It is time for moral courage where Christian leaders are what they were commissioned by God to be—spiritual leaders. Leaders who are less worried about  how the world views them and more concerned about how they view the world. Leaders who defend the congregation of the righteous by exposing the lies of the world and teaching the Truth of God.          

Unfortunately, there is a neglected side of Christian apologetics which is leaving the Church exposed to the threat from the world. Generally, apologetics is thought of as defending the Faith against objections from the atheists. Of course, that is right. Sadly, even apologetics of this kind has fallen upon hard times among evangelical ranks, but that is not the point here. The concern here is the role of apologetics with a view to defending the Christian community against the lies of world. This is done by informing the Christian community not only of the truth of God but exposing the diabolical designs of Satan which so often come in the form of a lie. Unfortunately, too many present-day sermons reflect what Christian Smith calls moralistic therapeutic deism, leave Christian mercilessly exposed to the Faith-diluting strategies of the Enemy.  While evangelicals rightly talk much about the winning lost to Christ,  little is done to prevent Christians being lost to the world. This does not suggest necessarily that Christians are not going to church, but they are re-thinking the doctrines of the Faith. Evangelical leadership, for all they do that is right, are failing to prepare Christians to live in a world ruled by ideas subversive to the Christian mind and soul. These are ideas that twist the proper of ordering of proper Christian sentiments. Christians do not have some automatic immunity against such philosophical viruses. Rather immunity must be developed by serious biblical teaching that defines the Truth of God and exposes the lies of the world. This is the work of a true shepherd of the flock of God ( I Peter 5:1-4). A proper pastor not only feeds the sheep on Truth, but also identifies the noxious weeds toxic to the Christian mind and soul.  Contentless moralizing sermons punctuated with culturally crafted language simply will not do the job. Christians cannot escape the poisonous lies of the world.
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Written by H.B. Charles Jr. |
Monday, December 11, 2023
Some celebrated preachers dare to say that Jesus was wrong when he declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). You don’t have to believe this divine claim. However, you cannot claim to follow Jesus and call him a liar. It is one thing to neglect the Great Commission. It is another thing to cancel it by deeming it unnecessary. What will your legacy be? That question has nothing to do with size, numbers, or prominence. It has everything to do with your fidelity to biblical authority, sound doctrine, and gospel truth.

Waking up after a long Sunday nap, I surfed channels and landed on Carlton Pearson’s broadcast. He was a younger preacher than many on TV. His church was jampacked, mega-sized, and racially diverse. A traditional black preacher, Pearson even “whooped” – backed by a Hammond organ. This set of ministry dynamics is rare now. Imagine how alien it was thirty years ago. 
I was encouraged by the message I heard that night. Pearson was articulate, joyful, and – from what I could tell – sound. None of the subsequent messages I heard raised any red flags. For the record, I was (am) a non-Charismatic Baptist preacher. Pearson was Pentecostal (At this point, I did not know about his connection to Oral Roberts and “Prosperity Theology”). However, Pearson did not preach in a way that would turn off a non-Pentecostal. 
It was not long between hearing Carlton Pearson’s name for the first time and hearing it everywhere. His national TV broadcast grew in popularity. He was consecrated a “bishop.” His Azusa Conference drew tens of thousands – bringing together different ethnicities, denominations, and traditions. His speaker line-up may have been unknown when they stood up, but they were household names soon after they sat down. Pearson’s singing was as good as his preaching, maybe better. His music recordings gave a new generation a love for the old songs of the church, all while giving contemporary Gospel artists a national platform. 
Then, out of nowhere, it all came crashing down. 
After watching a documentary, Pearson’s theological positions radically shifted. He began to preach what he called “The Gospel of Inclusion.” Discerning Christians recognized his doctrinal shift as the old heresy of Universalism wearing makeup and a new dress. A “college of bishops” charged him with heresy. After allowing Pearson to defend himself, the group concluded that he was preaching “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6-10).
Bishop Pearson would soon lose everything he built – his home, church, conference, platform, and associations. 
Unfortunately, we regularly hear about the downfall of high-profile religious personalities. Most of the time, ministers are disqualified for moral failures or financial improprieties. Sometimes, the preacher is ousted after being on the losing end of a church fight. 
Carlton Pearson’s downfall was unique. He was not brought down by money, sex, or power. Members fled his church for doctrinal reasons. Admirers lost respect for him because of his position on eternal punishment. Friends shunned him because he denied the existence of hell.
Hell is the most unpopular subject in the Bible. You would think people would be glad to hear the finished work of Christ meant everyone goes to heaven. But for Pearson to be right would mean the Bible is wrong. That Jesus himself was wrong. It was a bridge too far for even Pearson’s most fervent allies. When men who deny the Trinity, make false prophecies, and teach Word of Faith theology call you a heretic, you’re a heretic!  
Carlton Pearson was given many opportunities to teach and defend his Gospel of Inclusion. During these occasions, he stated his convictions clearly, articulately, and graciously – though not convincingly. Yet those who debated him were often unable to pin him down. He sincerely explained his error better than his detractors explained the truth. 
Over the years, Pearson remained on the outskirts of church life. He was not embraced in orthodox circles. Yet he was not wholly shunned. He was generally received warmly when he popped up, as many Christians remembered what he once meant to them.
Meanwhile, Pearson roamed further away from the biblical and historic Christian faith. He flatly rejected the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. He led a Unitarian Church and a New Thought congregation. And he affirmed homosexuality and gay marriage as legitimate Christian lifestyles. 
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According to Christ, every word will be judged, which reveals that there will be a greater condemnation for some people than for others. In Luke 12:47-48, Jesus contrasts two servants who were given a command to follow, and one received a “severe beating” while another received a “light beating.” This too illustrates a difference in punishment that will be issued at the return of Christ.

