“Crossless/Deityless” Missions in India

[Lou Martuneac]

To All:

Picture, if you will, a Grace Evangelical Society “Crossless/Deityless” gospel preaching missionary in India. That missionary would tell the Hindu that (in spite of his worship of many gods) “if you will believe in the name Jesus as the giver of eternal life, whomever you think Jesus is, even if you just add this Jesus to your list of many gods, you will receive eternal life.”

The missionary would realize a stampede of new believers in the name Jesus, but not one genuine conversion.

For more on this issue read The Tragedy of a “Crossless” Gospel in William Carey's Gold Mine of Souls


LM

 

[PASTOR MHG]

Very interesting, and a tragic thought that this is in fact the logical destination of this theology.

I have a dear friend who is a missionary in Mongolia and he has described this problem exactly. The Mongol people have a strong tendency to accept Jesus as their saviour and include him in their polytheistic concept. My missionary friend says it require a great deal of patience and time (and of course the Holy Spirit) to educate the people in the truth of God's exclusive gospel. You can not just add Jesus to your life and system of beliefs. Jesus and Jesus alone is the true gospel. Acts 4:12

Sadly, I think we have even slipped to this concept in some of our American churches, or at least we are on our way there. "Try Jesus"... "let Jesus be a part of your life"...what a tragedy.

Max

 

[TCGreek]

“Crossless” gospel teaching leads to an inevitable, disturbing and unscriptural conclusion: Lost men, who cling to heretical beliefs about the Lord Jesus Christ, can be born again by believing in His name even while they consciously reject His Deity. The JW and Mormon rejects Christ's Deity, yet according to the “Crossless” message they can still be born again.

Not only is it Crossless; it is Christless, for salvation is in no other name (Acts 4:12).

 

[Lou Martuneac]

Very interesting, and a tragic thought that this is in fact the logical destination of this theology.

I have a dear friend who is a missionary in Mongolia and he has described this problem exactly. The Mongol people have a strong tendency to accept Jesus as their saviour and include him in their polytheistic concept. My missionary friend says it require a great deal of patience and time (and of course the Holy Spirit) to educate the people in the truth of God's exclusive gospel. You can not just add Jesus to your life and system of beliefs. Jesus and Jesus alone is the true gospel. Acts 4:12

Sadly, I think we have even slipped to this concept in some of our American churches, or at least we are on our way there. "Try Jesus"... "let Jesus be a part of your life"...what a tragedy.

Max

Max:

My oldest lives in Inner Mongolia. She understands what your missionary friend spoke of.

It is tragic what is coming from the Grace Evangelical Society these days. It is a shame that these men are going into India to spread this strange, unbiblical teaching.

These men insist that a lost man does not even need to know, believe or understand he is a sinner. Just believe a promise of eternal life through the name Jesus and you are saved.


LM

 

[Lou Martuneac]

Boiling Down...

Not only is it Crossless; it is Christless, for salvation is in no other name (Acts 4:12).

TC:

If you go to my blog and read Boiling Down the "Crossless" Gospel you'll get a synopsis of just great a departure from the faith this interpretation of the Gospel is.


LM

 

[David Lamb]

To All:

Picture, if you will, a Grace Evangelical Society “Crossless/Deityless” gospel preaching missionary in India. That missionary would tell the Hindu that (in spite of his worship of many gods) “if you will believe in the name Jesus as the giver of eternal life, whomever you think Jesus is, even if you just add this Jesus to your list of many gods, you will receive eternal life.”

The missionary would realize a stampede of new believers in the name Jesus, but not one genuine conversion.

For more on this issue read The Tragedy of a “Crossless” Gospel in William Carey's Gold Mine of Souls


LM

I have not heard of "Grace Evangelical Society", but it seems to me that the only correct part of its name is "Society". How do "Grace" and "Evangelical" fit in such a context? It reminds me of the conversation between Alice and Humpty-Dumpty, in Lewis Carroll's "Alice Throught the Looking-Glass":

`When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.' `The question is,' said Alice, `whether you can make words mean so many different things.'

