Moody Press: True To Its Founders?

Moody Press, which boasts of being, “The Name You Can Trust,” is an alleged Christian publishing house. As such, they pride themselves in publishing books that are true to scripture, Christ and His gospel. Multitudes worldwide, however, who rest their eternal hopes on the teaching published by “The Name You Can Trust” might be shocked to find that Moody Press should not be trusted.

By way of example, Moody Press spread around the globe How Can You Be Sure That You Will Spend Eternity With God (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996) by Erwin W. Lutzer. And in this book Dr. Lutzer wrote:

The question is not whether we can remember the day or the hour in the past, but whether our faith is in Christ in the present. Are we now persuaded that Christ met all of our obligations for us when he died on the cross (p. 129).

Why are they saved? Because they accept the premise that if they are to be saved at all, they will be saved by God’s grace through Christ. Their faith wavers, but it is directed toward the right person (p. 132).

Upon initially reading these statements they seem to be quite scriptural. And they are. Surely no Christian would disagree with the idea that if a person is going to be saved his faith must be directed to Christ alone. Nevertheless, under the flag of magnifying Christ, Erwin Lutzer and his publisher, Moody Press, may actually oust Christ.

You see, according to Dr. Lutzer’s rhetoric, Christ alone is often theological code meaning that a Christian who turns and seeks salvation through some means other than Christ alone will still be saved. That is, “Christ alone” means that “works” of any kind or degree never affect salvation–even denying “Christ alone.” I know it sounds ridiculous (and it is!), but bear with me as I illustrate. Kindly consider Hebrews 6:4-6:

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Now, regarding this passage Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer writes and Moody Press publishes:

We have to admit the author is talking about true Christians in this passage…Yes, believers can “fall away”… they were beginning to doubt whether Christ was fully sufficient… The point is that so long as they were returning to the Old Testament sacrifices, they could not be brought back to repentance. Understandably, they could not be brought back to fellowship with God while they were offering lambs on the alter… Yes, believers can fall away, but not to eternal damnation (p. 150).

Unbelieving believers who sacrifice animals on pagan altars will be saved? Is it harmonious to teach on the one hand that “a wrong faith leads to destruction” yet on the other to promise heaven to those who abandon the faith altogether and prove it by sacrificing animals on pagan altars for the forgiveness of sins? We are saved by Christ alone, insists Dr. Lutzer, yet the blatant abomination and no faith of Christ rejectors still leads to paradise? Ridiculous contradiction!

Erwin W. Lutzer’s teaching is a meaningless, contradictory mish-mash of theology and humanistic tradition. Contradictions are the surest sign that a teacher needs to return to studying and stop teaching others. Erwin Lutzer, Moody Press and their editors are in serious error on foundational doctrines. Do not be fooled by “The Name You Can Trust.” Moody Press should not be trusted.

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