The doctrine of hell is one that is often neglected or avoided simply because of the weightiness and darkness of the subject. However, it’s critically important that Christians speak about hell in the way that the biblical text speaks about hell. Our doctrinal positions should be formed on the basis of Scripture rather than our feelings about a specific subject. Is your doctrine of hell different than Jesus’ doctrine of hell?
What Did Jesus Teach About Hell?
In Jesus’ earthly ministry, he preached many sermons and taught on various subjects which are visibly evident in his most famous sermon known as “The Sermon on the Mount.” The preaching of Jesus was not exactly light. As the Prophet greater than Moses, Jesus thundered the truth of the Kingdom of God including heaven and the judgment of God in “the hell of fire” (Matt 5:22). Jesus pointed to the certainty of both heaven and hell. Jesus likewise spoke of the eternality of both heaven and hell (Matt 25:46).
The Lord Jesus himself frequently described hell as a place of righteous judgment upon rebels and lawbreakers. We see evidence of Jesus’ doctrine of hell in multiple passages (Matt 5:22; 8:12; 10:28; 13:42; 24:51; 23:33; 25:30; Mark 9:43–48; Luke 13:28). In these texts, we see weighty language of wrath, retribution, and punishment that point to the holy vengeance of a sovereign God who must judge sinners.
In Jesus’ parable in Luke 16 regarding the rich man and Lazarus, the doctrine of divine judgment in hell is illustrated vividly as the rich man immediately drops into the abyss of hell after his death. In the flames of hell, the rich man requests a drop of water to cool his tongue, because he states that he was in “anguish” in the flames of judgment (Luke 16:24). In contrast, Jesus points to the fact that the poor man (Lazarus) was in complete comfort in the presence of Abraham (Luke 16:25). The presence of Abraham was a means of illustrating a place of blessing since the Jews idolized Abraham as their Jewish hero. The parable points to the severity of the divine vengeance of God.
When we examine Jesus’ parables and his preaching on the doctrine of hell, it’s clear that he intentionally employed key words to underscore the severity of hell.
Fire: Jesus often used the imagery of fire to illustrate the punishment awaiting the unrepentant. In Matthew 25:41 we find these words by Jesus, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (ESV).
Outer Darkness: This term highlights the separation from God’s presence and the despair associated with eternal punishment. In Matthew 8:12, Jesus said, “while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (ESV).
Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth: This is descriptive language indicating the anguish and regret of those facing judgment. In Matthew 13:42, Jesus  warned that those who experience the final judgment of God will be thrown “into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (ESV).
Degrees of Punishment
The Bible teaches that hell will be more severe for some people than for others. While all unbelievers who die outside of the grace of God will experience the wrath of God for eternity in hell, we must recognize the clear teachings of Scripture that point to varying degrees of punishment in hell.
In Luke 10 and Matthew 11, a parallel passage is found in both Gospels that points to the reality of different degrees of punishment in hell. It may come as a surprise to some people, but Jesus actually taught that hell would be more severe for those who lived in cities like Capernaum than for those who lived in the wicked city of Sodom. Notice the words of Jesus from Matthew 11:
“Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”1
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