PROMISE KEEPERS SPEAKER ACCEPTS NON-

PROMISE KEEPERS SPEAKER ACCEPTS NON-TRINITARIANS AND SAYS HE DRAWS NO LINES

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September 2, 1997 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Several people have requested information on John Maxwell in recent weeks. Maxwell is a new evangelical type who speaks frequently at Promise Keepers meetings. His careless attitude toward the truth is evident in his participation at a Successful Church Leadership conference at Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in March 1995, January 1996, and again in spring 1997. At these forums he joined hands with the modernist Robert Schuller (who redefines salvation to mean psychological self-esteem and sin to mean loss of self-esteem) and with a hodgepodge of other biblically unsound men, including Jack Hayford, John Wimber, Bill Hybels, and Tony Campolo. More than 80 gay and lesbian pastors with the Metropolitan Community Churches participated in that conference this year (Evangelicals Concerned Record, Spring 1997).

Maxwell's unbiblical attitude is also evident in remarks he made after speaking before some 1,500 United Pentecostal Church (UPC) ministers in February 1997. The United Pentecostal Church (UPC), part of the heretical movement called "Jesus Only" which dates back to 1914, denies the doctrine of the Trinity and teaches that baptism and tongues speaking are a necessary part of salvation. Following is the UPC statement on salvation:

"The basic and fundamental doctrine of this organization shall be the Bible standard of full salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance" (UPC doctrinal statement, Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, p. 861).

My friends, "full salvation" is to believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). In this passage of Scripture Paul distinctly described the Gospel that he preached, and he said absolutely nothing about baptism or tongues. If baptism were a part of the Gospel, the Apostle Paul would not have said, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect" (1 Cor. 1:17). That statement is meaningless if baptism is a part of the Gospel. No, baptism is a picture of the Gospel and it follows the Gospel as the first step of obedience in the Christian life. The United Pentecostal Church preaches a false gospel.

When questioned about his involvement with the UPC, Maxwell is quoted as saying that rather than trying to "fix" the UPC theologically, he simply embraces them as Christians and offers his seminars to help them grow in Christ. "I DON'T DRAW LINES. I have a great appreciation for the hearts of these people" (Ibid.).

This unscriptural philosophy is shared by of much of the "Evangelical" Christian world today, and it is why the Promise Keepers movement has had such success in spite of the fact that its philosophy and practice is so clearly contrary to the Word of God.

God's Word instructs us to draw lines between sound doctrine and false doctrine.

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE WHICH YE HAVE LEARNED; and avoid them" (Romans 16:17).

"As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, THAT THOU MIGHTEST CHARGE SOME THAT THEY TEACH NO OTHER DOCTRINE" (1 Timothy 1:3).

New Evangelical leaders like John Maxwell refuse to obey these commands.