​

 

[Lou Martuneac]

I have not heard of "Grace Evangelical Society", but it seems to me that the only correct part of its name is "Society". How do "Grace" and "Evangelical" fit in such a context? It reminds me of the conversation between Alice and Humpty-Dumpty, in Lewis Carroll's "Alice Throught the Looking-Glass":

`When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.' `The question is,' said Alice, `whether you can make words mean so many different things.'
​

Hi David:

When the Lordship Salvation controversy broke out following the release of John MacArthur’s The Gospel According to Jesus (1988) the Grace Evangelical Society (GES) was formed. Zane Hodges, Mike Cocoris, and to a lesser extent Dr. Charles Ryrie responded to the Lordship position. Dr. Ryrie’s book So Great Salvation is among the most reliable answers to the Lordship interpretation of the gospel from that period, and I cite it a number of times in the pages of my book.

There are serious doctrinal problems with Hodges and Bob Wilkin. Hodges totally eliminates repentance from the conversion experience. In his book, Harmony With God Hodges takes the position that the process of repentance may be a preparatory step in coming to salvation, and should be evident in the life of a believer, but a lost man can be born again without repentance. Hodges also said he no longer holds to the “change of mind” view of repentance. For example, Hodges says there is only one answer to the question, “What must I do to be saved?” Hodges emphatically states that repentance is not part of that answer.

Another area for concern is that while Hodges believes the death, burial and resurrection should be part of a gospel message, he also teaches it is not necessary for lost men to believe Jesus died for their sins in order to be born again. The core objective of Hodges’ gospel is for the sinner to believe Jesus grants eternal life, and this belief in a promise alone results in salvation from sin, death and Hell. According to Hodges, all a sinner needs to do is believe in the name Jesus for eternal life and he is born again. The lost man does not have to know, understand or believe he is a sinner. The lost man does not need to know, understand or believe anything about Jesus, His deity, Hs death, burial or resurrection. He can consciously reject the deity of Christ, but according to GES he can still be saved by believing in a promise of eternal life through the name Jesus. Portions of this teaching is found in a two part series by Hodges available through the GES website titled, How to Lead People to Christ, Part 1 & 2.

The GES (Bob Wilkin & Zane Hodges) no longer speak for or represent the vast majority of men who would identify themselves as part of the Free Grace community. Many who once fellowshipped with the GES have departed the GES over the GES's (Hodges & Wilkin) departure from orthodoxy on repentance and the Gospel itself.

For more...

Go to the Grace Family Journal and read the articles titled The Tragedy of the Crossless Gospel.

Go to my blog and read the series on The Crossless Gospel



LM

 

[David Lamb]

Hi David:

When the Lordship Salvation controversy broke out following the release of John MacArthur’s The Gospel According to Jesus (1988) the Grace Evangelical Society (GES) was formed. Zane Hodges, Mike Cocoris, and to a lesser extent Dr. Charles Ryrie responded to the Lordship position. Dr. Ryrie’s book So Great Salvation is among the most reliable answers to the Lordship interpretation of the gospel from that period, and I cite it a number of times in the pages of my book....
LM

Thank you so much for taking the trouble to explain that, Lou. I have looked (albeit briefly) at the links you supplied, and I am left wondering whether these doctrines of the GES could be one reason why I and others on this Board who believe the "Doctrines of Grace" have sometimes been misunderstood, even to the extent of being told that we believe in salvation without repentance or belief. I suppose that would be logical if they equate "Doctrines of Grace" with "the doctrines of GES".

 

[Lou Martuneac]

William Carey Refutes Hodges

Thank you so much for taking the trouble to explain that, Lou. I have looked (albeit briefly) at the links you supplied, and I am left wondering whether these doctrines of the GES could be one reason why I and others on this Board who believe the "Doctrines of Grace" have sometimes been misunderstood, even to the extent of being told that we believe in salvation without repentance or belief. I suppose that would be logical if they equate "Doctrines of Grace" with "the doctrines of GES".

David:

I just posted a new article where, from William Carey's journal, I show how he would not have accepted the teaching and evangelistic methods Zane Hodges and the GES on the "Crossless" gospel.

William Carey Refutes the "Crossless" Gospel


LM