The episcoplaian church has been getting more and more liberal as time has gone on. Acceptance of homosexuality, proponents of same-sex marriage and even ordaining practicing homosexuals. But they have now become apostate and are no longer fit to be called a church. According to VirtueOnline a webiste for Anglican orthodoxy at the 75th convention the house overwhelmingly voted to NOT state that Jesus is the only way to be saved. In case your scripture knowledge is a bit rusty:
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" Acts 4:12
Here are some excerpts:
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The House of Deputies of the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church today overwhelmingly refused to even consider a resolution that affirmed Jesus Christ as the "only name by which any person may be saved."
"This type of language was used in 1920s and 1930s to alienate the type of people who were executed. It was called the Holocaust. I understand the intent, but I ask you to allow the discharge to stay," said the Rev. Eugene C. McDowell, a graduate of Yale Divinity School and Canon Theologian for the Diocese of North Carolina.
" The resolution further affirmed "the substitutionary essence of the Cross and the manifestation of God's unlimited and unending love for all persons," while calling on the Episcopal Church to renew its Scripture-based witness to "all persons."
The Rev. McDowell said "In the Episcopal Church we don't do up and down votes on Jesus Christ as Lord, and to do so is potentially a mean-spirited approach, to ask questions that aren't meant to be questions."
McDowell explained that how one lives his life is the more important issue than whether one affirms Jesus as Lord. To place a statement of belief over actions is the essence of "self-righteousness," he said. "Actions speak louder than proclamations...What Jesus calls us to do is to live our lives."
McDowell outlined his basic theology of grace: "Salvation by grace is remembering that we are the children of a living God. Grace is already there. And salvation is realizing we now live into that salvation. And sanctification is the transforming of my life from one that's me-centered to one that's God-centered."
The final tally on the electronic vote was 70.5 percent for discharge (675 votes) and just 29.5 (242 votes) to consider the resolution affirming Jesus Christ as Lord.
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Um....OK
So grace and Jesus are separable? It seems pretty clear from the Bible that the grace of God can only be accessed via Jesus - to accept that there are other ways or other saviours is to deny the supremacy and exclusivity of Christ. Please do pray for the episcopalian church - they are in dire need of salvation, as are many others.
2 comments:
So the church is finally moving away from a bigoted standpoint and this is a problem? Maybe they're more accepting of the teachings of Jesus than the politics thereof.
hmmm...
I am THE way, THE truth THE life, NO-ONE comes to the father except through me - Jesus
Bigoted...nope but I can easily understand why people feel that it is. The teaching of Jesus absolutely and that cannot be denied. It's a tough place and the church has not been helpful as to how it has preached that message.
Unfortunately many have been chased away by overly condemning attitude instead of love and grace. But don't confuse grace with permissiveness.
I reckon you're free to believe whatever you like. But one must understand that what is nice is not always true.
We too easily (and the church has and does this too) put a cultural truth and elevate it to an absolute truth.
B
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