“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” – Isaiah 8:20
THERE IS NO LIGHT in the damnable heresies of ecumenicalism, no radiance to the contemptible falsehoods and accursed sophistries which personify that baleful movement. The purveyors of ecumenical lies speak not according to the word of the Lord of hosts, but proffer pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And though many follow the false doctrines they perpetuate, and are made merchandise through the feigned words of the covetous, a multitude’s approbation is not evidence that a movement pleases God. Contrariwise, “that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). And, in the case of the ecumenical movement, Revelation 3:15 tells us the sickening apostasy it perpetuates repulses the Almighty.
Who is the “they” spoken of in my text? Certainly, it is not a group of men whose delight is in the law of the Lord. They may have a zeal of God, but it is not according to knowledge, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. They who wrest the scriptures unto their own destruction, and change the truth of God into a lie, and pervert the gospel of Christ, and turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness, are in the flesh, and they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). Indeed, they shall utterly perish in their own corruption, for of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? The damnation of these ungodly men slumbereth not, because they were of old ordained to his condemnation, reserved unto the day of judgement to be punished. They love the wages of unrighteousness, and to them is reserved the mist of darkness forever.
Naturally, these false prophets and false teachers – for that is what purveyors of ecumenicalism are – speak not according to this word. They distribute divers deceits and sundry sophistries which have superficial appeal, but are at their core sordid and devilish. Pray bear with me as I aim, by the power of the Holy Spirit, without whom I can do nothing, to divest this accursed movement of its tawdry garments of deceit, and lay its vileness bare before you.
ECUMENICAL LIE #1: CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH IS “LEGALISM”
“It isn’t right to push strict standards and separation from the world,” the ecumenical reasons. “That’s legalism and Pharisaical self-righteousness, not Christ’s love.” Considering the love of God is to keep his commandments (1 John 5:3), and considering among his commandments is the exhortation to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 1:3), and the command to “be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14), I would remark you are in error, sir. Obeying the Bible is Christ’s love – not disregarding his commandments to pursue the strange doctrines and carnal commandments of men. The “legalism” pejorative by which self-righteous ecumenical hypocrites so sneeringly brand faithful believers who seek to obey and please God properly applies to those who add to the gospel, as the Pharisees falsely insisted on circumcision and law keeping being necessary for salvation, and as ecumenicals and their fellow partners in religious crime falsely insist on following Jesus as the “Lord” of one’s life, turning from sins, surrendering one’s life to God, and inviting Christ into one’s heart being necessary for salvation.
Born-again believers – a group which does not include ecumenicals, since they corrupt the gospel and are not even saved themselves – do not have liberty to indulge the flesh. Being brought with a price, they are no longer the servants of sin, but the servants of God.Their liberty, rather than walking after their own ungodly lusts, is being ransomed from the bondage of sin, and freed by the blood of Christ’s cross. And, as their reasonable service is to be not conformed to this world, they are to separate from its wickedness, rebuke its error, expose its darkness, and have no fellowship with its sordid systems. If a man believes the King James Bible and desires to please God, then he will obey its commandments, including hating every false way (Psalm 119:104); reproving, rebuking, exhorting, will all longsuffering and doctrine (2 Timothy 4:2); not bidding God speed to those whose deny Jesus Christ is the Son of God (2 John 1:10); and warning all who will not believe the gospel of the everlasting fire by which they shall be tormented (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, Revelation 20:15).
ECUMENICAL LIE #2: SEPARATING FROM APOSTASY IS “STRAINING AT A GNAT”
“All of this talk about separation and distinctness isn’t Christ-like,” whines the ecumenical. “You’re straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel, but Jesus taught to love others.” The new man is created after God in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24), and if there is true holiness, it follows there must be a false holiness. The apostasy of neo-evangelicals and ecumenicalism is but one manifestation of that false holiness – a most repulsive thing. This false holiness is present when unsaved religious people sign “Christian” lyrics matched to heathen music, when they babble about “the Spirit” driving them to commit sin and disobey the Bible, when they prattle of “God’s will” being the complete disavowal of all biblical standards of separation, when they sycophantically gush over “men of God”, like John MacArthur, who preach an accursed false gospel. God hath not called true believers unto uncleanness (which most assuredly includes the false “holiness” of ecumenicalism), but unto true, biblical holiness.
