"You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!" Jesus
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George Otis Jr " And just do me a favor, okay, allow God only to use me in these next few lectures as a vehicle; the best thing for you is when your attention is totally focused on the holy spirit, while you're hearing things from me I'll go and ask the holy spirit to give me the right things to say but then as you listen to these things you hand them to the holy spirit to break them into revelation. What I am giving you are buds and you let the holy spirit turn them into blossoms." "On the contrary, the person who truly loves their brother or sister in Christ is going to be the one who will confront. Not in a haughty, arrogant manner but in a way that will perhaps prompt them to do some evaluation, to do some auditing, that might put them back on track for eternity. We're not just talking about somebody that might be screwing up here for a couple of months on earth. We're talking about somebody that's playing with fire, that's playing with their eternal existence." "Haven't you always thought to yourself that forgiveness was something that you offered without necessarily being paid back for something that was done to you? See, God has put things inside of us. He's made us in many ways like Himself. His truth is deep within us and it will take our own basic understanding of what God is like and what His principles are like. And then we'll go into the Word of God and really search the scriptures, we're going to come up with concepts that are different than what are normally taught today in theological circles. According to this definition of forgiveness, that it is the relaxation of a legitimate claim, then it would impossible for God to have, as one hymn put it, 'paid the debt and forgave me all my sins.'" "So when all of our thoughts of salvation center on the question, 'How do I come out? What's in it for me?' is it surprising that we view God's attitudes and intentions and actions in the same light? Here is God in the Atonement thinking to Himself, 'How do I come out? What will I get out of this?' This is where this whole attitude of repayment comes in. We take our concepts and we apply them to the character of God and we make God in our own image." George Otis Jr in his lectures on Moral Government Theology at the Youth With A Mission base in Tacoma, Washington, 1981. |
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"One of the deceivers' most damaging deceptions centers around -- of all events -- the atonement. Like the Pharisees of old, they portray a God who is only interested in things legal. The idea perpetrated here probably is derived from the words 'ransom' and 'redeem' and it is that Jesus paid for our sins." The God They Never Knew, p. 26
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| The
following quote is from Francis Eugene Pieper of the Lutheran
Church Missouri Synod. It is the opposite of what Otis believes:
"And if the objective reconciliation of all men with God, effected by the vicarious life, suffering, and death of Christ, is denied, the foundation of the Christian doctrine is destroyed. Whatever form and name may be given to any particular theory, man's efforts take the place, either in whole or in part, of Christ's work. There is then once and for all an end of salvation by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith. Christ's glory as Redeemer is sacrificed, and the assurance of grace and salvation is lost." (Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, vol. II, p. 360.) |
Actually, the "go" is better translated from the Greek "as you are going." GLR
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"It is my hope that the truth in these pages will free you to worship God in a new dimension as it has me. It must be truth that unlocks the doors of revelation, for there is no other key." Author's Preface, n.p.
"His treatment of the atonement, wherein lies the real power of the gospel, is unparalleled in any other book on that subject today. . . . It is the same view of the atonement as preached by Charles G. Finney, Berge, Barnes, Luther, Wesley, N.W. Taylor and a host of others. . . . Never has there been a book more timely and needed." Foreword by Harry Conn, n.p.
Conn's claim to having support from Luther and Wesley is highly ridiculous. Perhaps his error is based upon the fact that Luther and Wesley both strongly objected to the Roman "sacrifice" of the mass, and Conn, as an engineer, never deeply studied their writings.
"When we read these remarkable lines in the first chapter of Genesis we are to understand that we can know something about God by looking at ourselves. All that entails will be the subject of this chapter." p. 2
To say the least, this is a strong move away from "supernatural revelation," i.e., the Scripture, and into "natural" revelation.
Franz Pieper points out that Otis's style of finding truth is exactly the same as those without the knowledge of God:
"What religion means to the heathen is the exact opposite of what it means to the Christians. Since the heathen know nothing of the Gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 2:6-10: 'neither have entered into the heart of man'), but have some knowledge of the Law (Rom. 1:32: 'knowing the judgment of God'; Rom. 2:15: 'work of the Law written in their hearts'), their entire religious thinking moves in the sphere of the Law. Religion to the heathen means man's endeavor to placate the deity through his own efforts and works, through worship, sacrifices, moral exercises, ascetic discipline, and the like. The religion of the heathen is therefore a religion of the Law." Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, vol. I, p. 8.
