Tuesday, March 29, 2011

What Is Fundamentalism?

Posted by Christine Pack

For a while, we used the quip "Putting the 'fun' back into 'fundamental'" as our tagline here on the Sola Sisters blog. But my sister finally convinced me to take it off because, as she rightly pointed out, the term "fundamental" is now so loaded with baggage as to no longer be useful. So I thought a short little post on what fundamentalism actually is, as opposed to what it has become, might be helpful.

 The Roots of the Fundamentalist Movement 

The Fundamentalist movement was a conservative Christian movement that formed in the early part of the 20th century in response to the flood of liberal heresies which were flowing virtually unchecked into our churches. This movement formed specifically for the purpose of creating a document reaffirming and defending key Christian doctrines that were under direct assault from the proponents and teachings of Modernism. Modernism had gained ground in - where else - academia, and was opposed to the idea of a personal, sovereign Creator God to whom mankind was beholden.  Science and reason - as opposed to God - were rapidly coming to be viewed as mankind's ultimate authority. It follows then, with science and reason being king, that a natural by-product of this movement was for the supernatural realm to come to be regarded with deep suspicion and skepticism.  Thus, miracles and the like came to be viewed as highly improbable if not outright impossible by this movement.  With its denial of the supernatural, the Modernist movement was literally ripping Western culture and Christianity apart. After all, the historic orthodox Christian faith is based upon an understanding that there is a transcendent, sovereign Creator God who has the ability to supernaturally intervene into the world He has created through:
  • A supernatural birth (Jesus), 
  • The supernatural creation and protection of his communication with us (the Bible), and
  • Supernatural events (miracles, resurrection from the dead, etc.) given for the purpose of demonstrating God's power and validating his message to us
Conservative Christians understood that ceding ground on these issues would result in a church that was at odds with the clear teaching of Scripture. And so the leaders of the Fundamentalist movement wrote an extensive series of articles that were eventually hammered out into a single document that clearly and concisely laid out the key doctrines that were most under assault at that time from liberalism. (Benjamin B. Warfield was one of the better known theologians involved in the movement.) These key doctrines came to define the Fundamentalist movement, and are so fundamental to the Christian faith that lack of belief in even one of these doctrines is considered to be heresy.

 The Fundamentals 

I'm putting these doctrines forth because I keep having conversations with people who have no idea whatsoever that there are even essential beliefs a Christian must hold to in order to be considered orthodox. The reason for such spiritual illiteracy is undoubtedly the result of an entire church generation having been doctrinally dumbed-down from having been fed an unending diet of ear-tickling, self-help messages.  So here are the core beliefs of Christianity, just in case your church has neglected its God-ordained responsibility to teach:
The Five Essential Beliefs of the Christian Faith 
1. The Deity of Jesus Christ
2. The Virgin Birth
3. The Blood Atonement
4. The Bodily Resurrection 
5. The Inerrancy of the Scriptures
Not many words are used in comprising the above list of the essential beliefs of the Christian faith, but many challenging concepts are contained therein, are they not? In fact, all true born-again believers have had to wrestle through the hard truths contained in these 19 words, not to mention their implications. If you have never seen this list before, I invite you to dwell on it and its truths, and make sure that you are in wholehearted agreement with them. And if you are not, then, by all means, let the wrestling begin. Your eternity depends upon it.


 Additional Resources 

A Beginner's Guide to Modernism and Postmodernism

The Fundamentals: A Testimony To the Truth

Rick Warren's View of The Five Fundamentals of the Faith
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Monday, March 28, 2011

Prodigal: An Animation

This video, entitled "Prodigal" is based on Luke 15:11-32 and 1 John 3:1, and is set to a song by Sovereign Grace Music. Perhaps the sweetest video ever. A wonderful exposition of this parable (from the Luke passage) can also be found in Pastor John MacArthur's book, A Tale of Two Sons.

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Friday, March 25, 2011

What Rob Bell's Theology Looks Like in the Real World

Let's say you are one of the following:
(1) a pedophile 
(2) a serial rapist 
(3) a sociopathic murderer 
(4) a greedy corporate CEO
At some point, you come under some kind of conviction for your wrongdoings. You are conflicted. You are troubled. Someone gives you a copy of pastor Rob Bell's new book, "Love Wins." After reading Bell's book, you surmise that - according to Bell - your options are as follows:

(1) Make different choices in your life so as to stop "creating hell" for the people in your life affected by your choices, and after you die, you will spend eternity in heaven; or,

(2) Spend the rest of your life doing what you are already doing, with the understanding that when you die, you will (according to Rob Bell's theology about hell) spend some time being "pruned" by undergoing "an intense experience of correction" ("Love Wins" p.91)....after which you will spend eternity in heaven.

