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submitted: Jul 17th 2008 | by: DanielLaLondJr. | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 625 | |

Unknown to his supporters, the respected pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, annuls key biblical texts with strange, unorthodox interpretations. By doing so, this modern evangelical icon promises paradise to the unrepentant and flatly opposes Moody founder Dwight Lyman Moody on the ABC's of salvation.

Many faithful Christians who enjoy much of Dr. Lutzer's teaching are unaware that their dear pastor and teacher (as well as his publisher Moody Press) have wandered far from the teaching of their founders on the basic salvation teachings of the Christian faith. When supporting Erwin Lutzer and modern Moody these dear saints believe that they are being faithful to the historic Christianity as well as to the Moody name, but is such actually the case? Consider Galatians 5:19-21:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-21).

Though this scripture seems plain enough, I must ask: How do you interpret this sober warning addressed to those who practice the deeds of the flesh such as immorality, sensuality, sorcery and drunkenness? What do the words shall not inherit mean? "For if ye live after the flesh," says Paul, "ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." In keeping with millenia of Christian history Paul is clearly warning the unrepentant about being barred from entering the eternal kingdom of God.

Interpreting these seemingly manifest passage Erwin W. Lutzer insists that, "Paul speaks of those who will forfeit certain kingdom privileges because of their sinful lifestyles....Those who practice such sins will not be barred from entering the kingdom, but will be barred from inheriting it" ( Lutzer, Your Eternal Reward, p. 70). Though many do not know it Erwin W. Lutzer guarantees streets of gold to unrepentant sinners who practice or are even characterized by immorality, idolatry or drunkenness! What devil does not do the same?

"If one or more of these sins characterizes their Christian lives, and they refuse to judge the evil, they will forfeit the honor of kingdom rule" (Lutzer, Your Eternal Reward, p. 70).

Refuses to judge the evil? Characterizes? To characterize, according to Webster's dictionary is to be the "distinguishing feature." Can drunkenness be the distinguishing feature of a believer ultimately headed for heaven? May the drunk stumbling from the local bar night after night yet be bound for paradise? The man under whose name Dr. Lutzer's fancies are published, D. L. Moody, did not think so! Mr. Moody wrote:

I pity any professed believers who rent their property for drinking saloons; I pity them from the deepest parts of my heart. If you ever expect to inherit the kingdom of God, give it up. This idea that all is well, and that all are going into the kingdom of God, whether they repent or not, is not taught in the Bible (D. L. Moody, Sermon: Heaven, Its Inhabitants).

D. L. Moody believed and taught, along with Paul and historic Christianity, that if we do not inherit the kingdom that we certainly do not enter it. Not only has Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer's strange interpretation of Paul's warning to the Galatians comforted the unrepentant, it has abandoned the views of the D. L. Moody on the basics. Erwin Lutzer plainly contradicts D. L. Moody on this foundational point of the Christian faith. Erwin W. Lutzer never responded to obvious contractions between the doctrine of himself and D. L. Moody though it was addressed in our correspondence.

About the Author

Daniel LaLond's book, The Lying Promise, speaks in detail to many more contradictions in the teaching of Erwin W. Lutzer. Visit Defending The Gospel for more on The Lying Promise.