It is no coincidence that the Christians involved in this new heathen movement that concentrates on knowledge of the demons, are constantly stressing what one must do to get God to work. Thus there are pilgrimages, identificational repentance, prophetic intercession, Jesus marches, a renewed emphasis on worship -- sometimes going on for hours at a time, spiritual mapping, ascetic discipline, and moral exercises. Not to mention the sacrificial giving of money and property, and the idea that one must purchase a grave site before God will work.
"SOMETHING UNPRECEDENTED (emphasis in original) in world history is now occurring on this planet: mankind is evolving its consciousness into an awareness of itself. Man is becoming aware of his own self, individually and collectively as part of a common consciousness. People are beginning to take a good look at themselves, and are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. Individuals are beginning to recognize their divine nature, and are looking within to find answers and to commune with God. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of existence and of truth and knowledge. As a result of this resurgence in self-awareness, many new teachings have evolved to facilitate a greater understanding of truth, self, and God. "The term 'New Age' has been coined to convey the mass change of consciousness occurring on the planet. It means different things to different people, depending on which vehicle or organization they have been exposed to. Frequently the New Age refers to the Acquarian (sic) Age, in which mankind is expected commune (sic) with God and live in peace. No one organization is conducting the movement, or transition, but rather various individuals and groups are mobilizing to address the needs of individual seekers." The Spiritual Seeker's Guide: The Complete Source for Religions and Spiritual Groups of the World by Steven S. Sadleir, Allwon Publishing Co., Costa Mesa, California, 1992, p. 147. |
" If the discussion is serious and if the ultimate objective is truth and not mere negation, then disagreement can contribute toward better understanding.
"Loren Cunningham (International Director of Youth With a Mission) summed up the issue succinctly. 'Disagreements don't cause disunity, a lack of forgiveness does.'" p. 7-8
| "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Amos 3:3 |
"Every individual in the world today can be classified as belonging to one of three groups of people: The deceived, the deceivers, or the reconciled." p. 16
"The deceivers are a religious coalition of various denominations and flavors who know quite a lot about God but fail to relate to Him on a personal basis. They include faithful churchmen, Bible school and seminary graduates, fundamentalists and evangelicals. They are people who are incredibly active doing good works under the banner of Jesus Christ, but who have never slowed down enough to get to know the One they think they're serving." p.19
It seems that what Otis means by relating "to Him on a personal basis" is having a mystical relationship with Him in which He speaks extra-biblical thoughts, impressions and doctrines into the mind. This most likely ties into his training in YWAM where he inculcated his Moral Government Theology and also the Joy Dawson style of mystical prayer. See Is That Really You, God? by Loren Cunningham and his sister for more about the Joy Dawson prayer method and how it is applied practically. If you want to think of it in terms of Spiritual Mapping, it is probably a cornerstone to the whole movement away from Scripture that has taken place in Youth With A Mission and other organizations.
"There are, of course, those who do know God. Their lives are mobile portraits of God's character, although only miniature replicas of the one God painted Himself on Calvary. This group has been reconciled to God. They have responded to God's mighty efforts to repair the relationship that was ruptured." p. 20
"Certainly no one enjoys tyrants, especially those that have the misfortune of being employed by one. Whether it be a secretary, mail clerk, accountant or vice president, the result is predictable whenever requests are made or new ideas shared. Policy will remain unchanged, procedure will not be modified. Even before the entreaty or proposal reaches summation, the fist hits the desk and the NO! is bellowed forth. The uncomfortable aspect of this situation lies in the knowledge that be there a tyrant, the future [emphasis by original author] is as rigid as the present." p. 25
In the foregoing, Otis, in rather plain terms, is explaining his view that God does not know the future choices of free-will beings. Then, in the below quote, he adds to the god who does not know the future, the idea that he changes his mind accordingly. This concept is also apparent in some of Cunningham's writing where "God changed His mind" about giving the first ship to YWAM.
