Thanks again for all your effort and time that you put into this; it is greatly appreciated by many of us. There was a friend in our Bible study who was very much connected with contemplative spirituality and New Age. I gave her a copy of A Time of Departing for her consideration, and God used it to transform her life. Within a month she had cleared out 1/2 dozen contemplative/New Age books from her library, and three months later she purged them all, which were numerous, as she is an avid reader. She was set free and is now blessed with a real personal and close relationship with Jesus as she spends much more time in God’s Word. She was careful not to merely share these books with others, but rather destroyed them all, because she did not want anyone else to read them.

Marty B.

LT Editor’s Response: Thank you so much for sharing that testimonial. We wish Ray Yungen were here to read it. It’s one of the most meaningful stories we’ve heard. It’s very touching in two respects: first, that you were willing to take the risk and give her the book, not knowing what her reaction would be (she could have become angry), and second, that your friend loved truth so much that she was willing to take those steps to change the path she was on. Again, thank you for sharing this.

To our readers: If you know of someone who is involved with the teachings and/or practices of contemplative prayer (i.e., spiritual formation) and would like to give that person a copy of A Time of Departing, we are happy to send you a free copy that you can share (or we can send it directly to the person if you prefer). Also, if your pastor is quoting from the contemplative mystics (e.g., Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen, Eugene Peterson, Thomas Merton, and so many more) and you would like to give him a copy, you may request a free copy for him as well. Because of the detrimental effects of gleaning from the mystics and practicing contemplative prayer, this is a serious matter that has saturated the church, but still so few pastors and leaders address it. For the free copy, write to us at editors@lighthousetrails.com. For those who wish to purchase a copy, click here.

This note is actually from two people—my friend Elizabeth and myself (Ann).  Judy and I have known one another for 12 years—we met at a Bible study in my home. She still lives in ___________ and I’m now in ________, and we meet once a week for a Zoom prayer. Even though there is a large age disparity—Elizabeth is 44, and I am 81—we are like-minded sisters in Christ. 

Our question is this: Over the last several years, we have contacted pastors whose churches we attended—or—pastors who came to our attention, who were involved in contemplative, New Age, spiritual Formation, etc.  When we spoke to our own pastors and provided them with links from Lighthouse Trails in an honest attempt to warn them about a particular teaching they were promoting, we never received ANY response from them, not even a “thank you but get lost”!  We are always dismissed out of hand and actually ignored.  It just appears to be rude and not becoming to men who lead a church.

Specific examples: this is from Elizabeth:

My own search for a church has been fruitless. I have sought several in the area and they’re either compromised by affiliations or their Statement of Faith is promoting false doctrines, or the women teach Bible studies from untrustworthy books. I reached out to the pastors of these churches with my questions and concerns, but I never get a response. The church I was attending had solid teaching until a charismatic couple began attending and then taking the place as elders and influencing the pastor. He started teaching about “binding and loosing” and promoting shows like The Chosen, whereas he had always been discerning with solid teaching before. When I sent information from Lighthouse Trails with my concerns to him, I never received a response. 

And this is my example (Ann):

I have been attending a church here in _________ for 2.5 years.  The preaching is quite solid; however, much to my dismay, the church library which is in plain sight (it is situated off the large entrance, leading to the sanctuary) openly displays books by Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, Tim Keller, John Piper, etc.  I sent the pastor a note and links from LT about these books/authors and my concerns.  I believe it has the propensity to be confusing to young Christians or those with little or no discernment, since what those books teach are diametrically opposite to the messages from the pulpit.  Therefore, I don’t understand the need to offer them. When, like Elizabeth, I explained my concern and included Lighthouse Trails links, I was totally ignored. I never heard from him, and I know he avoids me when I am at church and he sees me.  And the books remain a year later.

And while visiting my son in another state recently, my son mentioned a new church had been started there.  I was curious so I looked it up online.  In the young pastor’s bio, he proudly mentions his involvement with Spiritual Formation, how he taught it in a seminary setting and now is using it in this new church. I really believe he is totally naive about what it is and has no clue how dangerous it is.  Pastors are warned they will be held to a stricter account for what they teach others.  So I sent him a short e-mail, explained I was just visiting, told him my age and when I had been saved and asked him if he would please read the link (from LT) on Spiritual Formation and explained my sincere concern for him.  Again, no response. 

