Accountability And Discernment

The recent failed attempt by World Vision president Richard Stearns to allow the hiring of same sex married people is indicative of why Christians must continuously discern and hold accountable those who claim to be serving in the name of Christ. World Vision obviously thought it could slip in this unbiblical policy and call it something that would provide unity among the churches. After being outed, Stearns said, “We shouldn’t have been surprised (of the backlash), but we were a bit.” Perhaps this is a reminder to Christian aristocracy that Christianity is based on the Word of God, not the word of man. When ministries stray from the Holy Scriptures, they must be reprimanded. World Vision isn’t the only one.

 

in January 2012, there was a huge controversy surrounding Wycliffe, SIL International and Frontiers over changing the Word of God to appease Islamic concepts of the Bible. Exposed was that their translations varied according to the language being translating. Arabic translations of the familial terms “Son of God” or “God the Father” were changed to reflect the language. An Arabic version of the Gospel of Matthew changed Matthew 28:19 from “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” to “cleanse them by water in the name of Allah, his Messiah and his Holy Spirit.” This raised tremendous ire among Christians and Wycliffe reconsidered.

 

In March of 2008, Pope Benedict’s staff met with Muslim representatives in response to a letter written by some 200 Islamic leaders entitled “A Common Word Between Us and You.”  The Muslims were trying to get the Christian community to accept that there is one god, Allah, and that the Muslim, Catholic and Protestant Christian faiths share the “love of God and the love of neighbor.”  Over 300 deceived Christian leaders, including Jim Wallus of Sojourners, Bill Hybels of Willow Creek, Rick Warren of Saddleback Church and Richard Cizick of the National Association of Evangelicals, responded with a letter that implied several times that Allah and Jehovah were the same and that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

 

Jesus warned in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.” While websites and statements of faith are written, actions are the true validation of them. Changing the word of God or winking at its foundational principles in some lofty ambition to create unity with darkness is wrong. 2 Corinthians 6:14 asks, “What fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion has light with darkness?” Ephesians 5:11 says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Some of these ministries are repentant, others not. But we must discern and hold accountable those who seek to change the Word of God.