"Here again we see the work of religious deceivers. . . . If the future is a fixity? [sic] Essentially, what you get when you adopt a God who is not able to think new thoughts, change His mind, realize changing circumstances and make new decisions, is a condition of static or motionlessness. It becomes a state of fate. It would be a pretty weak sovereign indeed who could not 'handle' an influx of new data and crises across his desk without seeing them all first. This entire concept is not only unbiblical, but it fuels the world's concept of the rigid, stark, static tyrant of Judeo-Christianity." p. 25
| "Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel -- but not in truth or righteousness -- you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel -- the LORD Almighty is his name: I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze. Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, 'My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.' You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? 'From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them. ' You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ear has not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off." Isaiah 48:1-9 |
"It was a simple story, really. Yes, God had told us to get a ship, and repeatedly He had confirmed His guidance using all the ways we had learned for hearing His voice. He used the Wise Men Principle; He used Scriptures which He seemed to lift off the pages for us; He used provision of money and people, and that inner conviction -- but we had failed in the way (emphasis in original) we had carried out His guidance. We had subtly turned from the Giver to the gift." Is That Really You, God? Hearing the Voice of God , by Loren Cunningham, with Janice Rodgers, p. 107. The idea that God had spoken to the YWAM leadership and then didn't follow through with what He said, i.e., "He changed His mind," is used to protect the leadership from accusations that they were perhaps actually hearing from a different Jesus and promoting a different Gospel! |
"One of the deceivers' most damaging deceptions centers around -- of all events -- the atonement. Like the Pharisees of old, they portray a God who is only interested in things legal. The idea perpetrated here probably is derived from the words 'ransom' and 'redeem' and it is that Jesus paid for our sins." p. 26
| "Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears." Acts 20:26-31 |
"The assertion that Jesus paid for our sins has caused immeasurable damage to the Body of Christ." p. 93
| "If Otis is correct, then Jesus Christ Himself must be the biggest deceiver of all. for He stated that He came to give His life '. . . a ransom price in the place of many' [emphasis added] (Matt. 20:18). Furthermore, the blame must fall squarely on His Apostles for causing 'immeasurable damage to the Body of Christ,' for it was they that taught that Jesus purchased salvation with His blood (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 1:18; Rev. 5:9; 1 Cor. 6:20)." Lead Us Not Into Deception: A Biblical Examination of Moral Government Theology by Alan W. Gomes, 1986. |
"This concept of God's impersonality has been fostered, to a great extent, by the inflamed, hyper-mysticism we find in many churches today." p. 27
"After eighteen years of troubled spiritual life, she underwent a spiritual transformation and began to have visions and mystical experiences. Her works are considered some of the most important in Christian mysticism." The Spiritual Seeker's Guide: The Complete Source for Religions and Spiritual Groups of the World by Steven S. Sadleir, Allwon Publishing Co., Costa Mesa, California, 1992, p. 112. Otis' statement about mysticism is rather confusing, considering the fact that Christian mysticism is based in experience instead of the established Word of God. Before this quote, Otis seemed to emphasize the idea of moving into a close mystical relationship with God, in which revelation and a deeper understanding could be found. Also, in the below quote, he clearly shows that he believes the relationship with God is essentially a mystical experience. |
"Finally, to those who through Calvinistic theology, or some other means, have come to consider God as an alien, we must introduce a personal God who cries out for them to know Him intimately." p. 31
"If we made known a God who was reasonable, creative, loving, and personal, it wouldn't be easy for the world to resist Him." p. 31
The foregoing statement is probably the crux of the whole "recreation" of Christian theology that has gone on with the contemporary MGT teachers: With apparently good motives they were seeking a kind of apologetic system so that more people would become Christians. Unfortunately, less people have become Christians under the MGT teaching than did under the old theology.
However, the current "desperation for numbers" has caused some apparently dishonest reporting of events. See Transformations or Deception. Also, new research has been done and is very revealing about what is really going on in the Transformations "wind of doctrine."
