely new understanding of what "Evangelism"
really is and how God says this important ministry should be
accomplished.
So successful has been the devil's plan to use "Evangelism"
to forge an unscriptural Ecumenism, that there has never been
a time in history when a larger number of diverse groups are
singing the same song, "We must get together to evangelize
the world." There has never been a time in history when more
plans are being devised to accomplish this ostensibly Scriptural
task.
In fact, the l990's is already being called:
THE DECADE OF EVANGELISM
What about it? Shall we cooperate? Shall we become
silent neutrals? Or, shall we be faithful to the Word of God
in rejecting and exposing the dangers of this new program of
ecumenical evangelism? The latter response is the only
Scriptural one--the only one God can and will bless. And, the
following excerpts from various recent and very significant
statements are given with the hope and prayer that they may
be used of God to help believers understand the very
insidious nature and tremendous scope of the deceptions
involved in ecumenical evangelism.
The history of ecumenical evangelism actually begins with the
ministry of Dr. Billy Graham some thirty-five years ago.
Starting out as a Fundamentalist, the success of his mass
evangelistic crusades led him into increasing postures of
compromise. At the beginning of his ministry, he wanted to
reach Roman Catholics with the Gospel. Now he uses Roman
Catholic counsellors in his crusades and refers those who
make decisions for Christ back to their own Roman Catholic
churches.
When Billy Graham started out, he recognized the World
Council of Churches and other ecumenical bodies as agents of
Satan. Now, he works closely with their leaders; has nothing
but the warmest relationships with them and recently admitted
that "world travel and getting to know clergy of all
denominations" had helped to mold him into an "ecumenical
being." Admitting that he was separated from some of them by
theology, he none-theless said, "all that means nothing to me
anymore. " What a change! What a tragedy!
In 1966, Billy Graham held his first big World Congress on
Evangelism in Berlin, West Germany. Even at that early date,
the theme had an ecumenical ring to it--"One Race, One
Gospel, One Task." Further world congresses were to
follow--1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland, 1983 and 1986 in
Amsterdam -and shortly (July 11-20, 1989), Lausanne 11 in
Manila. Each congress broadened the borders of its
participants and encouraged evangelicals to reject Biblical
separation completely and travel the ecumenical pathway.
Dr. Bill Bright is the other evangelical leader whose
compromising influences have been so widely felt. There was
"Explo '72," his massive "evangelistic mobilization and
training program," held in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas
in 1972, This was followed by a program called "Key 73
Evangelism" in which Roman Catholics, Orthodox, ecumenists,
Evangelicals, and charismatics all participated. Still later,
Bright held "Explo '74," a rally in Seoul, Korea, where a
huge crowd of over one million people were indoctrinated in
the same spirit of ecumenical evangelism.
Dr. Bright has Roman Catholics on his staff and on some of
the Campus Crusade witnessing teams. (Athletes in Action,
etc.) Following a press conference in San Diego at a meeting
of the Council on Biblical Inerrancy in 1982 of which he was
chairman, I asked Dr. Bright how he could Scripturally
justify his policy of having Roman Catholics on staff and
working with them in evangelism. His answer, "I can work with
anyone who calls Jesus, Lord." I reminded him of the words of
the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 where Christ plainly
revealed that many who called Him Lord, Lord, were actually
"workers of iniquity." He made no answer and walked from the
room in silence.
Other evangelistic movements such as Youth For Christ, Young
Life, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Navigators and
others have modified many of their original standards and are
likewise walking the ecumenical path. World vision, financed
largely by appeals for contributions to help needy people
around the world, has become a chief vehicle for breaking
down distinctions between truth and error in the theological
realm by financing numerous pastors' conferences, especially
in 3rd world nations, in which the ecumenical spirit is promoted and
Biblical separation disdained and criticized.
Schools like Moody and Biola, once bastions of
fundamentalism and Biblical evangelism, now espouse
principles and positions their founders warned and wrote
about. Fuller Theological Seminary was founded by the late
Dr. Charles E. Fuller who began his radio ministry as a
fundamentalist pastor and blessed the hearts of many through
his Old Fashioned Gospel Hour Broadcasts. But, as his
ministry grew, his theological position weakened to the place
that when he founded the school which bears his name, its
first president was Dr. Harold Ockenga, the man who became
known as the "father of new evangelicalism." From that weak
founding position, Fuller Seminary has become one of the
largest, most influential but most dangerous seminaries in
the world--a place where ecumenists, Catholics, charismatics,
and compromising evangelicals can all feel right at home.
