Mary, Spouse of
the Holy Spirit
Emboldened by the
release of ECT
[Evangelicals and Catholics Together] in
the United States, and further encouraged by the release
of The
Gift of Salvation [GS], a group
of ecumenically minded religious communities gathered
in Ireland and hammered out a similar statement. Distributed
as a 16 page booklet, this ECT-Ireland statement
is worthy of our investigation. Published in conjunction
with a visit from J.I. Packer, who wholeheartedly
endorsed this effort, ECT-Ireland is yet
another attempt to bring together different religious
faiths under the umbrella of the Christian Community.
To us, this is more
evidence of a world gone mad. It appears to us that
definition of terms and and their use in the Bible
is becoming more meaningless as we progress along
the path toward a one world religious system. Oblivious
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the warnings set
forth in the Bible to teach and protect sound doctrine,
the ecumenical movement shows no signs of slowing
down. It is as though the popular leaders of Evangelicalism
are under some kind of spell. We are constantly asked,
“How can so many good men be so blind?”
Sadly, we are asked by those who were once sure of
the Gospel, but who now have their doubts because
of the relentless undermining of the Gospel by the
Evangelical ecumenical crowd. In our book, On
The Edge of Apostasy, we outlined the mind-set
of the ecumenist and gave the ecumenical agenda. In
this little booklet, ECT-Ireland, we see,
front and center, that same mind-set and its lethal
affect upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The lead “punch”
of the ecumenical mind-set is always a pre-emptive
strike. ECT-Ireland is no exception. We read
the following assertion which essentially gives away
the Gospel right from the beginning. “This world
includes some 1.7 billion Christian adherents. About
a billion of these are Roman Catholics and more than
300 million are evangelical Protestants. World-wide,
they are the two most rapidly growing Christian communities.
Yet, in many countries, including our own, the scandal
of conflict between them obscures the scandal of the
cross (1 Cor. 1:23), thus crippling the one mission
of the one Christ.”
In this one little
paragraph we can see what is terribly wrong with the
theological world in which we live. First, Roman Catholics
are assumed to be Christians. On what basis is this
assumption made? As we read into the booklet, we find
out that a Christian, according to ECT-Ireland,
is one who believes the following:
a.) That God exists
as a Triune God, which we call the Trinity.
b.) That salvation is a gift of God without taking
into consideration “individually produced
works.”
c.) That salvation is by the grace of God.
Since Roman Catholics
can affirm these three criteria, they must be Christian.
What is wrong with
this? The answer lies imbedded within the explanation
of these three criteria as we move into the booklet.
Knowing that the Roman Catholic community understands
these concepts of salvation through their own peculiar
grid, the framers of this booklet sell out the Gospel
by endorsing any grid which can some how affirm the
criteria.
For instance, that
Salvation is a gift of God, apart from individual
works, is easy for a Roman Catholic to affirm. Roman
Catholicism has never taught that unaided, individual
works are the ground of justification. What they do
affirm is that grace produced works are meritorious
and the grace to perform good works comes through
a sacramental system. Also, Salvation by grace is
no problem for the Roman Catholic either.
The trouble is,
Roman Catholics are taught that grace is a supernatural
substance granted through a mediatorial priesthood.
This grace is alleged to be conferred through the
sacraments so that one can say he is saved by grace!
We notice that this booklet does not say, “Salvation
is by faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone
without the need of sacraments, indulgences, purgatorial
sufferings and the reception of grace through a mediatorial
priesthood.”
Getting back to
the pre-emptive strike paragraph at the beginning
of the booklet, we notice that it is alleged that
conflict between the religion of Rome and Evangelical
Protestants has obscured the scandal of the cross.
Hence, the “one mission of the one Christ”
is crippled. We find this statement to be thoroughly
destitute of biblical warrant and utterly at odds
with the entire revelation of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
In the first place,
the scandal of the cross was that Jesus Christ paid
the full penalty for a permanent redemption of God’s
own people. The scandal of the cross was that it eclipsed
Moses as the revelation of God and fulfilled the Law
of God so that He might be just and justifier of those
who believe in Christ apart from works of righteousness.
In truth, it was the very scandal of the cross which
caused conflict between Judaism and Christianity in
the first place. This same ‘scandal of the cross’
stands today and evokes conflict with those who would
add anything to the finished work of Christ. It is
precisely the preaching of the finished work of Christ
on the cross that sets Christianity at odds with Roman
Catholicism.
1CO 1:21 “For
since in the wisdom of God the world through its
wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased
through the foolishness of the message preached
to save those who believe.”
We also need to
mention the inclusivistic language used throughout
ECT-Ireland. We get a hint of this language in the
pre-emptive strike paragraph above. However, this
kind of theological jargon is expanded throughout
the booklet.
For instance, the
ECT-Ireland booklet likes to talk about the
“one mission of the one Christ.” What
exactly is “the one mission of the one Christ?”
This document does not say for sure. But one can hardly
escape the conclusion that the writers wish to expand
the mission of Jesus Christ to include the following:
To declare that “the grace of justification
in Christ and the gift of the Spirit received through
faith are experienced and expressed in diverse ways
by different Christians and in different Christian
traditions...” (pg. 4)
In effect, this
publication is asserting that there are many ways
to view salvation, justification, redemption, regeneration
and reconciliation. It appears to us that, to them,
this is the “one mission of the one Christ.”
Of course, all of this is nonsense of the highest
sort! No Christian should take seriously any writer
who is so unsure of the Gospel itself.
Why would anyone
place trust in ECT-Ireland when the authors freely
admit their confusion as to the elements of the Gospel?
For instance, the writers of this writ do not know
if the Church produced the Gospel or the Gospel produced
the Church. They are uncertain whether Scripture has
sole authority or whether the Church has sole authority.
They are not clear on baptism either. Does baptism
cause new life or is it a testimony to new life given
by the Spirit after baptism? Also, should we or should
we not give devotion to Mary?
In the stagnant
air of uncertainty surrounding the nature of justification,
salvation, regeneration and worship, there flourishes
a morass of theological gobbledygook. We are not surprised
that ECT-Ireland falls back on nebulous language
and meaningless verbiage in hopes of concluding something
significant. Thus, we read that “different churches
have arrived at different understandings of how baptism,
new birth, membership and conversion are related.”
Is it any wonder that the “one mission of Christ
is never defined?” It comes as no surprise to
us that the meaning of the Gospel and the Gospel message
is left to the imagination.
Perhaps the most
telling aspect of this madness is found in the assertion
found on page 11 of ECT-Ireland. It states
that, “Evangelicals must speak the Gospel to
Catholics and Catholics to Evangelicals, always speaking
the truth in love....” But, we ask, “what
is the Gospel?” And, “what is the truth?”
Since Roman Catholics believe just the opposite of
Evangelicals on the definition of regeneration, justification,
baptism and salvation, which “gospel”
will it be? Evidently, with their heads firmly planted
in the sand and their feet firmly planted in mid-air,
these signatures to ECT-Ireland do not have a preference.
Thus their real gospel is to have no gospel at all.
We find this to be another spirit! QL |
