Moody Church Pastor Lutzer Contradicts D. L. Moody

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, the esteemed pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, dilutes foundational passages of warning though masses of Moody supporters do not know it. Dr. Lutzer does so by promising the pearly gates to the apostate and in this plainly contradicts the founder of his own movement, D. L. Moody, on Christian basics.

Thousands of faithful believers who appreciate much of Dr. Lutzer's inspirational teaching do not know that their beloved pastor and leader (as well as his publisher Moody Press) has strayed from the basic, salvation doctrines of their founders. When these Christians accept Erwin Lutzer's teaching they think they are in line with scripture as well as D. L. Moody, but is this assumption true? Consider Paul's warning to the Galatians:

The deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-21).

These verses are surely simple enough without interpretation, but I must ask: What message is Paul trying to convey in this passage? What does the phrase, "shall not inherit" actually mean? "For if ye live after the flesh," warns Paul in another verse, "ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." True to generations of history, Paul issues a manifest warning about the dangers of not entering the eternal kingdom of God for those who refuse to repent.

Regarding this unambiguous passage Dr. Lutzer says, "Paul speaks of those who will forfeit certain kingdom privileges because of their sinful lifestyles....Those who practice such sins will not be barred from entering the kingdom, but will be barred from inheriting it" ( Lutzer, Your Eternal Reward, p. 70). Indeed, dear reader, Erwin W. Lutzer, who promotes himself as "helping us make it across the finish line," promises the pearly gates to the unrepentant who practice and are even characterized by impurity, sorcery or idolatry!

"If one or more of these sins characterizes their Christian lives, and they refuse to judge the evil, they will forfeit the honor of kingdom rule" (Lutzer, Your Eternal Reward, p. 70).

Refuses to judge the evil? Characterizes? To characterize, says Webster, is to be the distinctive character trait, or the distinguishing feature. Friend, may drunkenness be the distinguishing feature of a Christian inevitably bound for paradise? May the drunkard staggering from the local bar night after night be a Christian destined for an eternity in the holy kingdom of God? Dwight L. Moody, the man under whose name Dr. Lutzer's egregious notions are propagated, did not think so! Consider:

I pity any alleged Christians who rent their property for drinking saloons; I pity them with all of my heart. If you ever want to inherit the kingdom of God, give it up. This notion that all is well, and that all are going into the kingdom of God, whether they repent or not, isn't taught anywhere in the Scriptures (D. L. Moody, Sermon: Heaven, Its Inhabitants).

Together with Paul and historic Christianity, D. L. Moody believed and taught that if we do not inherit the kingdom we surely do not enter it or even see it. Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer's unorthodox interpretation of Galatians 5:19-21 has given salvation assurance where none actually exists and it has strayed far from the scripturally vested opinions of the founder of his own movement. Though Erwin W. Lutzer, is a pastor and is published by "Moody Press" he does not accurately represent Mr. Moody or the scriptures. In our correspondence Pastor Lutzer did not respond to the fact that his teaching contradicts that of D. L. Moody on fundamental points.

Daniel LaLond's book, The Lying Promise, addresses in detail many more contradictions in the teaching of Erwin W. Lutzer. Visit Defending The Gospel for more on The Lying Promise.