In the field of foreign missions, the spirit of ecumenical
cooperation has carried most of the faith missions into
fellowships and joint efforts which please men but disobey
the Word of God. Missionaries who once held God-given
convictions concerning Biblical separation from error, have
increasingly been cooperating in programs of ecumenical
evangelism such as Evangelism in Depth, Africa for Christ,
etc.
In 1942, the National Association of Evangelicals was formed
to provide fellowship for those who repudiated the
fundamentalist position of Biblical separation. Later, the
World Evangelical Fellowship was established to provide a
similar compromised fellowship for evangelicals on the world
level. The continuing compromises of both organizations have
brought them ever closer to ecumenical apostasy and a
"social-action" emphasis.
There is no question but that Billy Graham and Bill Bright
have been the chief architects and promoters of ecumenical
evangelism. Through four decades of increasing compromise,
they have laid the groundwork without which AD 2000
Ecumenical Evangelism would not be possible. Sadly, we must
recognize that without their help, the devil would not be
able to deceive so many professing believers into cooperating
with Catholics, liberal Protestants and others who teach
another gospel and are under God's curse. Galatians 1:6-10.
World Evangelization a Reality by A.D. 2000?
Perhaps the best way to further document the serious
unscriptural principles upon which this current program of
ecumenical evangelism is being built, is to quote excerpts
from several recent press releases and statements made by
leaders involved.
The following quotations are taken from a press release from
the Southern Baptist Press of Dec. 16,1988. Careful
attention should be given to these statements which are very
revealing and self explanatory:
"Evangelical leaders to try again for unified worldwide
efforts. One hundred years and six months ago, evangelical
leaders met in London to coordinate their efforts to spread
the Christian message throughout the world by the year 1900.
They made speeches but reached no clear decisions, and
ultimately achieved no strengthening of world evangelizations
efforts."
"Today world evangelical leaders are trying again. A pivotal
juncture will be the Global Consultation on World
Evangelization by AD 2000 and Beyond, scheduled for Jan. 5-8
in Singapore. Each of the 300-plus evangelical leaders
expected to attend the consultation is affiliated with a
denomination or organization planning to help evangelize the
world by the year 2000. Their plans, however, are largely
independent of each other, observers have noted."
"No single group is sponsoring the consultation. Its
organizers include people affiliated with such denominations
as the Southern Baptist Convention and the Evangelical
Churches of West Africa and such organizations as the
Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, Campus Crusade
for Christ and World Vision International."
"'Third World evangelicals will comprise more than half
the participants,' said Thomas Wang of Hong Kong, chairman of
the consultation's program planning committee Wang, a native
of China, is international director of the Lausanne
Committee."
Planning for the meeting began in May 1988 and from the
start, Wang said, "We hope, we prayed that this movement will
have an international ownership. We look forward to a real
cross-pollinization" between evangelical leaders in the West
and the Third World."'
"Consultation organizers hesitated to make predictions about
what will result from such a broad gathering.
But they have taken steps to provide the participants with
possible options for specific decisions."
"A team of 15 missiologists has drafted a 50 page working
document listing 104 options that will be discussed during
the four-day meeting. The establishment of an AD 2000 Global
Task Force, staffed by representatives from various Christian
denominations or organizations, is one such option."
"The Singapore consultation's focus on world evangelization,
Wang said, differentiates it from the Lausanne Comminee's
second International Congress on World Evangelization to be
held next July in Manila. In addition to discussions of the
AD 2000 emphasis, the Lausanne event will stimulate
fellowship among the 4,000 participants and focus on a
broader range of issues."
"'Whatever happens at the January consultation will enrich
and strengthen the July congress,' Wang said. 'These two
complement each other. It's like a two-stage rocket."'
Let us now take a careful look at the official report of
the above mentioned Singapore consultation quoted directly
from their own press release at the end of the consultation:
SINGAPORE--"We believe that it is possible to bring the
gospel to all people by the year 2000."
"We humbly confess our pride, prejudice, competition and
disobedience that have hindered our generation from effectively
working at the task of world evangelization."
These are among the declarations in a "Great Commission
Manifesto" adopted by more than 300 Christian leaders from
some 50 countries. Their unanimous vote, in a unison shout of
"Amen!" came during the Jan. 5-8 "Global Consultation on
World Evangelization by AD 2000 and Beyond in Singapore."
"The AD 2000 movement has now laid a foundation," said Thomas
Wang, chairman of the consultation's steering committee, after
the meeting. Wang also is international director of the
Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization.
