Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?
July 19th, 2007
(By John MacArthur)
As Christians we must understand that whatever opposes God’s Word or departs from it in any way is a danger to the very cause of truth. Passivity toward known error is not an option for the Christian. Staunch intolerance of error is built into the very fabric of Scripture. And tolerance of known error is anything but a virtue.
Jesus clearly and unashamedly affirmed the utter exclusivity of Christianity. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Obviously, that sort of exclusivity is fundamentally incompatible with post-modern tolerance.
Truth and error cannot be combined to yield something beneficial. Truth and error are as incompatible as light and darkness. “What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).
We can’t tell the world, “This is truth, but whatever you want to believe is fine, too. It’s not fine. Scripture commands us to be intolerant of any idea that denies the truth.
Lest anyone misunderstand, I’m not defending dogmatism on any and every theological issue. Some things in Scripture are not perfectly clear. But the central teachings of Scripture (in particular, those things related to the way of salvation) are so simple and so clear that even a child can understand.
Those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. (Westminster Confession, 1:7).
All the truth that is necessary for our salvation can be easily understood in a true way by anyone who applies common sense and due diligence in seeking to understand what the Bible teaches. And that truth — the core message of Scripture — is incompatible with every other system of belief. We ought to be dogmatic about it.
No wonder post-modernism, which prides itself on being tolerant of every competing world-view, is nonetheless hostile to biblical Christianity. Even the most determined post-modernist recognizes that biblical Christianity by its very nature is totally incompatible with a position of uncritical broad-mindedness. If we accept the fact that Scripture is the objective, authoritative truth of God, we are bound to see that every other view is not equally or potentially valid.
There is no need to seek middle ground through dialogue with proponents of anti-Christian world-views, as if the truth could be refined by the dialectical method. It is folly to think truth given by divine revelation needs any refining or updating. Nor should we imagine that we can meet opposing world-views on some philosophically neutral ground. The ground between us is not neutral. If we really believe the Word of God is true, we know that everything opposing it is error. And we are to yield no ground whatsoever to error.
Amen(and the same concerning recent related sharings, too).
Hi, I have so enjoyed these e-mails. I attend Grace Bible Church in Wappingers for several years. Recently I have been speeking to a woman concerning SeventhDay Adventists
in which she believes is Christian no different then ourselves. This particular comentary sums it up in what I have been trying to express to her. The doctrine of Seventhday Adventists is contray to the Word of God.
I will be mailing her a copy of this comentary and pray that she would truly understand the difference.
In Christ, Celanie Schreiber.
This short series has come at a real critical time in my life as I have been facing exegetical errors from our pulpit for quite some time. We have a new pastor that does not think it is important to be exact from the puplpit. He feels, along with our leadrship, that “everyone makes mistakes”. This is true, but coming from the pulpit you had better be right. I know this series has been about the postmodern view. I am very familiar with it as I wrote a research paper on the emerging church movement for seminary. My fear through this is the pastor that just makes exegetical/hermenuetical errors and it does not concern him. I have tried to show him but he doesn’t care and says I am being negative. They pastor and leadership have since asked me to quit serving in the churc, so we had to leave this fellowship.
If they have asked you to leave the fellowship Steve than praise God! You will now be forced to find a sound church under sound leadership. The leaders of this church are what is become known as a “seeker-friendly” and they cannot allow sound teaching because numbers and money is the way they count the spirituality of their group. These churches that have watered down the gospel will have more and more filling the pews that are not saved and it is important for everyone in a local church to be diligent in the study of the Bible. It has to be from the top down and certainly from the person in the pew to see that the leadership is sound.
“All the truth that is necessary for our salvation can be easily understood in a true way by anyone who applies common sense and due diligence in seeking to understand what the Bible teaches. And that truth — the core message of Scripture — is incompatible with every other system of belief. We ought to be dogmatic about it.”
This is word for word with the 1689, however 1:6 in both states, “Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word,” a truth which is elsewhere also confirmed. It comports with John 3.3 where the word eido means to understand. Jesus said that unless a man is born again he cannot understand the Kingdom, and when answering the disciples query his response is, “To you it has been given to understand the things of the kingdom. To them it has not.”
Quite contrary to your claim, using common sense and reason leaves the inquirer lost. Or, are you, by the word “anyone,” meaning believers only? Because this is what the CWF and the BCF say.
