Standing in the Tradition of Luther

The attempt to undo the Reformation continues full speed ahead. This time however, one evangelical leader that I greatly respect threw the gospel under the runaway bus of ecumenism and political clout. Dr. Al Mohler appeared on Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson and two prominent Catholics yesterday (4/6) and failed to defend the gospel. To be fair, Dr. Mohler did not acquiesce to the ecumenical heritage of Dobson, but he didn’t stand firm to call the pope the heretic that he was either. John Paul II blatantly denied the sufficiency of the gospel of Jesus Christ time and again in his encyclical writings, as I have presented the last couple of days. But Mohler passed on the opportunity to stand in the tradition of Luther and defend the heart of the gospel. Very disappointing indeed! Hear the discussion here: http://www.family.org/fmedia/broadcast/a0036100.cfm

My Senior Pastor Philip DeCourcy took full advantage of the necessary opportunity to point out the wolf in sheep’s clothing that was Pope John II. He went through some key theological heresies that appear in the Pope’s encyclical writings. He also dealt with the various blasphemous titles that the Pope took unto himself. Our folks responded very well to the gracious, yet firm, manner in which the material was presented.

While ultimately, a biblical heritage is fundamental, we must also remember the men on whose shoulders we evangelicals stand. These men, in the tradition of Luther, stood often to their death, for the grace of God in Christ alone. The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 in Section 26: Of the Church, line 4 states "The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner; neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." Read for yourself here:
http://www.vor.org/truth/1689/1689bc00.html

Now it seems apparent that John Paul II is not The Antichrist - otherwise, he will be rising from the dead soon and my pre-tribulational rapture position is wrong! But it is quite clear that John Paul II and the Roman Catholic Church are anti-christ in the sense that they completely deny, from the Council of Trent all the way through Vatican II, the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Will evangelicals stand up for the gospel or melt into the mucky pool of theological compromise while grasping for political power? I will continue to stand with Luther to call the wolves within the fold of the church to repent. I will not stand with them to gain any political clout. Nor do I believe that we can best glorify God by joining hands for the purpose of promoting a "form of godliness while denying the power therof" with those who deny the sufficiency of the cross of Christ.

In Acts 20.29 Paul reminds the Ephesian elders that “fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” May we be ever vigilant to guard our flocks from the wolves that infiltrate the ranks of true believers.

Grace to you!