The consultation reflects a new era when Christians are
expanding their efforts beyond institutional structures "to a
task, a common task," said Bill O'Brien, the consultation's
program chairman and executive vice president of the Southern
Baptist Foreign Mission Board.
Through an openness to missions leaders from a a wide range of
Christian traditions and a focus on world evangelization by
the year 2000, the consultation enabled "a much broader scope
of the body of Christ to come to a plateau where we can meet
without other encumbrances," O'Brien said.
More than half of the 300-plus participants were missions
leaders from the Third World.
"We see afresh," the consultation's manifesto states, "that
cooperation and partnership are absolute necessities if the
Great Commission (Christ's command to share the gospel with
all peoples) is going to be fulfilled by the year 2000."
Four basic aims are listed in the manifesto:
"l . Focus particularly on those who have not yet heard the
gospel."
2. Provide every people and population on earth with a valid
opportunity to hear the gospel in a language they can
understand. It is our fervent prayer that at least half of
humanity will profess allegiance to the Lord Jesus."
"3. Establish a mission-minded church planting movement
within every unreached people group so that the gospel
is accessible to all people."
"4. Establish a Christian community of worship,
instruction in the word, healing, fellowship, prayer,
disciple making, evangelism and missionary concern in every
human community."
The manifesto notes that Christian compassion must extend to
"those who live under the bondage of sin and ... victims of
poverty and injustice."
And it acknowledges that "only in the power of the Holy
Spirit" can the world be evangelized. Christians "must be
more impressed with God's great power than any force arrayed
against us."
Expectations were high during the final session until Wang
unexpectedly announced that the Consultation's Steering
Committee would not seek to form an implementing task force.
The action left unclear whether any continuity for the
movement would be established.
However, just before dismissal, Ralph Winter, general
director of the U.S. Center for World Mission, rose to ask
for a meeting with participants wanting a means of follow-up,
a "meek and mild" information office to allow participants to
maintain contact with each other.
About 100 participants who stayed for the meeting adopted
Winter's proposal. Several Christian organizations and 85
individuals expressed interest in covering start-up expenses.
It will be a one-person office that could be accountable to a
"board of reference" of members of the former steering
committee who agree to assist.
The steering committee decided to disband, Wang explained, to
give consultation participants "total freedom to decide what
they want to do for the future." Said O'Brien, "I was convinced
that the AD 2000 movement is of God" and that appropriate persons
would come forth to move it forward, whether at the end of the
meeting or a later date.
Winter said he appreciated the steering committee's efforts
and its humility in placing the movement's future in the
hands of consultation participants. At the same time, he said
it would have been a disaster that no one initiated a method
for consultation participants, who hail from each continent,
to keep in touch.
Winter, several months before the consultation, had said it
could be "the meeting of the century" and, moreover, "the
most important meeting Christian leaders have ever proposed"
if it ultimately results in the evangelization of the world's
peoples for the first time in history. Some 1.3 billion of
the world's 5 billion people are untouched by Christian
evangelistic efforts, according to missions researchers.
After the meeting, Winter said his assessments of the
consultation's potential significance had not changed.
Beyond the steering committee's decision to disband, the
consultation was filled with tense moments that, somehow,
never dampened "an uncanny relaxed-ness and mutual trust," as
Winter put it, among the participants, despite their wide
range of cultural and religious backgrounds.
Latin American participants, in a "statement of concern"
about Roman Catholic participation in the consultation, said
"the religious-political force of the Roman Catholic Church
is using all means available and is in fact the most fierce
opponent to all evangelistic efforts on our part."
Only a half dozen Catholics were present, but one of several
"case study" segments of the program focused on Evangelization 2000,
a Catholic plan for world evangelization.
The Latin American evangelicals said cooperating with
Catholics "goes beyond our historical and biblical
commitment." One church leader said being known as
"ecumenicals" in their home countries would "destroy" their
ministries.
Apart from their concern regarding Catholicism, the Latin
Americans said they intend to have "the broadest cooperation"
with fellow evangelicals' efforts to carry the gospel
worldwide.
Gino Henriques, a Catholic priest from India who heads
Evangelization 2000 in Asia, responded to the Latin
Americans' concerns by saying, For whatever hurts they have
received from Catholics, I'm not only grieved but I would
beg pardon for those hurts, and I love them in the Lord.
"I was not aware of this undercurrent that was going on,"
Henriques said, "because of all the kindness and fellowship
I've experienced here."
Stephanie Culhane, a Franciscan missionary working to start
prayer networks throughout the world, said, "There needs to
be a lot of repentance ... a lot of forgiveness and healing
in the body of Christ."
