Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday October 21, 2008

A close friend of mine for many years, Mike Pyatt wrote in response to my Monday Letter the following:

"Just a note to let you know I am still reading and listening. You reminded me that re-reading " Genesis in Space & Time" Francis Schaeffer, was spot-on regarding how important are the first eleven chapters of Genesis. Even though this book was written in 1972, it has, in my opinion, great implications today.

Especially, when you have writers who have large congregations, notable books like "Your Best Life Now". Try telling it to the guy or gal you are talking with at the Rescue Mission that this is his best life now. What a lie. I digress.

Schaeffer went on to say "In some ways these chapters are the most important ones in the Bible, for they put man in his cosmic setting and show him his peculiar uniqueness. They explain man's wonder and yet his flaw. Without a proper understanding of these chapters we have no answer to the problems of metaphysics, morals or epistemology, and furthermore, the work of Christ become one more upperstory "religious" answer."

One of the "Americas Evangelists" when asked about the historical accuracy of the Bible, replied "I'm not sure how important that is to the people in the pew." Ole Schaeffer was spot-on."

I appreciate the fine attitude and scholarship of Mike. It is rare in these days for a man of God to actually know truth beyond the scope of his group’s fantasies and still have a decent manner. There is a verse that states,

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Psalm 11:3.

I have discovered that I am commenting more than usual on the unbridled, unchallenged heresy making the rounds in these days, because it is coming from folks who in bygone years at least gave lip service to the veracity of the Bible, including the substitutionary work of Christ on Calvary. Yet today we see such as this coming from their pens:

"Since religions disagree, we should humbly concede that the Bible is only one perspective among many and that it could be wrong."

"If Jesus suffered His Father's wrath on Calvary, then this constitutes child abuse, for if God is love, why does He need a sacrifice in order to forgive."

The fact is many if not all of what is deceptively called, "Emergent" theologians are simply new voices, clothed for the most part in Evangelical garments, spouting the same old heresy of Bishop Pike and Fosdick of earlier generations. You may recall Bishop Pike died in a Mid-Eastern desert searching for the bones of Jesus, thus exclaiming his denial of the resurrection. Fosdick had posited the he "expected the bones of Jesus to be discovered any day."

The most detestable aspect of this movement is its insistence on continuing in the vestments of Christian Clergy. I have always respected Emerson for instance in that when he apostatized he had the decency to leave the Second Church in Boston and proclaim his ideas from a different platform. I have no respect for men or women who take the check from Christian organizations and work hard at tearing down the foundations thereof.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2008 Use with credit.

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