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"...The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
I Timothy 3:15
Promise Keepers vs. Biblical Salvation
George Shafer
A unique opportunity to examine the validity of Promise Keepers is currently available
on the Internet -Promise Keepers has posted their opinion of an online salvation
tract. It is called "Meet Jesus," and may be found at www.promisekeepers.org.
When
printed on paper, "Meet Jesus" is six pages long. The first three pages culminate
in a "salvation prayer," while the last three address discipleship. It is a very
professional presentation complete with pictures, but more than that it is positive
proof that the Promise Keepers doctrine of salvation is a perversion of that found
in the Bible.
If you were to quickly list the five or six things that one must understand
in order to be saved (i.e. acknowledgment of our sin, the person and work of Christ,
repentance, faith in Christ alone, calling upon the Lord, etc.) it is evident that
omission or corruption of any one of them is enough to keep a person from eternal
life.
Simply stated, it is easy to corrupt the plan of salvation, making it ineffective,
without destroying every point. "Meet Jesus", in this same way, is a subtle but deadly
perversion of the truth.
NO GUILT - The essence of "Meet Jesus" is that "we have inherited"
a "disease" called sin, but that we are not at fault. Blame is placed on Adam; personal
guilt for our own sin is completely ignored.
NO ACCOUNTABILITY - The words "punishment"
and "hell" never appear in "Meet Jesus." The consequences of sin are said to be "eternal
separation from God." In addition to being a half truth (at best), this must seem
rather inconsequential to a man who has already lived his entire life separated from
God.
NO REPENTANCE - Aside from a pat on the head repentance is never mentioned. The
prayer for salvation has a sentence that says, "I turn from my sin" but the reader
is never given any indication of what this means, or that he even has any personal
guilt or sin from which to turn. His sin could very well be nothing more than the
"diseased spiritual DNA" mentioned earlier in the tract.
NO BIBLE - There are a total
of three passages (Eph 2:12, Eph 2:8-9, and John 1:12-13) listed or referenced in
the first three pages of "Meet Jesus." They are taken from a corrupted English version
of God's word (the NIV) that perverts doctrine, leaves out sixteen complete verses
and thousands of words, and which is based on only a small handful of error filled
Greek manuscripts and the wrong Hebrew text.
NO TRUTH - Without a doubt, "Meet Jesus"
was intended to be acceptable to all. A Catholic, Mormon, or Jehovah's Witness could
read it without seeing any contradiction to their own false doctrine. In fact, the
Mormon heresy that we are all children of God from birth is well supported in "Meet
Jesus." The opening words of the "salvation prayer" are "Father, I've come home."
NO
JESUS - Perhaps the most egregious offense in "Meet Jesus" is the fact that you don't.
You would think that a document intended to introduce the Lord would talk about who
He is or what He did. In the first three pages of "Meet Jesus" (which lead up to
the "salvation prayer") there are a total of two sentences (36 words) that say anything
about the person and work of Christ.
The words "blood" and "atonement" never appear. Aside from one allusion to His deity,
He is never specifically identified. The doctrines of substitution and propitiation
are never mentioned either in name or concept.
We cannot say we are surprised. An
ecumenical organization made up of men who cannot agree on what one must do to inherit
eternal life cannot be expected to accurately present Biblical salvation.
A group
like Promise Keepers, dedicated to the un-Biblical agenda of a one world church and
government, isn't likely to ignore its goals by proclaiming the truth of the Word
of God. Could anyone be surprised to learn that such a group is not actually bringing
lost sinners to "meet Jesus"?
II John 9. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath
not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
son. 10. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not
into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11. For he that biddeth him God speed
is partaker of his evil deeds.