Another point of tension during the consultation involved a
50-page, 104-point "kaleidoscopic global plan" for
evangelization prepared by a team of 15 missiologists, headed
by David Barren, an Anglican missionary from Wales noted for
missions research.
A key proposal in the plan entailed the creation of an AD
2000 Global Task Force to spread a vision for world
evangelization and to strengthen and increase cooperation
among groups with specific goals and plans . It also would
help foster or enhance local and national evangelistic
movements throughout the world.
In the first of several small group working sessions,
numerous participants affirmed the global plan, but among a
minority, concerns and questions were voiced. Among them:
that the plan could be perceived as top-down, ignoring grass
roots input; that an additional structure should not be
formed that might duplicate the roles of the Lausanne
movement or the World Evangelical Fellowship; that the plan's
theological base and spiritual emphasis needed strengthening;
that it is too detailed to be effectively communicated to
their constituencies....
The kaleidoscopic global plan, the steering committee said in
a written statement, "would become part of our ongoing 'tool
boxes,"' and it will be revised to include key points from
more than 300 pages of suggestions submitted by the
participants or their working groups.
The plan includes an array of declarations and steps toward
world evangelization, such as the creation of "a Christian
equivalent to World watch" to monitor social, political and
religious conditions and trends throughout the world;
cataloging all Christian resources that can aid world
evangelization; and translating key materials into the six
languages used at the United Nations and, ultimately, into
some 100 languages spoken by 1 million or more Christians
throughout the world....
"We had differences of opinion, methodology and procedure,"
Wang said, "but in the areas of world evangelization,
missions and a burden for fulfilling the Great Commission, we
are in total harmony."
The AD 2000 movement will gain additional exposure when some
4,000 Christians gather in Manila, July 11-20, for Lausanne
11, the Lausanne movement's second international congress. AD
2000 plans will be featured during one of the evening
sessions, and it will be one of 10 afternoon 'tracks."'
But thank God, there was a faithful minority present at
Singapore which refused to compromise and refused to remain
silent concerning the sin of seeking to evangelize the world
in cooperation with the enemies of Christ. \Ne quote the
entire statement they issued at the close of this meeting.
Latin American Statement of Concern:
We, Iberoamerican participants at GCOWE 2000, Singapore,
January 5-8,1989, most respectfully manifest: CONSIDERING:
1. That we were invited to this Consultation because of our
already deep and known commitment to our Lord's great
Commission given to His disciples, in our full agreement with
the Lausanne Covenant.
2. That we came to GCOWE 2000 with the understanding that the
goal was to study how to accomplish the task of world
evangelization by the year 2000 and beyond. We praise the
Lord for this vision and express our deep and sincere
gratitude for the invitation that was given to us to
participate in such consultation;
3. That during the celebration of the GCOWE 2000 itself, we
have come to realize that the working documents, the Steering
Committee, the presence of certain groups, some of the materials
being presented at the literature table, the intention to
present a case study from the platform, and even the draft
of the Manifesto, manifest the activity and evidence the presence
of Roman Catholic elements that are not characteristic of most
evangelical gatherings. The reality goes beyond our historical and
Biblical commitment.
4. That in our Iberoamerican continent, the religious-political
force of the Roman Catholic Church is using all means available
and is in fact the most fierce opponent to all evangelistic efforts
on our part;
5. That Iberoamerican Roman Catholicism is to the present day
incompatible with our evangelistic vision: Mary more than
ever holds the first place in the faith, tradition supersedes
the Bible, salvation by works over the work of the finished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary, the supreme
authority of the Pope, the religious syncretism and some
other well known Roman Catholic expressions.
IN THE LIGHT OF THE ABOVE CONSIDERATIONS, WE DECLARE OUR DEEP
CONCERNS:
1. Our disagreement for the inclusion in this consultation of
groups not identified with the Biblical principles manifested
in the Protestant Reformation.
2. We recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of
non-protestan/non evangelical people and churches. However,
we cannot cooperate with the structures they represent.
3. We respectfully requested with all the strength possible,
avoid the participation of the Roman Catholic--related
sectors from the program, since this could have serious
implications in future involvement in the AD 2000 Movement.
4. We request that this Statement of Concern be communicated
to this consultation and all other means that have previously
publicized
5. We renew our commitment to global evangelization and the
broadest cooperation within the theological framework of the
Lausanne Covenant.
