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{"id":880,"date":"2010-10-20T12:45:30","date_gmt":"2010-10-20T17:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theamericanjesus.wordpress.com\/?p=880"},"modified":"2010-10-20T12:45:30","modified_gmt":"2010-10-20T17:45:30","slug":"beware-the-false-conversion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/zackhunt\/2010\/10\/beware-the-false-conversion\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware the False Conversion!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Here\u2019s my problem with Todd, Way of the Master, and everyone else cut from that cloth:<\/p>\n

1) Jesus never called us to make converts. Ever. Go look, I\u2019ll wait. Jesus calls us to make disciples and being a disciple is VERY different than being convert. This type of \u201cevangelism\u201d is only interested in adding notches to the belt of how many people \u00a0we \u201csaved.\u201d If they were really interested in fulfilling Jesus\u2019 call to \u201cgo and make disciples\u201d then they wouldn\u2019t be confronting people on the street in order to solicite a \u201cdecision\u201d by having them say a few magic words. If they really wanted to fulfill Jesus\u2019 call they would be investing their time and energy in these people\u2019s lives, discipling them in the faith through their own lives. As ingrained as it is in the\u00a0consciousness\u00a0of American Christianity, this is absolutely nothing like what Jesus meant when he said \u201cgo and make disciples\u201d<\/p>\n

2) Todd, Ray, and their various cronnies are either incredibly ignorant of the scripture they profess to love or they are calculating liars. I prefer to think (hope) they\u2019re just ignorant. To be honest, I can\u2019t completely blame them. American Christianity has done an excellent job of telling us that when we die we will go before the judgment seat where Jesus will judge us according to the 10 commandments (the law). Thus, we see Way of the Master evangelism wherein we are taught to confront people with \u201cHave you ever told a lie? When you die Jesus said He is going to judge you with these commandments. Where do you think you are going?\u201d. The truth is: Jesus NEVER said that. Ever. In fact, in Matthew 25 Jesus says exactly what will happen when we come before the judgment seat at the end of all things:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.\u00a0All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.\u00a0He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.\u00a0\u201cThen the King will say to those on his right, \u2018Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.\u00a0For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,\u00a0I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.\u2019\u00a0\u201cThen the righteous will answer him, \u2018Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?\u00a0When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?\u00a0When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?\u2019\u00a0\u201cThe King will reply, \u2018I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.\u2019\u00a0\u201d<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t an \u201calternative social gospel\u201d as Todd or Glenn Beck might have you believe. This is THE gospel and this is exactly how Jesus says He plans on judging humanity.<\/p>\n

If you sense some anger in my writing, then you\u2019re probably right. Although I would prefer to call it \u201crighteous indignation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simply put they (and often we) are not preaching the gospel. Jesus never held the law over people\u2019s heads. Ever. In fact, it was His refusal to do so that was in large part the reason He was nailed to a cross. Yet, we consume our time needlessly trying to defend God while at the same time putting ourselves in the place of that God as judge, jury, and executioner deciding the eternal fate of all mankind. We\u2019ve reduced the faith and salvation itself to nothing more than a momentary intellectual decision. There is no transformative power in that and that is certainly not what Jesus lived, died, and rose again for. Jesus put on flesh so that all of creation could be reconciled with God, not so that we could spend our days endlessly arguing for the faith or trying to get people to say magic words.<\/p>\n

May we remember once more that we have been set free from the law of sin and death so that we may spend our lives sharing God\u2019s life giving grace to those around us through acts of humility, generosity, and love.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"