Doctrine has become a secondary issue to Ronnie Floyd and the SBC. As it has become a secondary issue for so many in Christendom today. I understand why. America is a tough idol to break from. It provides the land of the freedom to almost do whatever you want. It thrives on excess and sin. It always has. It has wealth beyond measure, opportunity beyond dreams, and rewards greed, lust and pride. The church was supposed to stand in opposition to these things. It was supposed to stand for mercy and forgiveness. Charity and grace. Now these are mere footnotes in sermons designed to confirm the lifestyle of the idol that is America. Doctrine? Nah, we can worry about that later. Let us all bow the knee together and pray that our way of life is preserved. We have lost sight of the Lamb's Book of Life. Churches today preach about this temporal life. They teach principles about this temporal life. They encourage storing up treasures for this temporal life. Then when someone comes along and talks about the life yet to come that is relegated to a secondary issue. But when something comes along and threatens our temporal life, we must join hands in unity. But the question must be asked again.
Of what fellowship does light have with darkness? Who is my mother and brother but he who does the will of my Father? Floyd's opening remarks concluded with his assertion that his being at the Onething conference was a clear indication that these times are when people must come together and pray. No Ronnie. Your attendance there indicates that these are the end times when people will cast aside true doctrine to chase after the idols that are more important to them. To turn to a different gospel. We should not be surprised beloved. The Bible warns us of such things and there is nothing new under the sun. Our key verses are the opening to Paul's letter to the church at Galatia. How quickly did the Galatians abandon the true Gospel that Paul had preached? It seems at the time there were a group of false teachers called the Judaizers. They were perverting the Gospel to say that salvation was not only through grace but also through circumcision. Just like today we see IHOP claiming the Gospel says we have to prepare the earth for the second coming of Christ. Or that prayer involves some kind of emptying of self and repetitive mantras. Remember that the political climate in the days of Paul was worse than what we have now. The Jewish people were still under heavy oppression with Rome that was growing ever worse day by day. Paul did not think it necessary to bow the knee with the Judaizers. After all they believed in Jesus! They believed in grace! They just added a little law to it. They just added their own twist to the Gospel. What's the big deal? The big deal is false gospels cannot save anyone. Following a false gospel is how one believes in vain. It is how you can be assured your name is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
This is why Paul uses such strong language here. If anyone even wants to distort the Gospel a little let them be accursed! Even if an angel gives you a different gospel, which is what Joseph Smith claims happened when he founded Mormonism, let them be accursed. If anyone preaches a contrary gospel, let them be accursed. Do not sing Kumbaya with them. Do not speak at their conferences. Do not bow your knee with them. Let them be accursed. Mark those that cause division in the body by way of doctrine contrary to the Gospel. IHOP is marked. Francis Chan is marked. Now the Southern Baptist Convention is marked. Pray for the people that follow these because in the end there are only two choices - "Well done my good and faithful servant" or "Lord Lord." Let us never lose sight of why discernment and doctrine are so important. Why they are not secondary matters. Let no idol ever stand in your way of the God you claim to serve. Let no man convince you otherwise. Let them be accursed.
Reverend Anthony Wade - January 1, 2016