As far as I have been able to determine, the request to
publicize the concerns of these Latin American believers has
thus far not only been disregarded but deliberately covered
up. We quote from the Southern Baptist Press of Jan. 13,
1989. Observe that there are only words of enthusiasm--no
indication of any protest at all:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)--Southern Baptist foreign missions
efforts will never be the same, if recent experiences of its
top foreign missions executives have any impact, they
reported.
The president and executive vice president of the Southern
Baptist Foreign Mission Board participated in the Global
Consultation on World Evangelization by A.D. 2000 and Beyond
in Singapore Jan. 5-8.
FMB President R. Keith Parks, and Executive Vice President
Bill O'Brien, made their first report of the meeting to
executive board members of Southern Baptist Woman's
Missionary Union Jan. 11 . For both, it was a meeting unlike
either had experienced before, they said.
O'Brien called the gathering of Great Commission Christians"
from all around the world one of "the most dynamic
evolutionary processes of which he has ever been a part.
"It is a new day in the history of world evangelization,"
O'Brien said.
The meeting was unusual, O'Brien reported, describing it as
"a plateau where we can gather together devoid of man-made
measurements of righteousness and simply strip the labels off
and accept each other as persons re-created in Jesus Christ
and who want to be obedient to the Great Commission. And
that's where we came out.
"As we all left Singapore to go back to our differing places
in 50 nations, there was the quiet assurance in our hearts
that God is doing a new thing among us. And we all want to be
a part of it.
"If it could happen for 314 (representatives) from 50
nations--that many organizations, that many confessional
backgrounds, that many differing traditions--could it not
happen within one little denomination called Southern
Baptists?"
Both Parks and O'Brien praised the unity in purpose of the
Christians who gathered in Singapore.
O'Brien told the group the participants agreed to not
"further divide the body of Christ by introducing another
confessional statement that some can agree with and some
cannot."
It will take the efforts of the entire convention working in
new ways if the world is to be evangelized by the year 2000,
Parks stressed: "Southern Baptists are going to have to be
willing to corporately die to self. So many of us have been
so committed to maintaining a Southern Baptist identity and
supporting 'our' missionaries that we've lost the commitment
... to reach the whole world for Christ.
We're going to have to be willing to be prayerfully committed
to whoever is with us, whether they happen to be one of our
missionaries or not, if we're really going to have a part in
reaching the whole world."
The evidence to prove that ecumenical evangelization is
a tool of Satan to build the harlot church of the antichrist
would fill several books, but surely the information already
presented should provide ample proof of just how dangerous
and deceptive AD 2000 Evangelism really is. But before
concluding this report, a few additional facts must be
considered:
Fact One One--Those who are willing to participate under the
umbrella of the ecumenical AD 2000 Evangelism program may use
different titles for their own denominational evangelism
programs, and may deny being part of AD 2000 Evangelism even
though their leaders are part of it.
Fact Two--Evangelization 2000 is the name given by Roman
Catholics to their own brand of AD 2000 Evangelism. Headed by
a Roman Catholic priest, Tom Forrest, and set up specifically
by Pope John Paul II, this movement uses a great amount of
evangelical terminology and evangelical methodology of
reaching the masses, but it repudiates the biblical Gospel of
salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and binds
its "converts" to the devil's doctrines of sacramentalism and
Mariolatry. Nevertheless, this Roman Catholic program is one
of the largest "evangelization" efforts in the world with
multiplied retreats, seminars, literature and the use of
public media to further its unscriptural teachings.
Fact Three--Without doubt, the most extensive program of
all those which endorse and participate in AD 2000 Evangelism
is that sponsored by Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for
Christ. Called "New Life 2000," this ecumenical evangelistic
effort consists primarily in showing their "Jesus" film to
"more than 5 billion people over the next 11 years and that
at least 1 billion of these will respond to His call and
receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord." Boasting that this
"Jesus" film is "the single most effective tool for
evangelism in the history of Christianity," extravagant but
unsubstantiated claims are already being made for its
results. However, "New Life 2000" is clearly ecumenical and
unbiblical even though it is well financed and is deceiving
many sincere believers who are interested in "preaching the
Gospel to every creature."
Fact Four--Evangelicals in the USA are quite easily brought
into evangelistic cooperation with Roman Catholics; whereas
large numbers of evangelicals in Latin America, most of whom
have been saved out of Romanism, know from firsthand
experience that it is an apostate religious system!
Fact File--Older evangelical leaders are doing their best to
influence the younger generation evangelicals to accept their
compromised positions as being the most workable and
successful programs regardless of the fact that such
positions are contrary to the Word of God which they still
profess to believe.
Fact Six--Several important major meetings lie immediately
ahead in 1989, all of which are bound to have a tremendous
influence on the future direction of evangelism and of the
whole ecumenical movement.