What is your choice?

And now for the bigger questions:
- Is this what Jesus taught? 
- Is this historic, orthodox Christianity?  
- How is justice served in this scenario?

 Additional Resources 

What Is The Emerging Church Movement and Why Is It Dangerous?






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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Are You In RobBellion?

Posted by Cathy Mathews


 RobBellion noun \rahb-ˈbel-yən\ - The state or condition of denying the revealed Word of God so that you can redefine God, Jesus, salvation, heaven, hell and the Gospel to mean whatever you want them to mean.

 photo credit: Christian Selvaratnam via photopin cc

 Additional Resources 

What Is The Emerging Church Movement and Why Is It Dangerous? (Phil Johnson)







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Monday, March 14, 2011

"Love Wins" the Smoking Gun That Proves Rob Bell is a "Christian Universalist"

In a recent article at Apprising.org, it was reported that sources from Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, MI attended a meeting Saturday night at Mars Hill in which Senior Pastor Rob Bell made a statement and answered questions about his controversial new book "Love Wins."  The meeting was called after members at MHBC apparently became concerned over a promotional video for the book in which Rob Bell made statements that led many to question whether or not Rob Bell was a Universalist (i.e., one who believes in universal salvation for all people). In the meeting held at MHBC, however, Rob Bell apparently stated unequivocally he “is not an universalist, believes that Jesus is the only way of salvation, believes in the Virgin Birth, believes Jesus is God.”

Just as we suspected. Really. Because here at Sola Sisters, we've been sounding the alarm not to fight the battle of "Universalism"........but instead to call Bell's heresy what it is: "Christian Universalism" (also known as "Universal Reconciliation"), which is a belief in Universal salvation for ALL, but which comes exclusively through Christ.

We therefore expected that Bell would, in his new book, affirm to one degree or another all of these Christian concepts:
- God's Wrath
- God's Judgment
- Sin 
- Hell
- Jesus, and Salvation through Jesus alone
- the Atonement
And he did. Christian Universalism/Universal Reconcilition - which Bell holds too - does not deny these concepts.  No, they are redefined, as in classic cult methodology (i.e., "Hell" is a place of limited punishment, akin to the Roman Catholic idea of purgatory; the "Atonement" is effectual for saving ALL people, not just those who repent of their sins and place their faith in Christ's atoning death).

In closing, let us point you toward several very good reviews of this book which have already been published, and which include detailed chapter by chapter analyses of this book.  Tim Challies' can be read here, and Kevin DeYoung's can be read here. And rather than tread the same ground and review a book that has already been very well-reviewed, we will be posting direct quotes from Bell's book in upcoming blog entries.  This will be done so that anyone reading will be able to assess for themselves what it is that Bell believes.

Is he a Universalist? Bell insists no, but we say yes. And his new book is the smoking gun that proves it. For now we'll leave you with several quotes from Bell's new book:
"John remembers Jesus saying, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' 
This is as wide and expansive a claim as a person can make. 
What he doesn't say is how, or when, or in what manner the mechanism functions that gets people to God through him. He doesn't even state that those coming to the Father through him will even know that they are coming exclusively through him. He simply claims that whatever God is doing in the world to know and redeem and love and restore the world is happening through him." ("Love Wins," p.154) 
"What Jesus does is declare that he, and he alone, is saving everybody." ("Love Wins," p. 155)
More to come.....


 Additional Resources 

Is Rob Bell A Universalist?  Yes and No.






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Is Rob Bell A Universalist? Yes and No.

Rob Bell, creator of NOOMA videos and author of "Velvet Elvis" and the newly released "Love Wins," recently released a video discussing his controversial new book.  This video has gotten everybody talking because, from the statements made in the video, it appears that Rob Bell might actually be a Universalist. So the question has been raging: is he or isn't he?

Well, yes and no.  And by that I mean, "Yes," Rob Bell is a Universalist, but that "No," he wouldn't call himself that because what he really believes in is a slyer, more "Christianized" version of Universalism called "Universal Reconciliation." And in fact, in a recent meeting at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, MI where Rob Bell is the Senior Pastor, a source who attended the meeting reported that Bell made a statement and answered questions about his controversial new book "Love Wins."  In his statement, Rob Bell unequivocally stated that he “is not an universalist, believes that Jesus is the only way of salvation, believes in the Virgin Birth, believes Jesus is God.”

How can this be? How can somebody who is a Universalist make such statements? Well, this should come as no surprise, because as we have written before, we fully expected Bell to affirm Christian concepts in this book because he is the particular kind of Universalist mentioned above: he is a Universal Reconciliationist (and please note that Universal Reconciliation is also sometimes called "Christian Universalism").