Obeying the Bible is as “Christ-like” a deed as sinful man can do, because love is not to compromise over false doctrines and embrace error, but to walk after God’s commandments (2 John 1:6). As usual, the ecumenical is guilty of what he accuses believers of doing, for he swallows many camels by exulting in heresies and corruption.
ECUMENICAL LIE #3: EMPHASIZING “HARSH” DOCTRINES INTIMIDATES MEN AND TURNS THEM FROM CHRIST
“You shouldn’t try to scare people with all of this hell and damnation talk,” the ecumenical reasons. “Just focus on our commonalities and try to win them to Christ with love.” Sir, greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, yet Christ Jesus died for his friends and his enemies alike. Surely, you are familiar with the profound syllables of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you so desire for men to be won to Christ “with love”, what method could be better suited to the purpose than preaching the ultimate message of love, the gospel of Jesus Christ? Men are not turned away by hearing of the justice of God requiring he, in flaming fire, take vengeance on them that know not him, and obey not the gospel of his Son, for every particle of self-preservation within them compels them to throw themselves at the cross.
God so approves of “scaring people with all of this hell and damnation talk” that he commands his people to warn every man of the wrath that awaits their souls, should they perish in their sins (Colossians 1:27), and declares those who save many souls will “shine as the brightness of the firmament” (Daniel 12:3). “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15). The offensiveness of scripture doubtless turns men away from Christ, but what is the alternative? To assure all unbelievers God will not punish their unrighteousness, knowing all the while they will eternally inhabit the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone? That disgusting deception and hypocrisy is what ecumenicalism advocates, for to those detestable sons of Belial, a man’s soul is not important. By the ecumenical’s standards, where a man spends eternity matters far less than securing “unity” over “commonalities” with that man in this earthly life. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, and nations shall abhor him (Proverbs 24:24).
As an aside, I should add that men’s love for sin, and their repulsion at the disgusting hypocrisy of counterfeit Christians like ecumenicals, turns far more from Christ than the truth of the gospel.
ECUMENICAL LIE #4: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHICH GOSPEL IS PREACHED
“All of this fuss making over the gospel is a needless division and schism in the body of Christ,” the ecumenical snorts at those who distinguish the gospel of Jesus Christ from sundry counterfeits. “It doesn’t matter which gospel is preached.” In keeping with their utter lack of regard for men’s souls, ecumenicalism entertains a curious hypocrisy of proclaiming that which gospel is preached does not matter, while concurrently corrupting the gospel of Christ and disparaging those who preach the biblical truth that men can be saved simply by believing. In the first place, there can be no “schism in the body of Christ”, because ecumenicals preach false gospels, and thus are unsaved themselves. But it most assuredly does matter which gospel is preached, because there is only one way to heaven, and there is only one gospel, not a vague set of facts which can be interpreted as man pleases. The gospel was not given by men, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12), and when he defines the gospel as consisting only of his vicarious death on the cross, wherein the world’s sins were paid for by his precious blood; his burial; and his bodily resurrection, whereupon he ascended to sprinkle his shed blood on the heavenly mercy seat to complete his act of redemption (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), who are we to say it is otherwise, or hearken unto the accursed overtures of those who corrupt it?
Alas, the ecumenical, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish his own righteousness, hath not submitted himself unto the righteousness of God. He refuses to acknowledge that, as Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth (Romans 10:4), attempting to earn salvation by keeping the law is a foolish and futile endeavor. With the heart, man believeth unto righteousness (Romans 10:10) – not “follows Jesus as ‘Lord’ unto righteousness”, not “repents of his sins unto righteousness”, not “turns over a new leaf unto righteousness”, not “invites Christ into his heart unto righteousness”, not “is baptized and becomes religious unto righteousness” – but MAN BELIEVETH UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS. That righteousness, I must add, is not the righteousness of man, which is but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), but the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe (Romans 3:22). It matters which gospel is preached, and which gospel a man believes, because except he believe this gospel, and be born again thereby, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).