These include: The National Council of Churches' Governing
Board Meeting; the World Council's World Conference on
Mission and Evangelism; the Southern Baptist Annual
Convention; Billy Graham's Mission '89 in London; and the
Lausanne II International Congress on World Evangelization in
Manila.
Fact Seven--Evangelical leaders, especially at the
Lausanne II meeting in Manila, July 11-20, will have to
straddle the fence on the issue of AD 2000 Evangelism to
avoid offending Roman Catholic leaders with whom they already
work closely, while at the same time not losing the support
of leaders like those who prepared and signed the Latin
American Statement of Concern quoted earlier in this article.
Fact one Eight--Dr. Leighton Ford, chairman of the Lausanne
Committee was the closing speaker at the ecumenical "National
Festival of Evangelism" called "Congress '88" and held in
Chicago. Who was the opening speaker? None other than Roman
Catholic Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. The publicity for this
ecumenical meeting said, "Evangelicals, mainline churches and
Catholics consciously combined the themes of unity and
evangelism." Dr. Ford joined hands with Roman Catholics last
year in Chicago. What will he do this year in Manila?
Fact Nine--Those who love the Lord and recognize the absolute
necessity of preserving the purity of the Scriptures and of
the Gospel should pray fervently that God will open the eyes
of deceived believers, and do everything possible to place
the documentation in this article in the hands of others
without delay so that they will recognize the duplicity of
those who are openly disobeying the Word of God even while
still claiming to be evangelical.
In closing there is one further document, portions of which
deserve our careful attention. It is entitled, "A Pastoral
Statement For Catholics on Biblical Fundamentalism." Issued
by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in the U.S.A.,
it is a warning against Biblical Fundamentalism, carefully
drafted to avoid needless offense, but clear enough to
convince any born again Christian that Catholics still preach
a false gospel.
We pray that God will raise up faithful men among the
Lausanne II delegates who will raise the Scriptural issues
involved in AD 2000 ecumenical evangelism and demand that
this International Congress which claims to be evangelical
publicly refuse cooperation with Roman Catholics and all
others who preach a false gospel. Note the following official
statement of the USA Catholic Bishops and observe that they
are not afraid to warn about the supposed errors of
fundamentalists; why should Bible-believers hesitate to warn
about Roman Catholic heresies!
A PASTORAL STATEMENT
FOR CATHOLICS ON
BIBLICAL FUNDAMENTALISM
This is a statement of concern to our Catholic brothers
and sisters who may be attracted to Biblical Fundamentalism
without realizing its serious weaknesses. We Catholic
bishops, speaking as a special committee of the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops, desire to remind our faithful
of the fullness of Christianity that God has provided in the
Catholic Church.
Fundamentalism indicates a person's general approach to life
which is typified by unyielding adherence to rigid doctrinal
and ideological positions--an approach that affects the
individual's social and political attitudes as well as
religious ones. Fundamentalism in this sense is found in
non christian religions and can be doctrinal as well as
biblical. But in this statement we are speaking only of
Biblical Fundamentalism, presently attractive to some
Christians, including some Catholics.
Biblical Fundamentalists are those who present the Bible,
God's inspired Word, as the only necessary source for
teaching about Christ and Christian living. This insistence
on the teaching Bible is usually accompanied by a spirit that
is warm, friendly and pious. Such a spirit attracts many
(especially idealistic young) converts. With ecu-menical
respect for these communities, we acknowledge their
proper emphasis on religion as influencing family life and
workplace. The immediate attractions are the ardor of the
Christian community and the promises of certitude and of a
personal conversion experience to the person of Jesus Christ
without the need of church. As Catholic pastors, however, we
note its presentation of the Bible as a single rule for
living. According to Fundamentalism, the Bible alone is
sufficient. There is no place for the universal teaching
Church--including its wisdom, its teachings, creeds and other
doctrinal formulations, its liturgical and devotional
traditions. There is simply no claim to a visible, audible,
living, teaching authority binding the individual or
congregations.
A further characteristic of Biblical Fundamentalism is
that it tends to interpret the Bible as being always without
error, or as literally true, in a way quite different from
the Catholic Church's teaching on the inerrancy of the Bible.
For some Biblical Fundamentalists, inerrancy extend seven to
scientific and historical matters. The Bible is presented without
regard for its historical context and development.
In 1943 Pope Pius Xll encouraged the Church to promote
biblical study and renewal, making use of textual criticism.