Extensive information can be found at: http://www.bibleguide.com/books_eng.htm and www.concernedchristians.50megs.com
"There you have it -- God's standard -- holiness and perfection. Do you resent it? Do you feel the urge to argue the point? Many do. But to tone down God's expectations constitutes tampering with the words of the Almighty, an incredibly foolish and dangerous activity for anyone to be involved in." p. 36
"Holiness can therefore be defined as living for the highest good of God and our fellow man according to our knowledge of what that entails at any given time. Or, to put it another way, simply living up to the light you have from a right intention of heart." p. 37
"'God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.' What this means is that God's moral character is absolutely perfect, that He is presently living up to all that His intelligence tells Him He should be doing. This is why He can be called a holy Being. God is not holy because He is holy -- He is holy because he chooses to use all his attributes in a loving (agape) way. Holiness involves choice and enlightenment." p. 38
"Holiness and moral character can only be determined by observing the intention. Actions will rarely give us a true picture.
"What is most confusing and distressing to many Christians is that, while they discern their intentions and motives to be right, they often make errors in conduct. The feeling that holiness is a state which can never literally be realized proceeds from the erroneous linkage of holiness with conduct rather than motive. This is why Christians will cling to the idea that holiness is something that will only be obtained in heaven. Others adhere to an abstract idea of living in Christ's holiness even though their lifestyle does not reflect it." [all italics from original] pp. 42-43.
This is one of Otis's classic absurdities! It is a clue, however, to the reasoning behind some of his apparent exaggerations -- "It's okay to lie, my motives were for the glory of God!" If only a person's intentions are included in an evaluation of holiness, we are forced to accept some of the most demonic behavior in history, as perfect in the eyes of God. I am sure there are many people who could put up a good argument that Hitler's motives were pure; many have already argued that Hitler was a "good Christian." According to Otis, If Hitler's motives were right, all his murders were therefore justified and perfectly righteous in the eyes of God.
"As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." James 4:16-17 (NIV) Nothing about motive here!
At best, this is situation ethics! At worst, it is complete relativism!
" And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 (NIV) |
"Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. The Bible does indeed teach that Christ's righteousness is imputed to us. This righteousness, however, cannot be imputed as a technicality -- it can only come to us through relationship. In other words, as I spend time with God, watching Him, listening to Him and emulating Him, I will begin to take on His characteristics and likeness." p. 43
A sermon by John Wesley called The Lord Our Righteousness clearly shows that Wesley was a strong believer in the imputed righteousness of Christ -- as a technicality!
Also, David Wilkerson preached a sermon that clearly stated the "technical" imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer. The doctrine is so clear in Scripture that it cannot be rejected by a Bible believing Christian. But as Otis has stated above, "we can know something about God by looking at ourselves." Scripture becomes a secondary source of revelation which can be disagreed with on the basis of natural revelation. "God" and "supernatural revelation" is pulled from the throne and man is put in "His" and "its" place. Can there be anything more antichrist than this? In effect, spiritually speaking, it denies that Christ has come in the flesh! He who has ears, let him hear!
| "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth -- you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'" Romans 2:13-24 |
"People embrace doctrines like they do almost everthing [sic] else in our society, donning whatever is in fashion, and thus the need for definition." p. 54
"The thing that we ought to find most frightening of all, however, is the fact that more and more Christians are jumping on this bandwagon. One prominent Christian author refers to the 'sin infection,' contending that when Adam sinned 'that one sin infected the whole human race, still in his loins, with the sickness of sin and death. Since then, all men are born sinners with the sentence of death upon them. It's a fatal disease with only one known cure.'" p. 57 [emphasis in original]
"Floyd McClung, the director of Youth With A Mission's Dilaram Ministries, makes a good summation statement: 'Every mistake is not a sin -- but every sin is a mistake!'" p. 65
Floyd McClung, who as a YWAM leader was also subject to the same world view Otis is advocating, made a revealing statement in his book of 1985, The Father Heart of God (Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon) p. 88-89:
But even after such a harsh and crushing experience, McClung still did not understand about the need to move away from an "experience based" and "man centered" source of knowledge. In fact, his following statement reveals clearly that he found God's "mercy, love, and faithfulness" in his own subjective experience, instead of in the objective work of Christ in the incarnation, crucifixion for our sins, and rising from the dead.