Universal Reconciliationists often use Christian terminology and claim to hold to certain Christian concepts (like Jesus, Hell, the Atonement, the Cross, etc.).

Let me repeat that: There is a stream of Universalism (again, called "Universal Reconciliation," but sometimes called "Christian Universalism") that teaches Jesus, Hell, the Atonement, and the Cross. Yes, really.  How can they teach such Christian concepts? This is how: all of these concepts have redefined meanings.

So let's look once again at Universalism, that is to say, the straight up, New Age, Oprah kind of Universalism that most people have at least some understanding of:
UNIVERSALISM: ALL paths leads to God.  You can be a Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jew, whatever, and you get to God through your own path, whatever that looks like according to your faith tradition. In the strictest sense of Universalism, there is no Jesus, no Cross and no Hell.  (Please note that these are the main points that distinguish Universalism from Universal Reconciliation)
And now Universal Reconciliation:
UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION (a.ka., CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALISM): ALL people are ultimately saved through Christ. They may not have a complete understanding of who Christ is, but in some way, the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ constitutes the mechanism that provides redemption for all humanity and makes atonement for all sins.  A limited form of hell is sometimes held to, but not always.
My friends, this really does matter because if we try to contend for truth on this issue in the same way we would contend against Universalism (i.e., quote scripture affirming Jesus, Hell, the Atonement, the Cross, etc.), we're going to get head-pats and chuckles from the more "enlightened" Rob Bell followers.

Case in point:

I went on Rob Bell's FB page a few nights ago, and saw a number of sincere and earnest Christians trying to contend with Bell's followers about the issue of Universalism.

They kept insisting - “But there is a hell!” And Bell's followers would answer back - “Well of course there is!”

I could see that the Christians were truly stumped.

And they would try again: "Jesus is the only way anyone can be saved!" And Bell's followers would answer back - "We believe that too!"

I could only imagine what the Christians were thinking as they processed these answers:

("Wait? Did they just say that there is a hell? And Jesus is the only way? Then...okay....my work here is done.....I guess...")

And away they would go.  These earnest contenders, you see, have been reading the glut of articles stating that Rob Bell is a Universalist without understanding that Bell is a Universal Reconciliationist, and he therefore does affirm there is a Hell (though in his view it is a temporary, purgatorial version of "hell"), and he does affirm Jesus and the Cross (but only in the sense that he believes ALL are saved through Jesus' death on the Cross).  Understanding these distinctions is crucial if we are to plead this point with any hope of exposing Bell's dangerous heresy. When we call Bell a Universalist without making the distinction that he is a Reconciliationist, and attempt to argue that he is denying there is a Hell (he isn't), and that he doesn't believe Jesus died for sins on the Cross (he does), then we will be hamstrung in this debate. And for the sake of our Christian children - who, trust me, are very familiar with who Rob Bell is - it really, really does matter that we understand this distinction.  


See also:






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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

"Christian Universalism" The Hot Trend Among Christian Youth?

Posted by Christine Pack

A Christian youth pastor wrote me recently and shared that, from what he has observed, the hottest thing today among church-going youth is something called "Christian Universalism.  Do you remember from some of our earlier posts what this is also called? That's right, "Universal Reconciliation." And why is this movement sweeping through our youth and children? I think in large part it is because  Rob Bell, pastor, writer and creator of the mega-popular NOOMA videos, sowed the seeds for this thinking in his book Velvet Elvis (2005), a blockbuster favorite among Christian youth, when he wrote this:
"Heaven is full of forgiven people. Hell is full of forgiven people. Heaven is full of people God loves, whom Jesus died for. Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for." (“Velvet Elvis,” p 146)
Parents, we are now reaping the bitter fruit of this heretical, but seductive, false teaching that has captured our beloved children and turned their hearts and minds away from biblical truth.
"I know that, after my departure, ravening wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock." (Acts 20:29)
"For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:4)

We need to make sure that we are taking seriously our responsibilities as Christian parents.  It is not the responsibility of youth pastors to biblically disciple our children. It is not the responsibility of Christian teachers at private schools. It is our responsibility.
“You shall teach your children diligently about the ways of the Lord, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deut 6:7-9)
We need to have our Bibles open – as well as our eyes and our ears - and we need to be testing everything against Scripture.  And if something has crept in that's not right, and our children have been exposed to it, we need to sit with them and help them see why it's not right. There are so many examples in the Bible of Godly parents whose children fell away, and we don't want to end up like those heartbroken parents.

So let's take to heart God's promise from Prov 22:6...
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
....and let's be very serious about our responsbility as parents who love their children, and who desire for them to walk in the way of the Lord.


 Additional Resources 






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