The Catholic Church continued to study the Bible as a
valuable guide for Christian living. In 1965 the Second
Vatican Council, in its Constitution on Divine Revelation,
gave specific teaching on the Bible. Catholics are taught to
see the Bible as God's book--and also as a collection of
books, written under divine inspiration by many human beings.
The Bible is true--and to discover its inspired truth we
should study the patterns of thinking and writing used in
ancient biblical times. With Vatican 11 we believe that ';the
books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching firmly,
faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put
into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation"
(Constitution on Divine Revelation, no. 11 ). We do not look
upon the Bible as an authority for science or history. We see
truth in the Bible as not to be reduced solely to literal
truth, but also to include salvation truths expressed in
varied literary forms....
Our Catholic belief is that we know God's revelation in the
total gospel. The gospel comes to us through the
Spirit-guided Tradition of the Church and the inspired books:
"This sacred Tradition, therefore, and Sacred Scripture of
both the Old and New Testament are like a mirror in which the
pilgrim Church on earth looks at God" (Constitution on Divine
Revelation, no. 7).
A key question for any Christian is: Does the community of
faith which is the Lord's Church have a living Tradition
which presents God's Word across the centuries until the Lord
comes again? The Catholic answer to this question is an
unqualified "yes." That answer was expressed most recently in
the Constitution on Divine Revelation of the Second Vatican
Council. We look to both the Church's official teaching and
Scripture for guidance in addressing life's problems. It is
the official teaching or magisterium that in a special way
guides us in manners of belief and morality that have
developed after the last word of Scripture was written. The
Church of Christ teaches in the name of Christ and teaches us
concerning the Bible itself.
The basic characteristic of Biblical Fundamentalism is that
it eliminates from Christianity the Church as the Lord Jesus
founded it. That Church is a community of faith, world wide,
with pastoral and teaching authority. This non-church
characteristic of Biblical Fundamentalism, which sees the
Church as only spiritual, may not at first be clear to some
Catholics. From some Fundamentalists they will hear nothing
offensive to their beliefs, and much of what they hear seems
compatible with Catholic Christianity. The difference is
often not what is said--but in what is not said. There is no
mention of the historic, authoritative Church in continuity
with Peter and the other apostles. There is no vision of the
Church as our mother--a mother who is not just spiritual, but
who is visibly ours to teach and guide us in the way of
Christ.
Unfortunately, a minority of Fundamentalist churches and
sects not only put down the Catholic Church as a "Man-made
organization" with "man-made rules," but indulge in crude
anti-Catholic bigotry with which Catholics have long been familiar.
We believe that no Catholic properly catechized in the
faith can long live the Christian life without those elements
that are had only in the fullness of Christianity: the
Eucharist and the other six sacraments, the celebration of
the Word in the liturgical cycle, the veneration of the
Blessed Mother and the saints, teaching authority and history
linked to Christ and the demanding social doctrine of the
Church based on the sacredness of all human life.
It is important for every Catholic to realize that the Church
produced the New Testament, not viceversa. The Bible did not
come down from heaven, whole and intact, given by the Holy
Spirit. Just as the experience and faith of Israel developed
its sacred books, so was the early Christian Church the
matrix of the New Testament. The Catholic Church has
authoritatively told us which books are inspired by the Holy
Spirit and are, therefore, canonical. The Bible, then, is the
Church's book. The New Testament did not come before the
Church, but from the Church. Peter and the other apostles
were given special authority to teach and govern before the
New Testament was written. The first generation of Christians
had no New Testament at all--but they were the Church then,
just as we are the Church today.
A study of the New Testament, in fact, shows that
discipleship is to be a community experience with liturgy and
headship ;and demonstrates the importance of belonging to the
Church started by Jesus Christ. Christ chose Peter and the
other apostles as foundations of his Church, made Simon Peter
its rock foundation and gave a teaching authority to Peter
and the other apostles. This is most clear in the Gospel of
Matthew, the only Gospel to use the word church. The history
of twenty Christian centuries confirms our belief that Peter
and the other apostles have been succeeded by the Bishop of
Rome and the other bishops, and that the flock of Christ
still has, under Christ, a universal shepherd.
For historical reasons the Catholic Church in the past did
not encourage bible studies as much as she could have. True
printing (the Latin Bible was the first work printed) was not
invented until the mid fifteenth century, and few people were
literate during the first sixteen centuries of Christianity.