In all these instances, we get the impression these men must look down their noses at discernment sites, no matter how accurate and truthful and even though videos, links, other sources, ibids, etc are provided showing the veracity and truth of the information. 

So what are we doing wrong?  Should we not say anything?  Is it wrong to contact a pastor you do not know but who really appears to have a need to be warned?  We don’t do this willy nilly; we do it reluctantly! We have learned from experience that discerning is a very difficult gift and frankly, the church doesn’t seem to like those who have it and (attempt) to apply it.  

What counsel can you give us?  It is very discouraging.  I would be happy to send you the actual emails/letters so as you can see for yourself what was written had been presented in a kind and loving way.  And it’s not even that we need an acknowledgement, but it seems so odd that NONE of these pastors got in touch with us, .and the above is only a few examples.  There are other examples which we have not detailed.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth and Ann

LTRP Response to Elizabeth and Ann:

Hello,

We first want to say that we very much understand the discouragement that you both are going through because we have gone through it many times ourselves. For example, after 21 years of trying to warn the church, pastors, and leaders about the contemplative prayer movement (via Spiritual Formation), the issue still has not come to the table and is basically ignored by the majority of church leaders and pastors as if it isn’t even an issue. They just don’t talk about it.

For us, we had to come to the realization a long time ago that we could not look at the fruit of our labors but were supposed to do what we believe the Lord has called us to do and leave the results up to Him. We have been reminded often that we are not the Holy Spirit who is the One who convicts of sin. It is up to us to try to be faithful (by His grace and strength) in doing what He has called us to do. That doesn’t mean we don’t get disheartened because we do, but we pick ourselves up from those times of discouragement and keep going.

On a practical level, we have come to believe that giving someone one of the booklets is usually more effective (particularly for a skeptic) than sending website links and e-mails. The booklets are short, concise, and have all the documentation; plus a pastor can take it home from the office, away from his computer and people and read it. No doubt, many of the booklets have been thrown away too, but the professional presentation of the booklet format does draw attention. Whereas one might forget about an e-mail with links, it will be harder to forget about an actual hard copy booklet. And we think you know us well enough that we don’t say that just to sell more booklets. We’ve given away countless numbers of them, and we have never done this for the money. That’s why we sell the booklets at such low prices. And that’s why we do the free pastors’ booklet mailings 3x a year. That list is up to over 1000 names now. We can’t tell you if they are making a difference or not. As we said, we decided a long time ago we could not worry about the results. If we had done that, very likely, we would have quit years ago from discouragement.

So please don’t give up. Maybe those who you have attempted to reach have ignored you (or maybe they just didn’t answer out of sheer busyness), but that part is up to the Lord. We’ve often thought about what Jesus said when one of the disciples asked, “what about John,” and He answered basically, you just do what you are supposed to do and never mind the rest. Remembering His response has helped us over the years.

Being a discerning Christian is a very lonely road, as you two have experienced. But if you think of the history of Christianity, that is generally how it is. Persecuted, rejected, misunderstood, and ignored.

In closing, we have to remember (as we know you do) that we are living in a time of great deception. The Bible tells us things are going to get worse, and there will be “seducing spirits” that will delude those who don’t have a love for the truth. What most Christians don’t realize is that as they play around with occultic practices (Yoga, contemplative, centering prayer, enneagram, labyrinth, lectio divina, etc), they are walking into a spiritual trap, for, as Ray Yungen often said, it is this occultism that is the vehicle which will deceive the multitudes. We are watching this take place around the world before our very eyes—both by Christians and non-believers.

We would like to say this thought too: if you two would like, let us put those pastors names on our list. They won’t know who added their names, and they will get booklets three times a year from us. If you would like us to add some names, just e-mail them to us at editors@lighthousetrails.com [and that goes for anyone reading this post too]. Our next pastors’ mailing will be in mid-to-late September. And then one more at the end of the year.

Blessings to you both, and keep up the good work! What you are doing is true devotion and love for others.

The Editors at Lighthouse Trails

(photo is a stock image from istockphoto.com; used with permission)

What a Sovereign God Cannot Do (And How the Calvinist View Just Doesn’t Work)

By Dave Hunt

No One Can Resist God’s Will?

One of the most common expressions one hears in Christian circles, especially for reassurance when things aren’t going well, is that “God is in control; He’s still on the throne.” Christians comfort themselves with these words—but what do they mean? Was God not “in control” when Satan rebelled and when Adam and Eve disobeyed, but now He is? Does God’s being in control mean that all the rape, murder, war, and multiplied evil is exactly what He planned and desires?

