Buddha's Final Words versus Jesus' Final Words.
What follows is a popular false implication for the way Christians live.
The next day:
I responded to his first point: (1) Jesus' last recorded words are in Revelation (cf. Acts 9). Jesus' dying words are interesting to compare to other dying words.
Then I responded to his 2nd point: (2) I have great respect for Buddhism, though Hinduism is a more formidable rival to Christianity philosophically. CSL thought so too.
3hrs later, he followed up:
Refusing to back down, he repeated the same 2 tweets.
I was not going to let him repeat the same old errors without critique. I repeated myself too.
In short, there are 2 main concerns.
1) Misunderstanding of what Jesus' finished work on the cross means
Heb10 (ESV): 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Jesus finished his work of dying as a once-for-all-time-sin-sacrifice so that we can be forgiven of our sins. This is why repeated animal sacrifices under the Old-Covenant-Mosaic law are no longer required. The ultimate & final sin sacrifice has already been offered.
Notice that under the New-Covenant (v16-17), 2 things happen:
V16: Firstly, God changes the human heart and mind from the inside out. God's true people love his law, it is in their heart and mind. God has transformed our rebellious heart into an obedient heart.
V17: Secondly, God forgives our sins.
These 2 New-Covenant realities must be kept together.
New-Covenant heartfelt obedience to God's law + forgiveness of sins go together.
Someone who claims to be forgiven but refuses to practice New-Covenant, heartfelt obedience to God's law is not a Christian. He may be a Protestant. But he is not a Christian.
This is why the same letter to the Hebrews teaches 2 things explicitly:
Firstly, Old-Covenant animal sin sacrifices are no longer necessary. Your sins are forgiven because of Jesus' ultimate, final, once-for-all sacrifice. Jesus said, "It is finished!" This is the true sense of those 3 words "It is finished!"
AND
Secondly, you must strive to live a holy life.
Heb 12v14 (ESV): 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Jesus' "It is finished!" does not mean that becoming a disciple of Jesus does not require striving to be holy, living a righteous life and doing good works in order to be saved from God's wrath and enjoy eternal life with him.
True Christians strive unceasingly against sin. True Christians strive unceasingly to be holy.
Why? So that we can see the Lord Jesus and enjoy eternal life with him.
No holy life.
No eternal life.
No striving for holiness.
No seeing the Lord Jesus.
2) We should not give the impression that a false religion is worthy of "great respect".
That is a politically-correct, people-pleasing, flattering statement.
Acts 17v16: Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
Christians should feel a sense of provocation in our spirit when we witness the false worship of God. Not "great respect" like Tim Keller.
And we gently and respectfully call others from other religions to repent from their false worship of God.
1 Pet 3v15: in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect
We proclaim to them the Good News that they can be freed from spiritual slavery to false gods which will not save them.
Scripture teaches that false gods and false religions spiritually enslave their followers.
Gal4v8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
Jesus warned his own people, his fellow Jews, in fact, his own so-called "believers", that they were spiritually enslaved.
Jn6 (ESV): 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
Jesus knew they would be offended. But he told them the truth. They were spiritual slaves of sin, their father was the devil.
43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
Eventually, the conversation ended with his "believers" trying to stone Jesus to death.
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
So yes, sharing with someone that he has been spiritually enslaved can cause him to be offended and so offended as to even try to kill you.
But we cannot be politically-correct, people-pleasing flatterers. Tim Keller's "great respect" for a false religion may sit well with his Twitter followers and even non-Christians who read his tweet, but he has not spoken the truth like Jesus or Apostle Paul.
Prov29v25: The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in HE-IS is safe.
Larger concerns:
Rev. Dr. Timothy Keller did not just begin reading the Bible recently. Rev. Dr. Timothy Keller is a 71 year old world-famous Protestant leader. He has been trained at famous seminaries. Served as a pastor of 1 church. Then he founded another church in New York, co-founded The Gospel Coalition (TGC) together with D.A. Carson and is also Chairman and co-founder of a church planting network.
As of 3 Jan 2022, he is a TGC board member. "(TGC) Board members are representatives chosen by the council to help set the direction and provide oversight for the president and staff."
Rev. Dr. Timothy Keller has 468,000 Twitter followers. 1000s read his tweets.
Remember the tweet:
Buddha's Final Words: Strive unceasingly.
Jesus' Final Words: It is finished.
More than 8000 people liked it, more than 1000 retweeted it.
Clearly, many many many in the Protestant church are confused about the true differences between the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of other religions. Even a world-famous Protestant leader, TGC co-founder and board member!
Downplaying the need to strive for holiness in order to see Jesus and enjoy eternal life is a common Protestant error. It extends from the preachers to the pew.
What happens when Tim Keller was shown that his teaching contradicts the teaching of Jesus & his apostles who had no problem telling Christians to strive for holiness?
Did Tim Keller accept correction, retract his statements, revise his theology?
No. Just appeal to the mythical, man-made Protestant tradition: the imputed righteousness of Christ.
See: https://searchingscripture.wixsite.com/solascriptura/post/tim-keller-imputed-righteousness-of-christ
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