Lents Win Jesus Free

by

There is a lot of buzz in the Christian circles about Pastor Carl Lents of Hillsong New York stating on an interview with Oprah Winfrey that you don’t have to be a Christian to have a relationship with God. As with anything on the internet these days, it is difficult to separate the meat from the masala.201610-sss-717-1-949x534-360x240

I do not comment on doctrines of other churches, but there is confusion, it is my job to bring clarity to the ones I love and pastor.

I tried some official channels, only to be greeted with this message: This video contains content from OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds. I did manage to find the interview online, and as your pastor, I am sharing my findings here, albeit briefly.

In a recent interview on the Oprah Winfrey Network, Pastor Carl Lentz of Hillsong New York explains that he hopes that churches like his will “transform the way people experience their relationship with God.” Oprah then asks Carl Lentz, “do you believe that only Christians can be in a relationship with God.”

This is his reply:

No, I believe that when Jesus said that “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” the way I read that, Jesus said that he is the road marker, he is the map, so I think that God loves people so much, that whether they accept or reject him, he’s still gracious, and he’s still moving, and he’s still giving you massive red blinking lights, for chances to take a right turn when maybe you’d take a left, but I believe God loves people, and that’s what this whole gospel is based on, it’s love….

For this article, I will only analyze the statement above an not the whole interview, since this portion is the claimed source for the confusion. I will not look into any other convictions that Pastor Lents might or might not have. So before I begin, let me get a few things out of the way first.

  • Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.
  • Romans 3:23 (NKJV)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
  • Romans 6:23 (NKJV)  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • John 14:6 (NKJV)  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
  • Revelation 20:14-15 (NKJV) 14  Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

It is absolutely impossible to have a relationship with God without Jesus Christ. Those who seek the Lord, like Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian regiment in Acts 10,   whose prayers and alms had “come up for a memorial before God”, was instructed by an angel to send men to Joppa to fetch the Apostle Peter. The angel said that Peter “will tell you what you must do.” What Cornelius must do for what? That remission of sins is only through Jesus Christ. Here is what Peter said.

  • Acts 10:34-43 (NKJV) 34  Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35  But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36  The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ–He is Lord of all– 37  that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38  how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39  And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40  Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41  not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42  And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43  To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

So yes, without Jesus, your sorry resurrected ass along with your whole body, will be thrown into the lake of fire, have no doubt about that.

Now let us look at what Pastor Lents said when asked “do you believe that only Christians can be in a relationship with God.” My comments are in green.

  • No,
    1. If he left it at that, he would be tragically wrong, but he follows it up with
  • I believe that when Jesus said that “I am the way, the truth, and the life,”
    1. This is John 14:6, that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and this immediately contradicts what he just said.
    2. He used this scripture as the premises for what he has to say next
  • the way I read that, Jesus said that he is the road marker, he is the map,
    1. With a map in hand and a road marker, if you are seeking, you will get to where you want to go.
    2. In other words, he is saying that this is the exit sign from the highway to hell to the narrow way to heaven; Jesus
  • so I think that God loves people so much, that whether they accept or reject him, he’s still gracious, and he’s still moving,
    1. God is gracious to those who reject Him up until judgment day.
    2. Till then, the Lord’s heart to seek out those who seek him, like Cornelius
    3. 1 Timothy 2:4 (NKJV)  who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
    4. I believe Pastor Lents is saying just that.
  • and he’s still giving you massive red blinking lights, for chances to take a right turn when maybe you’d take a left, but I believe God loves people, and that’s what this whole gospel is based on, it’s love
    1. The massive red blinking lights, chances, right turn, left turn. The Gospel includes a warning, pointing to the savior. Is that not our job, to be this, to speak the truth in love?
    2. Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV)  Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
    3. The gospel is indeed based on the unconditional love of God, but to an end.
    4. Romans 2:4 (NKJV)  Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Though Pastor Carl Lents starts by answering no, which if left by itself would have been a grievous error, he continues to state what he believes. From what he has said, if taken in context, it cannot be concluded that he said that you don’t have to be a Christian to have a relationship with God.

“Preaching the gospel is a requirement of Scripture and must be done effectively in every generation. It is not an option. But Jesus preached from a boat, while Paul preached in the marketplace. Stephen preached on death row, and Paul preached in an upstairs room, late at night. Preaching styles, sermon length and vocabulary choices will vary from culture to culture and from generation to generation. Communication methods change, but the essential content of the message never does.” (London, H. B. Jr.; Wiseman, Neil B.. They Call Me Pastor: How to Love the Ones You Lead (p. 33). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition)

Leave a Comment