Because McClung never became established in the objective truth of God's inerrant word, he is still cast about by every new wave of experience-based doctrine. As of the year 2001, he is no longer in YWAM. Now he is pastoring a church in Kansas City called Metro Christian Fellowship. The church operates the kindergarten through 8th grade "Dominion Christian School" and features Mike Bickle as the Bridegroom Watch of the Lord speaker on Saturday nights. http://www.graceministries.com At least the views of Metro Christian Center as expressed in its "Statement of Faith" is a clear departure from Otis's idea that there is no inherited sin or sin nature. The statement also includes a departure from Otis's view of the work of Christ on the cross: " . . . Fully God and fully man, that He was conceived and born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and offered himself as a penal, substitutionary sacrifice for sinners. By the blood of His cross He obtained for us eternal redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting." http://www.graceministries.com/sof.html |
"Gordon Olson has given what I consider to be one of the finest definitions of sin ever offered: 'Sin is an unintelligent abuse of God-given endowments of personality.'" p. 66 [Excuse me, but I always thought the Bible included all of the "finest" definitions!? GLR]
"Often I have pictured God, the Mighty Ruler of the universe, sitting on His throne with His face buried in His hands, weeping." p. 73
This has the strange sounding rhythm of New Age visualization.
"The year of 1973 was an especially exciting one for me, the early months being spent with Youth With A Mission in Switzerland." p. 74
Loren Cunningham had already opened the doors wide for Moral Government Theology and the Lausanne base was a center for the teaching which featured both Gordon Olson and Harry Conn. Apparently this is where Otis picked up the teaching and elaborated further upon it.
"A sinful nature is developed in our lives through habitual self-indulgence and subsequently begins to affect everything we do. . . .
"Thus we concur that a law or sinful nature is present but we must also see that it originated by choice. A good example of this is a junkie bound by an addiction to heroin. He cannot help put [sic] crave drugs; but its origin was in his choices." p. 76
| "Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel -- but not in truth or righteousness -- you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel -- the LORD Almighty is his name: I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze. Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, 'My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.' You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? 'From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them. ' You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ear has not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off." Isaiah 48:1-9 |
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The following is a quote from the late Herbert W. Armstrong -- The Worldwide Church of God:
From Herbert W. Armstrong's book, The Wonderful World Tomorrow: What It Will Be Like? 1966, 1973, 1979 edition. Armstrong was the leader of the Worldwide Church of God. After his death the church turned, making historical precedent, back to a more orthodox Christian theology. http://www.rmaonline.net/dawson/armstrong/BA/WWT.HTM |
"One of the deceivers' most damaging deceptions centers around -- of all events -- the atonement. Like the Pharisees of old, they portray a God who is only interested in things legal. The idea perpetrated here probably is derived from the words 'ransom' and 'redeem' and it is that Jesus paid for our sins." p. 26
"The assertion that Jesus paid for our sins has caused immeasurable damage to the Body of Christ." p. 93
| "If Otis is correct, then Jesus Christ Himself must be the biggest deceiver of all. for He stated that He came to give His life '. . . a ransom price in the place of many' (Matt. 20:18). Furthermore, the blame must fall squarely on His Apostles for causing 'immeasurable damage to the Body of Christ,' for it was they that taught that Jesus purchased salvation with His blood (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 1:18; Rev. 5:9; 1 Cor. 6:20)." [Now available for download] Lead Us Not Into Deception: A Biblical Examination of Moral Government Theology by Alan W. Gomes, 1986. |
"The strongest implication of this doctrine, however, is one that ought to make us shudder. If God is demanding to be paid back for what sin has done to Him -- if He is requiring full, vindictive satisfaction before releasing His claim -- we find ourselves face to face with the conclusion that there is no loving (agape), moral Being in the universe!!" p. 95
"Before reconciliation can occur, we must come to the place where we see ourselves for what we really are." p. 98 [Amen!]
