Christ our Mighty Champion

Hopefully you were able to watch Joel Osteen tonight on 60 minutes.  Hopefully what you saw made you throw up like me.  Not much needs to be said following the critique by Michael Horton (professor at Westminster West) who, with Righteous tact, described Osteen’s message as a “cotton candy gospel,” and who also said that, if Osteen’s message was music, it would rightly be categorized as “easy listening.”  One needs not question Michael Horton’s critique of Joel Osteen as a heretic….consider this quote from J.C. Ryle:

“Jesus is a name, which is peculiarly sweet and precious to believers.  It has often done them good, when the favour of kings and princes would have been heard of with unconcern.  It has given them what money cannot buy, even inward peace.  It has eased their wearied consciences, and given rest to their heavy hearts.  The Song of Solomon speaks the experience of many, when it says, ‘Thy name is as ointment poured forth.’  (Song of Solomon 1:3)  Happy is that person, who trusts not merely in vague notions of God’s mercy and goodness, but in ‘Jesus.’”

What does that quote have to do with Joel Osteen?  It has nothing to do with him because he obviously doesn’t believe in Jesus.  Careful watching of the 60 minutes interview reveals that Joel Osteen never once mentioned the name of Jesus throughout the duration of the entire interview!  Even when probed by the newsreporter to give his baseline message, Joel insisted that all he wanted to do was to teach people about forgiving one another and to instruct people in how to be merciful!  If that is his baseline message Osteen is in trouble!

Is Joel Osteen a heretic?  There is a more pressing issue.  Joel Osteen isn’t a believer!  He is both an unbeliever and a heretic and in the words of Paul, his  “mouth must be stopped.” Titus 1:11

1 Timothy 3:1-7

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godlines, but denying its power.  Avoid such people.  For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”

We need to pray for Joel Osteen’s salvation and the salvation of those who are members of his “church.” (In quotations because it is NOT a church)