Moody Publishers or Moody Press, markets themselves as being "The Name You Can Trust." In this,
Moody proposes to Christians that they are true to scripture and to Christ. Masses the world over,
however, who lean their eternal hopes on the doctrine published by "The Name You Can Trust" might be
astonished to find that Moody Press should never be trusted.
For example, in his book How Can You Be Sure That You Will Spend Eternity With God, (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1996) Erwin W. Lutzer wrote and Moody Press published:
The question is not whether we can remember the day or the hour in the past, but whether our faith
is in Christ in the present. Are we now persuaded that Christ met all of our obligations for us when
he died on the cross (p. 129).
Whether our faith be little or much, it must be directed to Christ alone, for God accepts only those
who accept His Son (p. 113).
Such instruction is certainly quite scriptural. I mean, who would argue against the notion that if
one is to be saved they must trust Christ alone. Nonetheless, under the banner of extolling Christ,
Moody Press and Dr. Lutzer, in actuality, might dethrone Him.
According to Erwin Lutzer's doctrine, salvation through "Christ alone" is often theological
double-speak meaning that a professing believer who turns from the faith or even seeks salvation
through some means other than Christ alone will still be welcomed into God's eternal paradise. What
I mean is this: when Lutzer (and Moody Publishers) uses the term Christ alone he means that no work
(of any type or degree) ever impacts salvation--even rejecting "Christ alone." It sounds ludicrous
(and it is!), but hang in there as I illustrate. Consider Hebrews 6:4-6:
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who
have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of
the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are
crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Now, regarding this passage Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer writes and Moody Press
publishes:
We have to [recognize that] the author is talking about true Christians in this passage...Yes,
believers can "fall away"... they were starting to doubt whether Christ was fully sufficient... The
point is that as long as they were returning to the sacrifices of the Old Testament, they couldn't
be brought back to repentance. Understandably, they could not be brought back to fellowship with God
while they were offering lambs on the alter... Yes, believers can fall away, but not to eternal
damnation (p. 150).
Those who sacrifice lambs on pagan altars will be saved? Is it congruent to teach that "a wrong
faith leads to destruction" yet still promise paradise to those who reject the faith altogether and
prove as much by sacrificing animals on pagan altars for the forgiveness of sins? A wrong faith
leads to destruction, resolutely asserts the doctor, yet the blatant rebellion and no faith of
Christ rejectors leads to life eternal? What a contradiction!
Erwin W. Lutzer's teaching is a meaningless, contradictory mish-mash of theology and humanistic
tradition. Contradictions are the surest sign that a teacher needs to return to studying and stop
teaching others. Erwin Lutzer, Moody Press and their editors are in serious error on foundational
doctrines. Do not be fooled by "The Name You Can Trust." Moody Press should not be trusted.