"Jesus' life was intended to serve as an example of how we are to overcome." p. 106
"If we accept the premise that Jesus literally purchased our salvation with His blood, it not only portrays God as vindictive and bloodthirsty and totally incompatible with biblical forgiveness, it also presents another grave difficulty. If Jesus literally paid for our sins with his blood (a paid debt is no longer a debt), and He died for the sins of the entire world, then we can come to but one conclusion. The theological word for it is universalism, which simply means the whole world will be saved." p. 109
"So the atonement was in the bloody realization of God's view of sin and in its ability to humble the sinner who recognizes his guilt and responsibility. When man is in this condition God can wisely pardon him and reconciliation takes place." p. 116
"Something happened to us when we saw Christ die under the weight of our sin. We were won by the love of Christ back into relationship." p. 121
"Gross sin -- adultery, fornication, habitual lying and such -- lie recondite for years without any warnings being pronounced." p. 137
"Here is the result of the Commercial Transaction Theory. Salvation is totally God's responsibility -- He's done everything -- He's paid for your sin; therefore, just simply accept what's already been done. This is why we actually see people smiling at altars today. They are coming to get . . . to receive an unconditional gift." p. 140
"Our trite little formula of 'just accept Jesus' has produced countless spiritual stillbirths and inoculated millions of others against the true gospel." p. 141
"It is not the matter of whether or not we 'accept' Christ but whether Christ accepts us -- that is the crucial issue. Will, indeed, Christ accept us the way we are as so many today infer? Will the King of kings come in to rule over a garbage dump? The notion that the sinner's condition is irrelevant at salvation only reveals the extent of our ignorance of God and the nature of salvation." p. 141
"One of Christianity's most gifted spokesmen, Winkie Pratney . . . ." p. 143
"As long as denial and deception are functioning, no repentance has taken place." p. 144
"There are numerous religious books today that also claim to be repositories of truth." p. 158
| "This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. As for those who seemed to be important -- whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance -- those men added nothing to my message." Galatians 2:4-6 |
"The Bible teaches that salvation is a matter of: 1) obedience, 2) commitment, 3) slavery. [emphasis added] It is impossible to give a piece of your heart to God on a trial basis." p. 162 [This may be the way of salvation for Saul of Tarsus, but it sure wasn't the Gospel of Paul the Apostle!]
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved!"
| If we
Spiritually Map Otis's above statement with the inerrant Word of God, it
is easy to discern exactly where he is coming from. Those who wish to
follow him, do so at the risk of their eternal souls! His antichrist
attack goes for the life-giving heart, the foundation, and the juggler vein
of the Christian faith -- justification by grace through faith!
"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' They answered him, 'We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?' Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.'" John 8:31-38 Isn't it interesting that George Otis Jr is responsible for leading thousands or even millions of Christians from all over the world to spend their time studying about the history of demonic activity and sin?! That, in itself, should be a huge clue in the spiritual mapping of George Otis Jr. Michael Green said it well: "He keeps Christians silent. If, as the Book of Revelation maintains, 'the word of their testimony' is the chief means whereby Satan's plans are thwarted, then the gagging of believers is obviously a prime necessity. Satan encourages this through a variety of means." I Believe in Satan's Downfall by Michael Green, Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1981, p. 65. In some places, Otis's new "spiritual warfare" invention has moved all the way into the occult and witchcraft. The following is from an email I received from an individual who has been trying to stop the insanity that has entered the church in his country:
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"One might say the Antinomian's favorite hymn is 'Only Believe.' He holds forth the concept that faith alone, without obedience to moral law, is all that is necessary for salvation." [emphasis added] p. 164
To place Otis's above statement on the Spiritual Mapping chart, we must realize that he just threw Scripture in the trash with the Reformation "sola fide" firmly attached -- not to mention that he shows that he does not know what antinomianism is. Franz Eugene Pieper, a 19th century theologian of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, summarized Antinomianism like this:
"Finally, both Law and Gospel are to be taught side by side in the Church and by the Church up to the Last Day. The necessity of preaching particularly also the Law must be maintained against Antinomianism, which at the time of the Reformation sought to invade the Lutheran Church through Agricola and his followers. Antinomianism is basically the theory that the knowledge of sin must be taught not from the Law, but from the Gospel, and that accordingly the Law does not belong in the Church, but 'in the courthouse,' in the sphere of the State." Christian Dogmatics, vol. III, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1953, pp. 224-225.
