Wow, here's the WotM issue back again
It seems like folks here really come down hard on them, labelling them heretics with a false gospel, throwing out their materials, outright blasting them all based on a vague definition of repentance.
Now, we can all agree that it is necessary that a sinner
repent of whatever it was he was trusting in to save him before he trusted in Christ alone.
Is not the trusting in the RCC, 'science', or good works etc
instead of Christ, sinful?
The oft-attacked WotM statement: "confess and turn from your sin" is correct when applied towards whatever a sinner was trusting in before placing it in Christ, including their good works.
For the record, I agree that forsaking each and every little sin, making oneself completly pure and sinless BEFORE being saved is not only heretical, but impossible. But I don't beleive thats what WotM promotes, or even flirts with.
The anger towards WotM seems to stem from putting words in their mouths, where they are not. Expanding on their given definition of repentance, making them say that lordship is necessary before salvation, when thats not what is even alluded to.
Now, I have actually watched ALL of the basic and intermediate training courses, read two WotM books, and watched more clips on the web, and surfed their site, and nowhere have I ever detected anything resembling lordship salvation, let alone a false gospel.
In fact, their entire drive is showing a person that whatever they were relying on to save themselves with isn't going to cut it, pointing them to Jesus Christ as the only option.
I think people get their hackles up when the law is used and they jump to conclusions about the people using it.
The law is used (in WotM) for the very purpose it was designed for: to show man his sin. Without the law, we would not know our sin. WotM makes it clear that its not by
keeping the law we get saved, but its by
falling very short of the law that makes us need the Saviour.
Yes yes, the law was given to the Jews, but using its depiction of God's moral standard to show a lost man his sin (which he doesn't think he has), is not a transgression of a Book rightly divided.
A sinner must know, understand and confess that he is a sinner before he can be saved. (thats not works, its a change of heart).
Repentance
Lorship Salvation
Now, I don't know anything much about Paul Washer, and I know that Living Waters doesn't focus on much other than witnessing, thereby sidestepping many other topics / truths. I wouldn't say they are ecumenical per se, but they're not separated either.
I know the Living Waters team is so eager to get their message out, they may have teamed up with just about anyone to be heard.
I don't agree with everything and anything from Comfort and crew, but it seems to me like this label of Lordship salvation might be going too far.
I did get uneasy at one of their videos about true and false conversions, where they misinterpreted the usage of Jesus' parables and also said that people's lives should be visibly Christian - and they should. They then urge to examine oneself to ensure they are really saved, but not by measuring their works, but rather by ensuring 100% faith in Jesus's atonement for their sins.
I was sincerely concerned, so I wrote them an email asking about this doctrine, and I got a response that their employees aren't to answer doctrinal questions, and that I should try Ray's blog, which is more of a battleground for Atheists, so I didn't post fuel for their fire on there.
So, I'm not a Living Waters troll, nor do I say these guys have everything right, I know of areas where they could really shape up (separation, Bible versions, expanded teachings on other worthy topics, satanic pitfalls and deceptions etc), but I also have learned not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and take what is good from a teacher, and brother in Christ, then dicern and reject what is false.
Their ministry is to promote effective evangelism, supplying methods, techniques, encouragement, confidence and materials to transform the average lukewarm Christian into a soul-winner.
Do they have everything right? No. Do they have great ways to explain salvation to people? Yes. Are there other, also effective ways? yes. Yet their methods are highly effective at cutting through the worldly barriers, the false religions, the humanism, the relativism, the denials, and get straight to the conscience, which is the soul-winner's ally and the God-given means to drive men to repentance and salvation. For that and other reasons, I value what good I did learn from them, adding it to other stuff gleaned from others (including you guys!)
I'm still open for discussions, because whenever my Bible-believing brethren hold a position I don't hold, I will always listen closely to their positions, for I myself cannot possibly have everything right, and I value other studied ideas. So before we bash and banish Ray Comfort, lets discuss the good and the bad, perhaps we can all benefit.