Interfaith dialogue compromises the Gospel

By Aaron Swartzentruber

Greenleafton, MN

Anti-Semitism, of any kind, should have no place in the church, as I stated in my last letter. Perhaps I should explain what I mean by that statement.

The “church” is being swept up into Islam at an alarming rate. Many “church” leaders are claiming they are finding common ground with Islam and are working with Islam (interfaith dialogue) “to create a more peaceful and just society” and some even claim Muslims worship the same god as they do. Well…maybe they both worship the same god but it’s not the God of the Bible. Because Islam rejects Jesus, the Son of God, as being God. And because they reject the Son of the God of the Bible they also reject the God of the Bible. In John 9:35-37 Jesus claims to be the Son of God and 1 John 2:22-23 says; “He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father”.

Somebody will say, “But you have to build a relationship with muslims if you expect to ever share the Gospel with them effectively.” That’s true to some extent, but if we’re more interested in building a more peaceful and just society, of which everybody who is not in Christ will go to hell from, than we are in sharing the exclusive way to be saved from hell, then we have indeed forgotten what the great commission is. Don’t get me wrong, I am for peace and justice on this earth, but let’s keep our priorities straight, the soul is worth much more than the body.  “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.” (Mark 8:36)

Also, just a word about justice. When I say justice I don’t mean social justice. I mean equal justice under law.

I’m not making this up about these professing Christians working with Islam and even claiming to worship the same god.  Fuller Theological Seminary claims to be one of the worlds most influential “evangelical” institutions. They have a lengthy article on their website by a J. Dudley Woodbury that is just one example of what I’m talking about. You can find it at fullerstudio.fuller.edu/reflections-christian-muslim-dialogue/  on christian-muslim dialogue.

In Hitlers day the German “church” was largely swept up by Nazism. How could the church become so blinded and misguided? Because she lost sight of eternity, and didn’t care anymore about proclaiming the pure, uncompromised Gospel, and became obsessed with her well-being in this world. She forgot that the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18) The church had largely become a false church.

Erwin Lutzer, the senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago for over 35 years, wrote a book entitled Hitler’s Cross in which he documents and describes how Hitler turned the cross into the swastika and the church largely embraced it. He quotes a prominent evangelical from Toronto that visited Germany in 1936 who said “Every true Christian is for Hitler. I know, for it was from the Christians I got most of my information, and right or wrong, they endorse Adolf Hitler.” (Pages 136-138) That ought to be a warning for us in America, known as a “Christian” nation.

What does Nazism and Islam have in common? Anti-Semitism. Let us, the Church, forsake it. Interfaith dialogue with Islam is a one way street, it’s not their intent to meet in the middle, which Chistians shouldn’t do anyway, but it’s their intent to draw us completely over on their side.

Now somebody will say, “See, that’s why I don’t want anything to do with the Church.” Here’s one to take to heart — “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:18) Only those on the inside of Noah’s ark escaped God’s judgement. Christ, not the Church, is the ark and whosoever will may come in. And if you come in you are part of the Church.

Until next time….