Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, the esteemed pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, dilutes
foundational passages of warning though masses of Moody supporters do not know it. Dr. Lutzer does
so by promising the pearly gates to the apostate and in this plainly contradicts the founder of his
own movement, D. L. Moody, on Christian basics.
Christians worldwide who otherwise extol much of Erwin W. Lutzer's instruction are not aware that
their dear pastor and teacher (and his publisher Moody Press) has drifted far from the founding
principles of D. L. Moody in general and of the Christian faith in particular. When these dear
believers support Erwin Lutzer and Moody Press they believe that they are in step with historic
Christianity as well as with the Moody name, is, however, such an assumption valid? To illustrate
kindly read Galatians 5:19-21:
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before,
as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom
of God. (Gal 5:19-21).
Such a text seems blatantly obvious without commentary, but I must ask: What do you think this
warning to those practicing immorality and drunkenness means? That is, what does Paul intend by the
phrase "shall not inherit?" "For if ye live after the flesh," says Paul in a similar text,
"ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." In
keeping with thousands of years of Christian history, the apostle is clearly warning sinners about
not entering the kingdom of God.
Commenting on these seemingly unmistakable passages Dr. Lutzer, the learned teacher of hundreds of
thousands insists, "Paul speaks of those who will forfeit certain kingdom privileges because of
their sinful lifestyles....Those who practice such sins will not be barred from entering the
kingdom, but will be barred from inheriting it" ( Lutzer, Your Eternal Reward, p. 70). As shocking
as such might be, Erwin W. Lutzer promises paradise to those who practice and are even characterized
by immorality, impurity, idolatry, sorcery or drunkenness!
"If one or more of these sins characterizes their Christian lives, and they refuse to judge the
evil, they will forfeit the honor of kingdom rule" (Lutzer, Your Eternal Reward, p. 70).
Refuses to judge the evil? Characterizes? To characterize, says Webster, is to be the distinctive
character trait, or the distinguishing feature. Friend, may drunkenness be the distinguishing
feature of a Christian inevitably bound for paradise? May the drunkard staggering from the local bar
night after night be a Christian destined for an eternity in the holy kingdom of God? Dwight L.
Moody, the man under whose name Dr. Lutzer's egregious notions are propagated, did not think so!
Consider:
I pity any alleged Christians who rent their property for drinking saloons; I pity them with all of
my heart. If you ever want to inherit the kingdom of God, give it up. This notion that all is well,
and that all are going into the kingdom of God, whether they repent or not, isn't taught anywhere in
the Scriptures (D. L. Moody, Sermon: Heaven, Its Inhabitants).
Together with Paul and historic Christianity, D. L. Moody believed and taught that if we do not
inherit the kingdom we surely do not enter it or even see it. Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer's unorthodox
interpretation of Galatians 5:19-21 has given salvation assurance where none actually exists and it
has strayed far from the scripturally vested opinions of the founder of his own movement. Though
Erwin W. Lutzer, is a pastor and is published by "Moody Press" he does not accurately represent Mr.
Moody or the scriptures. In our correspondence Pastor Lutzer did not respond to the fact that his
teaching contradicts that of D. L. Moody on fundamental points.