ECUMENICAL LIE #5: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHICH BIBLE IS USED
“The King James Bible only position is greatly hindering the spread of the gospel,” scorns the ecumenical. “It doesn’t matter which Bible is used. They’re all the word of God.” Ironic, that the same fools who corrupt the gospel, would be concerned about the King James Bible supposedly hindering its spread. Ironic, also, that, while declaring that it doesn’t matter which Bible is used, the ecumenical proceeds to lambast, criticize, disparage, and diminish the King James Bible, and bolster the depraved modern perversions, in every way possible. If it does not matter which Bible is used, why is ecumenicalism so devoted to destroying believers’ faith in the inspiration, preservation, perfection, and purity of the King James Bible? Why are they obsessed with insisting on its being “inferior” to the modern translations, and its being derived from “inferior” manuscripts, and its being frequently altered over the years (as an aside, the irony of supporting “scholarship” which incessantly alters the “Bibles” it produces, while falsely claiming the King James Bible has been frequently changed, is humorous).
The differences between the King James Bible and the modern “Bible” translations are so expansive, they cannot be listed in so brief an exposition as this. To that end, I refer you to my “Forever Settled in Heaven” page, where you will find a host of articles detailing the sundry and sordid corruptions within the modern “Bible” versions. I will only say here, that the modern versions, among many other things, preach a corrupt gospel, teach that Jesus and Lucifer are the same thing, condemn believers who expose error, delete Christ’s virgin birth, and diminish, if not outright remove, his deity. But, if you are fine with a “Bible” which does these things, and more, then I can only concur with the ecumenical that it is perfectly noble to disparage the pure words of God in the King James Bible while uplifting the vile modern perversions which seek to displace it.
ECUMENICAL LIE #6: WE ALL WORSHIP THE SAME GOD, ONLY IN DIFFERENT WAYS
“Who are you to say that other people’s religions are wrong?” the ecumenical snorts. “They’re worshipping God, only differently.” God must be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Ecumenicals like to think we are all on the “same team”, but we are not, and by insisting that evildoers and workers of iniquity are pleasing to God, they have wearied him (Malachi 2:17). Indeed, woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).
No unsaved person can even worship the true God, because they are at enmity with him, yet under his wrath. God desires to be worshipped in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 96:9) and according to the strict guidelines of scripture, not in any way that sinful man pleases. Besides, Immanuel himself “says that other people’s religions are wrong” by proclaiming himself to be the only way to heaven (John 14:6). O man, who art thou that repliest against God? The everlasting Father knows well that unsaved religious people draw night unto him with their mouth, and honor him with their lips, but their heart is far from him. And of these false worshippers whose idolatrous and sycophantic customs personify ecumenicalism, the Everlasting Father remarks, “But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9).
ECUMENICAL LIE #7: SINCERITY AND LOVE MATTER MORE THAN TRUTH
“God hears and answers every prayer, no matter to whom it is addressed, as long as it is sincere,” the ecumenical opines. Yet God says nothing of the kind. He will only hear the prayers of his people (that means born-again Christians washed in the blood of his Son, not unsaved religious people who spread false gospels of self-reformation and look down on other sinners) if they first humble themselves, for “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). Since God’s wrath abides on unbelievers (John 3:36), it can scarcely be asserted that he simultaneously hears and answers their prayers. All the sincerity and “love” in the world cannot make false doctrine true, cannot change that only by believing the gospel do men go to heaven, cannot change that Christ is the only way to heaven, cannot change that whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. The truth is of extreme importance to God, for he is truth (John 14:6) and his word is truth (John 17:17). He, unlike the men who claim he accepts many different false religions, cannot lie (Romans 3:4).
The truth of the gospel is what sets men free from bondage to the law of sin and death, not sincerity or “love.” To be sure, the truth must be spoken in love (Ephesians 4:15), but that love is concern for lost souls. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him (Psalm 126:6), is in stark contrast to deceiving unsaved people by assuring them that God will accept their false religion and false beliefs. “Don’t offend other people by telling them God disapproves of their sincere beliefs” – this is the voice of apathy, apostasy, indifference, cowardice, hatred. “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11) – this is the voice of love.