Christ asks us to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Why that prayer if we are already in God’s kingdom with Satan bound as John Calvin taught and Reconstructionists claim today? Could a world of rampant evil really be what God wills? Surely not!

“Wait a minute!” someone counters. “Are you suggesting that our omnipotent God is unable to effect His will upon Earth? What heresy is this! Paul clearly says that God ‘worketh all things after the counsel of his own will’ (Ephesians 1:11).”

Yes. But the Bible itself contains many examples of men defying God’s will and disobeying Him. God laments, “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me” (Isaiah1:2). The sacrifices they offer Him and their evil lives are obviously not according to His will. We are told that “the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves” (Luke 7:30). Christ’s statement in Matthew 7:21 shows clearly that everyone doesn’t always do God’s will: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” That is implied also in Isaiah 65:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19; Hebrews 10:36; 1 Peter 2:15; 1 John 2:17; and many other Scriptures. In fact, Ephesians 1:11 doesn’t say that everything that happens is according to God’s will, but according to “the counsel” of His will. Clearly, the counsel of God’s will has given man freedom to disobey Him. There is no other explanation for sin.

Yet, in his zeal to protect God’s sovereignty from any challenge, Calvinist teacher A. W. Pink argues earnestly, “God foreordains everything which comes to pass. . . . God initiates all things, regulates all things.”1* Calvinist theologian Edwin H. Palmer** agrees:

God is in back of everything. He decides and causes all things to happen that do happen. . . . He has foreordained everything “after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians:1:11): the moving of a finger . . . the mistake of a typist—even sin.2

Right here we confront a vital distinction. It is one thing for God, in His sovereignty and without diminishing that sovereignty, to give man the power to rebel against Him. This would open the door for sin as solely man’s responsibility by a free choice. It is something entirely different for God to control everything to such an extent that He must effectively cause man to sin.

It is a fallacy to imagine that for God to be in control of His universe, He must therefore foreordain and initiate everything—thus, He causes sin, then punishes the sinner. To justify this view, it is argued that “God is under no obligation to extend His grace to those whom He predestines to eternal judgment.”3 In fact, however, obligation has no relationship to grace.

Is God’s Sovereignty Diminished?

However, it actually diminishes God’s sovereignty to suggest that He cannot use to His own purposes what He doesn’t foreordain and originate. There is neither logical nor biblical reason why a sovereign God by His own sovereign design could not allow creatures made in His image the freedom of genuine moral choice. And there are compelling reasons why He would do so.

Many an atheist (or sincere seeker who is troubled by evil and suffering) angrily declares, “You claim your God is all-powerful. Then why doesn’t He stop evil and suffering? If He could and doesn’t, He’s a monster; if He can’t, then He isn’t all-powerful!” The atheist thinks he has us cornered.

The answer involves certain things which God cannot do.

But God is infinite in power, so there must be nothing He can’t do! Really? The very fact that He is infinite in power means He cannot fail. There is much else which finite beings do all the time but which the infinite, absolutely sovereign God cannot do because He is God: lie, cheat, steal, sin, be mistaken, etc. In fact, much else that God cannot do is vital for us to understand in meeting challenges from skeptics.

Tragically, there are many sincere questions that most Christians can’t answer. Few parents have taken the time to think through the many intellectual and theological challenges their children increasingly face, challenges for which today’s youth find no answers from so many pulpits and Sunday-school lessons. As a result, growing numbers of those raised in evangelical homes and churches are abandoning the “faith” they never adequately understood.

Is sovereignty and power the cure-all? Many Christians superficially think so. Yet, there is much for which sovereignty and power are irrelevant. God acts not only sovereignly, but in love, grace, mercy, kindness, justice, and truth. His sovereignty is exercised only in perfect harmony with all of His other attributes.

There is much that God cannot do, not in spite of who He is, but because of who He is. Even Augustine, described as the first of the early so-called Church Fathers who “taught the absolute sovereignty of God”4 declared, “Wherefore, He cannot do some things for the very reason that He is omnipotent.”5

Because of His absolute holiness, it is impossible for God to do evil, to cause others to do evil or even to entice anyone into evil:

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted . . .neither tempteth he any man. (James 1:13)

But what about the many places in Scripture where it says God tempted someone or was tempted? For example, “God did tempt Abraham” (Genesis:22:1). The Hebrew word there and throughout the Old Testament is nacah, which means to test or prove as in assaying the purity of a metal. It has nothing to do with tempting to sin. God was testing Abraham’s faith and obedience.