For more extensive information about Antinomianism go to Bente's chapter in his Historical Introductions to the Book of Concord on the history of the problem during the time of the Reformation. Antinomianism
"And if the objective reconciliation of all men with God, effected by the vicarious life, suffering, and death of Christ, is denied, the foundation of the Christian doctrine is destroyed. Whatever form and name may be given to any particular theory, man's efforts take the place, either in whole or in part, of Christ's work. There is then once and for all an end of salvation by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith. Christ's glory as Redeemer is sacrificed, and the assurance of grace and salvation is lost." (Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, vol. II, p. 360.) Lest anyone try to construe the above statement as the thought of conservative Lutherans only, let me continue with a quote which includes the words of Luther and also John Wesley:
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"In the book of James, which Martin Luther once referred to as 'an epistle of straw,' we find the passage which Antinomian thinkers are forever attempting to explain away." p. 166
What Otis is actually advocating in his above statement is not an attack on Antinomianism, but an attack on the "chief article" of the Christian faith (see "Article IV" of The Augsburg Confession) -- "that upon which the church stands or falls." In Otis's teaching, while he claims to have that which will make the church rise, he attacks the chief article and makes the church fall. His attack on the chief article is not new. An attack on the chief article and the assertion of work-righteousness is at the foundation of Roman Catholicism. It is no coincidence that the advocates of the new spiritual warfare are finding a lot of affinity with Romanism, even confessing the Catholic sins of the Crusades as their own. Pieper summed up what Otis is saying about the Epistle of James:
"We are convinced that Rome and certain sectarians misuse the Epistle of James when they make it the protector of their doctrine of work-righteousness. We must simply keep in mind that James is speaking of faith not in so far as it justifies before God, but in so far as we are, according to God's will and ordinance, to evidence our faith to men, which can be done only by works." (Christian Dogmatics, vol. I, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1953, p. 337.)
A strange twist of history is that Otis, although wrongly defining Antinomianism and then claiming to be against it, is actually promoting real Antinomianism as it has been defined in history. I was in Bali in November 2002 after the Sari Club bombing took place. A group of Christians were organized and brought to Bali to do some spiritual warfare and the theme was "Bless Bali." They marched, had spiritual warfare prayer, danced, and worshiped at the bomb site (the Sari Club was a place of terrible decadence, which makes their dancing and worshiping like dancing and worshiping at the burned spot that was Sodom and Gomorrah), talked a lot about how God loved Bali, and called the blessings and peace of God down on the place. There was no preaching of the Law to the lost Hindus of Bali. Instead, they were simply told about how much God loved them, wanted to restore their peaceful lives, and wanted to restore their financial blessings. Actually, not much of that took place either. For the most part it was a bunch of Christians getting together with other Christians and thinking they were accomplishing something in the heavenlies through their spiritual warfare. The message of the Gospel was given without the context of the Law, which is the schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. Unfortunately, the misinformed Christians missed the perfect chance to see people become Christians through the Great Commission preaching of Law and Gospel.
God brings people to salvation by the preaching of the Law which the Holy Spirit uses to bring conviction of sin, and then the preaching of the Gospel should take place to relieve the troubled conscience. In this way, the credit goes to God from start to finish as the Holy Spirit works the conviction of sin through the Law and the knowledge of salvation through the Gospel. The person who receives the free forgiveness of sins offered in Christ, by faith alone, is saved and becomes a new creation.
Of no small significance, in relation to Otis's above statement, is what is known as the antilegomena and the homologoumena. James was one of the books that was spoken against by those in the early church who were, to the best of their knowledge, trying to determine which books were truly apostolic and should be admitted into the canon of Scripture. The fact that some in the early church did not trust the book of James remains, even if most of us today are unaware of it.
To talk about Luther and the antilegomena, it is perhaps best to quote a Lutheran scholar:
"In the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture we are not concerned with the extent of the canon, that is, whether the so-called antilegomena . . . belong in the canon, but we are concerned with the question whether the books which are canonical beyond a doubt (Luther calls them 'the right certain, chief books') are inspired, are God's infallible Word. This Luther maintains from first to last, as we saw in the first part of this chapter. But as to the extent of the canon, Luther (as also Chemnitz, etc.) abides by the distinction which, according to the report of Eusebius (Church History III, 25), the Early Church made in regard to the certain or uncertain Apostolic origin of the books of the New Testament. . . . Luther states his position in his preface to the Epistle to the Hebrews in these words: 'Hitherto we have had the right certain chief books of the New Testament. The four following [Hebrews, James, Jude, Revelation] [bracketed material from Pieper] had, in ancient times, a different reputation.'" (Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, vol. I, pp. 291-292.)