By the way I agree that neither evidentialism nor propostitionalism can convert, but only by grace through faith that comes from hearing the Word of God does a man come to know the Truth.
Thomas,
Steve Lamm dealt very well with this subject in his response to “The Truth is Rational”. I believe that you, Pastor MacArthur and he may be saying the same thing with regard to salvation, but anyone can intellectually grasp the truths of the gospel message. It is this which makes them even more culpable (Mt. 10:14).
That is why I put in the caveat, “Or, are you, by the word “anyone,” meaning believers only? Because this is what the CWF and the BCF say.”
I fully agree with you Keith and the BCF and CWF covers that base:
5.6. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as the righteous judge, for former sin doth blind and harden; from them he not only withholdeth his grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understanding, and wrought upon their hearts; but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had, and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin; and withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, under those means which God useth for the softening of others.
10.4. “Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.”
I have always been amazed at those who are secularists that know better in some cases what the Scriptures say than believers. Still, they refuse to come into that light.
Thank you, pastor/Dr for posting this. I am so bone-weary of the attitude of tolerance in today’s churches. Granted you can’t pick on every misconception but in today’s churches we don’t stop and correct *any* error, it seems.
I just found out that a friend of mine, who used to attend Grace Community church, is a point person for a group called “restoration nation” — an anti-hell, inclusivist or universalist faith group. I had been suspecting for some time she was wandering away due to her complete inability to speak definitively on God’s judgement and her participation in contemplative prayer and sympathy for false religions (as long as they’re ‘good’ people). This is so grievous to me. I don’t go to her present church, and I know her present church (a Word Alone Network church) isn’t likely to find this inclusivist position acceptable. I spoke to her pastor about it and asked him to check into it. I do hope he does.
Jesus is exclusive and a narrow path – that is because He loves all people and we do not (and all too often, we do not confess our lack of love nor desire to increase our capacity to love).
Tolerance is not the same as God’s grace – in order to be tolerant, one must assume a position of superiority over another. God’s gospel is not about one man’s superiority over another – it is about One Father God, superior over all, inviting us to dine together in a Kingdom of Love. Who will recognize, value and accept His invitation??
In accepting the uncomfortable truth that tfollowing Jesus makes me an “exclusivist” raises all sorts of questions as to when who needs to be corrected. I note that Jesus didn’t seem to waste much effort on “fixing” the Roman political machine. On the other hand he was extremely harsh on the “church leaders of that time” so maybe we need to be more diligent about our preachers and leaders than those following other religions. I try to adopt a principle of NOT BEING MORE DOGMATIC THAN THE BIBLE IS on matters. I find this allows me to disagree “kindly” on many issues that seem to have several interpretations. In being good witnesses to those of other faiths I feel we need to learn to be very friendly and cooperative when our values overlap, ut be careful NOT to compromise. For example, work together with followers of Islam on local security, health, social facilities, etc. but refrain from sharing in inter-faith prayer breakfasts … how can we or they allow prayer to another God when we believe ours is the only one?
Very good article. The beginning of apostasy is found in the compromise of truth.
Some of the responses have spoken of interactions with Christians in error, something to think about – I completely affirm the fact that Christ is the only way to salvation, truth is of extereme importance, and that there cannot be agreement between the truth of the gospel and the lies of the world. Yet I do get weary of the infighting among Christians. I think C.S. Lewis had an awesome point when he said that Christians have such a wide common ground when compared with the world that we shouldn’t be “fighting” at all. I am in love with a God that cannot be comepletely defined and owned by any one of our human denominations! I think that God would have us unified, not following any certain “Paul” or “Peter” or “Apollos.” Although I have come to realize that this is definately easier said than done, I believe that it is a worthy goal for the body of Christ. Are we facilitating unity between believers?
Dear, Soul Fire, I understand your concern with Christians
who are having it difficult with other Christians. Yes! unity betwwen believers is a worthy goal and we should seek to bring it about but only in a way that glorifys God. 1. Eph. 4:29 2. 2 Tim. 3:16 & 3. James 1.
Our speach should be as salt for the edification of the hearer, all scripture is given by inspiritation and is good for repoof, correction, rebuke, teaching etc. and we are to run the race with patience that is set before us and we are to spure each other on. Many Christians have fallen away 2 Tim. 4. please read. Thank you.