But in the scriptural renewal the Church strongly encourages
her sons and daughters to read, study and live the Bible. The
proclamation of the Scriptures in the liturgical assembly is
to be prepared for by private bible study and prayer. At the
present time two decades after Vatican 11, we Catholics have
the tools needed to become Christians who know, love and live
the Holy Bible. We have a well-ordered Lectionary that opens
for us the treasures of the books of the Bible in a
three-year cycle for Sunday and Holy Day Masses, and a more
complete two-year cycle for weekday Masses. Through the
Lectionary the Catholic becomes familiar with the Bible
according to the rhythm of the liturgical seasons and the
Church's experience and use of the Bible at Mass. We have
excellent translations (with notes) in The New American Bible
and The Jerusalem Bible. We have other accurate translations
with an imprimatur. We have an abundance of commentaries,
tapes, charts and bible societies....
In areas where there is a special problem with
Fundamentalism, the pastor may consider a Mass to which
people bring their own Bibles and in which qualified lectors
present a carefully prepared introduction and read the
text--without, however, making the Liturgy of the Word a
bible study class.... We need to educate--to reeducate--our
people knowingly in the Bible so as to counteract the
simplicities of Biblical Fundamentalism.
A similar Roman Catholic warning concerning the dangers
of fundamentalism was issued by the Bishop's Conference of
the Philippines on Jan. 24,1989, no doubt in anticipation of
any discussions which might arise out of the Lausanne 11
Conference July 11-20 in Manila. These Catholic leaders made
it clear that, in warning about fundamentalism, they did not
refer to "mainline Churches like the Lutherans, Episcopalians,
Methodists, and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines,"
but rather to those fundamentalists whose "literal interpretation
of Biblical passages ... is then used to aggressively attack
Catholic teachings and practices like our teaching on the
Blessed Virgin Mary and our veneration of sacred images."
Our prayer is that the faithful Latin American brethren
who issued their Statement of Concern at the Singapore
Consultation in January, and others will introduce and demand
action on a similar statement in Manila. Evangelicals all
around the world who believe that there is only one Gospel _
and that all other gospels are false and under God's
curse--need to declare their position without rancor but
without equivocation. Manila could become a modern "Mt.
Carmel" if leaders, in the spirit of Elijah, would publicly
oppose the present day "prophets of Baal" represented by the
Roman Catholic Orthodox-Ecumenical-Evangelical-Charismatic
coalition.
Most of the world's major evangelical leaders will be at
Manila including Billy Graham and Bill Bright who are
scheduled to bring major addresses. Most members of the
Lausanne 11 Committee, headed by Leighton Ford and Thomas
Wang are major promoters of the AD 2000 ecumenical evangelism
program, but the time has come for all concerned to take a
public stand on this important issue. Every truly born again
person needs to decide which side they are on--which way they
are going. To evangelize the world by AD 2000 would be a
curse, not a blessing--a gift to Satan, not to Christ--if the
gospel preached is not the one true, pure Gospel of salvation
by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This is a
tremendously important consideration!
It is time for every faithful Christian leader, pastor,
evangelist, and missionary to declare "all the counsel of
God" concerning the "grievous wolves" from without, and those
from within who speak "perverse things." We must watch, warn,
and then commend believers "to God and the Word of His
grace." Acts 20:26-32.
Biblical concern for the spiritual welfare of
Roman Catholics, Orthodox, liberal Protestant and others who
preach a false gospel is not demonstrated by joining hands
with them in evangelism as though we were already "one in
Christ"--it can only be manifested by lovingly and clearly
giving them the true Gospel, knowing the Word of God, coupled
with the convicting and converting work of the Holy Spirit can
produce the Scriptural new birth. That's what we desire.
--M. H. Reynolds, Jr.
The simple Gospel message from the Bible reveals the
following important facts:
You need to be saved
Romans 3:10,23--"There is none righteous, no, not one.... For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Hebrews 9:27--"It is appointed unto men once to die, but
after this the judgment."
Revelation 20:15--"And whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Romans 6:23--"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
You cannot save yourself
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."
Titus 3:5--"Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us...."
Romans 3:20--"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall
no flesh be justified in his sight...."
Jesus Christ came to save you
John 3:16--"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
1 Timothy 1:15--"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners...."
1 Peter 3:18--"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins,
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God...."
You can be saved today
Romans 4:24,25--"But for us also, to whom it [the
righteousness of God] shall be imputed, if we believe on him
that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was
delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification."
Romans 10:9,13,17--"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved....For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved....So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God."
Acts 16:31--"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
be saved...."
Trust Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour today.
Then join in telling this Good News to others! This is
Biblical evangelism! This is the one true Gospel1!
Fundamental Evangelistic Association
P. Q Box 6278--Los Osos, California 93412../ |