It is perhaps a bit difficult for us to understand Luther's world from today's perspective. All the time most modern Christians spend before the TV set, the Reformation saints spent studying Hebrew, Greek, Latin, the church councils and the Church Fathers. They knew their stuff! That doesn't mean they were always right, of course.
From today's perspective, where the vast majority of Christians are not even aware of the issue, it seems to be a strange question -- none of us have ever seen a Bible without the antilegomena included and most Christians today are not even aware that some the books in our contemporary Bible were ever in question.
"Gordon C. Olson, in his theological manual, 'Sharing Your Faith,' gives one of the finest, concise definitions of truth I've ever come across. 'Truth is simply a true perspective, or a true picture in all proper proportions, or what exists.'" p. 176
The Sharing Your Faith manual by Olson is a systematic teaching of Moral Government Theology and was at one time copyrighted and printed by YWAM's Truth Press International.
"This conviction is often intensified as we are confronted through a sermon or the reproof of a friend. If we love our sin more than God, we will attack His servants and their message. Trying to pry the conviction out of our lives, we label it condemnation and blame it on 'harsh teaching.' Many who suffer from guilt feelings are suffering, not from condemnation, but because they are guilty!" p. 184
I hope Otis repents or God might throw the above quote in his face on judgment day!
"The only factor that sets the Christian experience apart from Krishna, Spiritism, Existentialism or what-have-you, is the intrinsic truth carried in the teaching of Jesus." p. 217
This is a little bit difficult to spiritually map at face value, but if it is considered in light of Otis's theological system, it makes perfect sense. The person of Christ is not really necessary in Otis's system of thought about atonement. Therefore, the teachings from Christ are given a place of utmost importance. Remember, Otis does not believe man has a sinful nature; he does not believe there is an imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer; nor does he believe that Christ's death on the cross was a payment for sin -- these things are written off as the teachings of "deceivers."
"Beneath the particulars in the great commission scriptures lie an unmistakable command -- GO -- and as YWAM's Loren Cunningham reminds us, 'Go means a change of location.'" p. 218
| "Otis poured seven years of global research into his new book, The
Twilight Labyrinth: Why Does Spiritual Darkness Linger Where It Does?
(Chosen Books). He has identified 15 'transformed communities,' of which 14
incorporated spiritual mapping. Two factors present in all 15, Otis says, are
'persevering leadership' and 'united prayer.' Commitment is the key, he says. 'God
didn't move in Hemet until Bob bought a burial plot in the city.'" From
Christianity Today, January 12, 1998 Vol. 42, No. 1, Page 55.
Okay, George, should we "go" or "buy a burial plot"? -- you can't have it both ways! |
"How vividly I recall an incident, which Floyd McClung shared not too long ago, so indicative of our demise." pp. 220-221
"If we are going to conquer this world with Christ, there are three things we need to do -- let Him speak for Himself, let Him do what He wants and, thirdly, do what He says." p. 226
"Jesus accomplished infinitely more in just 33 years than most of us could hope to conclude in a full lifetime. Why? Simply because as J. Oswald Sanders observed, 'He spent His time doing things that mattered.'" p. 236
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"How can God relate to man in intimate fellowship when man thinks he's something more than he is? Can reconciliation occur while man is preoccupied with the false opinions that he has created? The answer is obvious." "He'll overlook the past. We've been committing spiritual adultery, been involved with all kinds of other idols in our lives. God can handle that, He can overlook that, He can forgive that as long as now we will be real. So, if God and man are going to get together again then something must humble man so that he's willing to dispense with his hypocritical facades. Before reconciliation can occur, we must come to the place where we see ourselves for what we really are." George Otis Jr in his lectures on Moral Government Theology at the Youth With A Mission base in Tacoma, Washington, 1981. |
For further reading and evaluation of George Otis Jr, go to: