Cowardice vs. Clarity: The Case of Carl Lentz and Dr. John MacArthur

It's a case study involving a false teacher versus a true teacher of the gospel - and the comparison couldn't be more clear. To set the scene, last Monday, around 1:20 p.m. EST, hundreds of babies were being surgically dismembered, decapitated, poisoned, and otherwise violently killed inside abortion clinics around the country. Simultaneously, Hillsong Church NYC mega-pastor Carl Lentz had a platform from which to speak in their defense while a guest on “The View.” He refused to do so. In fact, he took the opportunity to suggest that their deaths can in some cases be justified and that the people killing them should continue living according to their own convictions.

When host Joy Behar asked directly whether abortion is sinful, he responded, “That’s the kind of conversation we would have finding out your story, where you’re from, what you believe. I mean, God’s the judge,” at which point the audience broke into raucous applause. “People have to live to their own convictions,” Lentz continued. “That’s such a broad question, to me, I’m going higher. I want to sit with somebody and say, ‘What do you believe?’”

This position might be received as a moderate stance on the issue or a lack of stance altogether. But in this case, to be on the fence is to be on the side of child sacrifice. “Live to your own convictions” is practically the slogan of the abortion lobby. Lentz might as well have said “My body, my choice,” or “Keep your rosaries off my ovaries.”

“So it’s not an open and shut case to you?” Behar asked. “Some people would say it is,” Lentz responded. “To me, I’m trying to teach people who Jesus is first, and find out their story. Before I start picking and choosing what I think is sin in your life, I’d like to know your name.”

This is a fantastic answer to the question of whether Calvinism or Arminianism is the more accurate interpretation of scripture. In reference to the biblical acceptability of child sacrifice, not so much. Scripture is unanimous and unambiguous in its condemnation of intentionally killing an image-bearer of God. There is no intellectually serious case to be made otherwise.

The abortion industry, with help from complicit institutions such as the mainstream media, academia, medical establishment, and others, is waging a propaganda campaign aimed at dehumanizing their victims. It’s a kingdom tragedy that a pastor of more than 7,000 Christians would join the ranks of those blurring the moral lines regarding the killing of preborn babies.

Check out the video below:

The fact is, with such demure, mealy-mouthed, mish-mash for answers, a "minister" shows themselves to be intellectually and convictionally unequipped to be a pastor and should resign.

Now contrast the obfuscation and imprecision of Carl Lentz with the clarity and conviction of Dr. John MacArthur. Notice how Dr. MacArthur accurately defines the sin of homosexuality, etc. and eagerly points back to the authority of scripture in every case.



Now hear Dr. MacArthur preach clearly on the topic of abortion and be reminded of Paul's injunction:

"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-4)

The Danger of False Teaching

 "Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.” (2 Timothy 2:14-19)

Scripture clearly affirms that God is truth and cannot lie. It also affirms that Satan is a liar and the father of lies. That dichotomy pervades every area of the universe. There is conflict between the holy angels and unholy demons. There is conflict on earth between the truth of God and the lies of Satan.

The people of God have always been plagued with false doctrine. They have endured the invasion of false prophets and teachers throughout the ages. Satan attempts to confuse the world by drowning it in a sea of deceit. It was Satan’s misrepresentation of the truth to Eve that plunged the human race into sin (Gen. 3:1–6). The steady stream of false teaching has been so cumulative that it is wider and deeper now than it has ever been before. False teaching about God, Christ, the Bible, and spiritual reality is pandemic. The father of lies works overtime to destroy the saving, sanctifying truth God has given to us in His Word. The effects of false teaching have been devastating and damning. That’s why the Bible calls them destructive heresies (2 Pet. 2:1). As we get closer to the return of Christ, these deceptions, lies, and misrepresentations will increase.

Any servant of the Lord must be aware of false teachers and warn others about their lies. That is why the apostle Paul warned the believers and leaders in Ephesus (Acts 20:29–30).

Second Timothy 2:14–19 specifically tells us why we should avoid false teaching. Paul had called Timothy to be a faithful servant of the Lord. He asked him to rise above the influence of ungodliness, evil teaching, and evil people and to set the church right. To do so he had to keep his mind on the truth of God and be sure that he and his people avoided the impact of false teaching:

The literal translation of 2 Timothy 2:14 would read, “Remind of these things.” The word “them” was added because it identifies who is being reminded—the faithful men of verse 2. What things were they to be reminded of? What Paul said in verses 1–13. He wanted Timothy to remind the church leaders and teachers of their responsibility to pass on the truth to others. They needed to be reminded of the noble cause they served and the loftiness of the gospel ministry. Pastors, be faithful in all things and hold fast to the word of truth.