ECUMENICAL LIE #8: UNITY SHOULD BE BASED ON EXPERIENCES, NOT DOCTRINE
“You’re sowing needless schisms in the body of Christ,” the ecumenical snorts. “You should stop trying to divide believers over small differences and instead focus on our commonalities.” There can be no fellowship between light and darkness, dear reader. Righteousness and unrighteousness can never join together. Besides, as I mentioned above, since all who corrupt the gospel are unsaved, they are not even members in the body of Christ to begin with. Unity is a noble thing, but not if it comes at the expense of sound doctrine and biblical truth. Christ never commanded his disciples to preserve unity at all costs, but rather to preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), because he did not come to send peace on earth, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). He did not come to unite mankind beneath a banner of compromise and tolerance, but to set men at variance against even their dearest relations (Matthew 10:35). What part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Christians are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, but rather are to “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.” There are no qualifiers attached to this command. It does not say, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, except for causes like prayer and abortion”, or “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, except for political movements”, but simply, “BE YE NOT UNEQUALLY YOKED.” In preaching a vacuous “unity” at all costs, ecumenicalism once again spurns the holy scriptures to pursue the commandments and doctrines of men.
ECUMENICAL LIE #9: IT’S NOT YOUR PLACE TO JUDGE
“You have no right to judge somebody else’s beliefs or choices,” the ecumenical smugly sneers. “Besides, Jesus didn’t judge, and do you think you’re better than Jesus?” I suggest you acquaint yourself with John 7:24, where the Jesus you falsely claim to love and reverence commands his followers to “judge righteous judgement.” Contrary to what despicable liars like “He Gets Us” falsely portray, Jesus frequently judged. He warned of false prophets (Matthew 7:15) and false doctrines. He denounced the Pharisees and other religious leaders as serpents and generations of vipers (Matthew 23:33) who would die in their sins and spend eternity amidst the damnation of hell (John 8:24). He rebuked unsaved religious people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others (sounds a lot like ecumenicals) as hypocrites and workers of iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23). He warned of manmade doctrines in reproving false worshippers (Matthew 15:8-9).
The kind of judging which Christ warned against was the hypocritical, self-righteous condemnation of others as being greater sinners than oneself – which ecumenicals enjoy doing to fundamentalists. It was the hypocrisy of condemning another for something you yourself do; of judging a man as being a worse sinner than yourself; of looking down on others simply because they sin differently than you do; of sanctimoniously dismissing others as being inferior to yourself. This disgusting, repulsive hypocrisy – which the ecumenical gladly exhibits – is what Christ so warned against. Therefore, I ask you, ecumenical, who slanders the servants of God, who art thou that judgest another?
CONCLUSION
Ecumenicalism is the antithesis of biblical Christianity. It insists on unity when God commands separation, celebrates iniquity when God demands holiness, reverences false teachers whom God warns against, delights in apostasy and disobedience of Jehovah. It is heathenism wrapped in the cheap garb of counterfeit “Christianity”, which accepts everything except the strict doctrines of scripture and everyone except those who obey God by exposing false gospels and rebuking false teachers and warning against false ways that lead their followers into everlasting destruction and reproving false doctrines which destroy the singular distinctness of real Christianity. There is no light within its sordid maw, but only darkness, deceit, deception, despair. And of such vile movements as ecumenicalism, the Almighty commands the redeemed to “come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).
Dear reader, you need not be ensnared by the darkness of ecumenicalism. If you are yet unsaved, come to the light of the world, who gave himself for you on the cursed tree. Acknowledge you are a sinner who cannot save yourself from the everlasting fire you deserve. Believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, died for your sins, was buried, was bodily resurrected three days later unto your justification. And if you will receive the Lamb of God as your only hope for heaven, you will be ransomed from the wrath to come. Heed not the words of ecumenicals, in whom is no light, and look rather unto Jesus, the lover of your soul.