So, I'm watching The Church Channel, owned by TBN, watching my favorite evangelist...Billy Graham. I marvel at how Graham was able to lead so many people to Christ. After he went off, a show that I have never heard of comes on called "Behind The Scenes" with Paul Crouch and his son. His son spent a great deal of time building up and edifying the old guy, Crouch. I thought it was pretty funny but I guess that's what sons do for dads. They spent a great deal of time bragging about how many stations they are on now and about how they have grown but I didn't hear them mention God's grace in that process at all. Crouch warned viewers against becoming a "public persona" because then folks will attack you and he reminisced about the first time a stranger came up to him and recognized him during his early days on TV/radio in the 70's.
Then Paul Crouch begins to teach out of the book of Joshua and he got to the subject of Rahab. He began to talk about Rahab's assitance of the Israelites in their conquest of Jherico. Rahab, of course, was a harlot or a prostitute and every time Crouch said this, his son chuckled. He made an error in saying that Rahab was King David's grandmother (Proper interpretation of geneaologies). That can be excused because many commentators have also made the same mistake. It sounded fishy to me which is why I researched it. I had never heard that and a little research showed that it was indeed not true. Crouch was ill prepared to "teach" or "preach". Crouch is getting up in years and he stumbled over his words and thoughts. I am not here to make fun of his speech nor am I in any way trying to offend the senior population but it is clear that Paul Crouch's lucidity is fading in his old age.
What was funny was the connection that Crouch used to "evangelize" as his son called it. He used Rahab as a model sinner and a model of God's forgiveness. Since she was included in Christ's line, his reasoning was that if God could forgive a prostitute and include her in the lineage of Christ, then there is nothing that you or I could do that God wouldn't forgive. This is absolutely true. God is as forgiving as the day is long, but Crouch's formula was the death knell for his "sermonette" and classic TBN foolery. He said, "God will forgive you, Jesus will forgive you...all you have to do is 'fess up and tell him you're sorry." I want to let this marinate with you for a minute and you determine if Crouch has just planted a land mine for some unsuspecting viewer.
Crouch said that confession followed by an apology is all that is necessary for forgiveness. That is totally not true. Confession yes, sorrow over sin yes, but Paul Crouch left out the key action of every believer as it pretains to sin..repentance! See, at TBN, telling God that you're sorry gets you off the hook. There was no encouragement of repentance at all because at TBN repentance is not expected. Many of the people responsible for the network, many of the preachers that are on the network and even Paul Crouch himself are living actively in sin. This network loves scandal more than a hog loves slop.
Being sorry is one thing but being sorry and repenting (Greek, metanoia i.e. a change of mind towards sin) is what brings forgiveness (2 Cor 7:10). John the Baptist preached repentance (Luke 3:3), Jesus came right behind him and preached the exact same thing...repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:14)! Repentance is essential to have a salvific relationship with Jesus (Acts 2:38). In Luke 14:27 Jesus says that if we are to follow Him and be his disciple we are to carry our own crosses and forsake everything else...including our old lives dedicated to sin. That's repentance. Turning from sin and towards God. No, we won't be perfect overnight but our discipleship is predicated on repentance and acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior. If He is Lord or our lives, then we no longer live actively in sin. We may sin because of our mortality and our flesh but we do not actively pursue sin as a way of life. That is a counterfeit witness.
Interestingly enough, Crouch also discussed hell. He was relating a story of a visit to the Carlsbad caverns and how they went into a particular cave that was pitch black and he thought..."this is what hell may be like." I have no doubt that hell will be dark, stinky, hot and utterly devoid of the presence of God. Forgiveness of sin is guaranteed to all believers which in turn delivers us from the penalty of sin which is death (physical and spiritual). If anyone follows Crouch's formula for forgiveness and does not repent of sin but simply confesses it and says "I'm sorry", that will not be enough. Those will be the ones that Jesus says "depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you." That is not something that I want to hear on the last day and it is something that I would not wish on my worst enemy. Join me in prayer for Mr. Crouch that he repents of his sins and that he comes to a true knowledge of Christ. I hope that he simply misspoke but watching Billy Graham earlier, repentance is the FIRST thing that he mentioned must happen to form a relationship with Christ. Mr. Crouch said he began TBN around 1971 which is over 40 years ago. Surely he has listened to Pastor Graham at some point and heard him preach repentance. He has a degree in theology and THREE honorary doctorate degrees as well! I pray that it was his advanced years causing him to misspeak but the track record of TBN and those associated with the network is NOT good. Telling God that you're sorry is simply not enough...that's what I like to call a toilet bowl confession. Repentance says to God, I am truly sorry and I am turning from the thing that is separating us! It is hilarious to think that we can live in sin and call ourselves believers but it is less hilarious to know that the people that think that way are destined for eternal torment. There will be no laughing in that day.
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