The Lord Jesus Christ warned His followers, "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheepʼs clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Matt. 7:15). The warning was important because Jesus later said to them: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves" (Matt. 10:16). The apostle Paul, with tears and a deeply troubled spirit, penned a similar warning: "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock" (Acts 20:29). Throughout church history these warnings have seldom been taken seriously. Christians continue to be deceived because they can not discern truth from error.
The following debate between Mike Gendron and Tim Staples appears in the January - February 2012 Issue of Catholic Answers Magazine.
Mike Gendron’s First Affirmation
God promises eternal life to those who repent and believe the glorious Gospel of Grace. When He gives spiritual life to those who are dead in their sins, He does not place them on probation or give them conditional life. Eternal life is given by grace through faith so that the divine promise can be guaranteed (Rom. 4:16).
One of the most effective ways to communicate the Gospel of grace is to ask questions. This method was used often by the Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples as they engaged the lost. Asking questions also shows people that you care for them. Usually people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
The Lord Jesus had some hard questions for good Jews. He asked questions, not only to make His Gospel known, but also to expose the errors of religious leaders. Jesus challenged Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, about his knowledge of the Kingdom of God: "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?" (John 3:10).
Since the earliest times organized religion has displayed a lamentable inability to distinguish between the truth of God's Word and false presentations of it. Satan's strategy to attack, misrepresent and pervert the Christian religion has continued unabated throughout the last 2000 years. It is our duty to expose all forms of deception and warn the victims who have embraced the lie.
A coalition of 150 Catholic, Orthodox and evangelical leaders, calling themselves "Christians" and "fellow believers," have joined together in ecumenical unity to fight against abortion, same-sex marriage and anything that betrays their religious beliefs. On November 20th, a 4,700-word document called the Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience was released (http://manhattandeclaration.org/). The document was drafted byChuck Colson and Princeton University professor Robert George, a Roman Catholic.
If ever there was a more important time for faithful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ to take a stand for the truth, it is now. Many evangelicals are praising John Paul II for being a great spiritual leader. But why are they giving such honor to the former head of an apostate church which keeps over a billion people in spiritual darkness?
There are times when our faith is tested and this is indeed such a time. Will we honor the Lord Jesus or praise the pope who denied the sufficiency of Christ and rejected His finished work of redemption? Will we earnestly contend for the faith or say what the world wants to hear? On the Larry King Live show (2/24/05), Billy Graham praised John Paul as "the greatest moral and spiritual leader of the last 100 years." Graham said: "He's traveled the whole world, giving his version of the Gospel and spreading the Catholic faith." Later on April 2, after his death, Graham told King that there is no question John Paul II is now with the Lord. Jack Van Impe also assured his TV audience on April 16 that the pope is now in heaven. Rob Moll, the online assistant editor for Christianity Today wrote: "The pope stood for truth, as revealed in God's Word and his creation."
Anyone who has read the Bible knows that man's greatest problem is sin. There is a day of judgment coming when God's holy anger will be poured out on unforgiven sinners. Since no one can escape God's justice, man's greatest need is divine forgiveness. Every other human need in this life pales in comparison with our need to be forgiven of the eternal debt for our sins. Without God's forgiveness, we would all be destined for a fiery furnace with absolutely no hope of escape. God created man to exist forever, either eternally separated from Him in hell because of sin, or eternally reconciled to Him in heaven because of His forgiveness. Those who have experienced God's forgiveness are blessed with an everlasting joy and a peace that surpasses all understanding. However there are many who have never been forgiven because they have been deceived about this most important doctrine. There is no excuse for being deceived because God's word sets forth the truth plainly for everyone to see. The Scriptures reveal how God graciously forgives sins completely and forever.