Can God Be Tempted?

If God Himself cannot be tempted, why is Israel warned, “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:16)? We are even told that at Massah, in demanding water, “they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Exodus:17:7). Later they “tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust . . .[saying,] Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Yea . . . [they] provoked the most high . . . ” (Psalm:78:18-19, 41, 56).

God was not being tempted to do evil! He was being provoked; thus, His patience was being tested. Instead of waiting upon Him obediently to meet their needs, His people were demanding that He use His power to give them what they wanted to satisfy their lusts. Their “temptation” of God was a blasphemous challenge forcing Him either to give in to their desire or to punish them for rebellion.

When Jesus was “tempted of the devil” to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple to prove the promise that angels would bear Him up in their hands, He quoted, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:7). In other words, to put ourselves deliberately in a place where God must act to protect us is tempting Him.

James goes on to say, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.” Temptation to evil does not come from without but from within. The man who could not possibly be “tempted” to be dishonest in business may succumb to the temptation to commit adultery and thus be dishonest with his wife. It is said that “every man has his price.”

God was not tempting Adam and Eve to sin when He told them not to eat of a particular tree. They were tempted by their own lust and selfish desire. Even in innocence, man could be selfish and disobedient. We see this in young infants who as yet presumably don’t know the difference between right and wrong.

A Penalty That Had to Be Paid

Additionally, there are a number of other things which God cannot do. God cannot deny Himself or contradict Himself. He cannot change. He cannot go back on His Word. Specifically in relationship to mankind, there are some things God cannot do which are very important to understand and to explain to others. One of the most fundamental concepts (and least understood by “religious” people) is this: He cannot forgive sin without the penalty being paid and accepted by man.

Are we saying that in spite of His sovereignty and infinite power, God cannot forgive whomever He wills, He cannot simply wipe their slate clean in the heavenly record? Exactly: He cannot, because He is also perfectly just. “So are you suggesting,” some complain, “that God wants to save all mankind but lacks the power to do so? It is a denial of God’s omnipotence and sovereignty if there is anything He desires but can’t accomplish.” In fact, omnipotence and sovereignty are irrelevant with regard to forgiveness.

Christ in the Garden the night before the Cross cried out, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ” (Matthew 26:39). Surely, if it had been possible to provide salvation any other way, the Father would have allowed Christ to escape the excruciating physical sufferings of the Cross and the infinite spiritual agony of enduring the penalty His perfect justice had pronounced upon sin. But even for the omnipotent God, there was no other way. It is important that we clearly explain this biblical and logical truth when we present the Gospel.

Suppose a judge has before him his own son, daughter, or other loved one found guilty of multiple murders by the jury. In spite of his love, the judge must uphold the penalty demanded by the law. Love cannot nullify justice. The only way God could forgive sinners and remain just would be for Christ to pay the penalty for sin (see Romans 3:21-28).

Can God Force Love?

There are two other matters of vital importance in relation to man’s salvation which God cannot do: He cannot force anyone to love Him; and He cannot force anyone to accept a gift. By the very nature of love and giving, man must have the power to choose. The reception of God’s love and of the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ can only be by an act of man’s free will.

Some argue that if it is God’s will for all men to be saved, the fact that all are not saved would mean that God’s will would be frustrated and His sovereignty overturned by men. It is also argued that if man can say yes or no to Christ, he has the final say in his salvation and his will is stronger than God’s will. One Calvinist theologian said, “The heresy of free will dethrones God and enthrones man.6

There is nothing in either the Bible or logic to suggest that God’s sovereignty requires man to be powerless to make a real choice—moral or otherwise. Giving man the power to make a genuine, independent choice does not diminish God’s control over His universe. Being omnipotent and omniscient, God certainly could so arrange circumstances as to keep man’s rebellion from frustrating His purposes. In fact, God could even use man’s free will to help fulfill His own plans and thereby be even more glorified. By saying that the only way God can truly be sovereign is to not allow man to have free will is actually diminishing God’s sovereignty and essentially saying God’s not powerful and big enough to bring about His purposes unless man has no free will.

God’s grand design from the foundation of the world to bestow upon man the gift of His love precludes any ability to force that gift upon any of His creatures. Both love and gifts of any kind must be received. Force perverts the transaction.

The fact that God cannot fail, lie, sin, change or deny Himself does not in the least diminish His sovereignty. Nor is He any the less sovereign because He cannot force anyone to love Him or to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. And from man’s side, the reverse limitation prevails: there is nothing anyone can do to merit or earn either love or a gift. They must be given freely from God’s heart without any reason other than love, mercy, and grace.

Wonderfully, in His sovereign grace, God has so constituted man and has so designed a gift that man may receive it voluntarily by an act of his will and respond in love to God’s love. Someone has said, “The free-will of man is the most marvelous of the Creator’s works.”7 The power of choice opens the door to something wonderful beyond comprehension: genuine fellowship between God and man for eternity. Without a free will man could not receive the gift of eternal life, thus God could not give it to him.

Pusey points out that,

Without free-will, man would be inferior to the lower animals, which have a sort of limited freedom of choice. . . . It would be self-contradictory, that Almighty God should create a free agent capable of loving Him, without also being capable of rejecting His love . . . without free-will we could not freely love God. Freedom is a condition of love.8

It is the power of genuine choice from man’s own heart and will, which God has sovereignly given him, that enables God to love man and for man to receive that love and to love God in return “because he first loved us” (1 John:4:19).

It is impossible that the power of choice could challenge God’s sovereignty since it is God’s sovereignty that has bestowed this gift upon man and set the conditions for both loving and giving.

Suggesting that God would be lacking in “power” (thus denying His sovereignty) if He offered salvation and some rejected it is missing the point. Power and love do not belong in the same discussion. In fact, of the many things which we have seen that God cannot do, a lack of “power” is not the reason for any of them, nor is His sovereignty mitigated in the least by any of these.

Thus for mankind to have been given by God the power to choose to love Him or not and to receive or to reject the free gift of salvation, far from denying God’s sovereignty, is to admit what God’s sovereignty itself has lovingly and wonderfully provided.

May we willingly respond from the heart to His love with our love, and in gratitude for His great gift proclaim the good news to others.

Editors’ Appendix—Is Man Too Depraved to Love God?

The “T” in the Calvinist acronym T.U.L.I.P. stands for “total depravity.” In Bob Kirkland’s book, Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy, he states:

It is true that all people have depraved and sinful natures, and no person merits salvation. However, the word “total” means, “entirely, to the full.” The word “depraved” means “morally corrupt.” To suggest that all people in the world are “totally immoral” is ridiculous. None of the neighbors on the street where I live confess to be saved, but that does not make them totally immoral. . . . We must not forget that God has put a conscience in people so that we know or have a sense of right and wrong. Even an unsaved person can feel remorse and regret when he has done something wrong. If he was totally depraved, he would not have the capability to do that (see Romans 1: 19-20). . . .

To a Calvinist, total depravity means “total inability.” The common dictionary meaning of inability is, not having the quality or state of being able to do something. Calvinism says that because all mankind is “dead in trespasses and sins” (see Ephesians 2:1-4), man cannot respond in any way to receive Christ as their Savior.9

To order copies of What a Sovereign God Cannot Do, click here.

Endnotes

1. Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God (Baker Book House, 1984), p. 240. (check page number or use kindle)
2. Edwin H. Palmer, The Five Points of Calvinism (Baker Books, 1999), p. 25.
3. Statement made by James White in Debating Calvinism: Five Points, Two Views by Dave Hunt and James White (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books; a division of Random House, 2004), p. 19.
4. C. Norman Sellers, Election and Perseverance (Schoettle Publishing Co., 1987),
5. Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (n.p.n.d.), V. 10.
6. W. E. Best, Free Grace Versus Free Will (W. E. Best Books Missionary Trust, 1977), p. 35.
7. Junius B. Reimensnyder, Doom Eternal (N.S. Quiney, 1880), p. 257; cited in Samuel Fisk, Calvinistic Paths Retraced (Biblical Evangelism [23] Press, 1985), p. 223.
8. Edward B. Pusey, What Is of Faith as to Everlasting Punishment? (James Parker & Co., 1881), pp. 22-23; cited in Fisk, op. cit., p. 222.
9. Bob Kirkland, Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy (Roseburg, OR: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, 2018), pp. 31-32.