The Positive Prophet of Red Letter Christianity
It seems the Red Letter folks have missed the connection between wrong theology, wrong beliefs, and eternal consequences.
If wrong theology and right theology have no bearing on a person going to heaven or hell, then why did God tell us just the opposite in Scripture? If true doctrine doesn't have the power to lead a person into the Savior's arms forever, then what good is the Bible? Obviously, some well-meaning Christians have not worked through all the implications of what Jesus actually taught about heaven, hell, and sexuality.
I suppose it's not always easy to be a positive prophet of red letter Christianity. After all, no loving person enjoys addressing uncomfortable topics, especially when family members are involved. Tony Campolo loves his son, and he also loves people around the world. Such love is noble and praiseworthy. At the same time, one must question what kind of "Christianity" people end up with if the "less than positive" aspects of Scripture are discounted as nothing more than right-wing rhetoric.
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And who gets to define what is "positive" in the first place? Has God ever declared that Scripture has some positive aspects as well as some negative aspects? Or did the Holy Spirit simply deliver the entire Bible to us as the truth? You know, red letters and all.
Come to think of it, the gruesome nature of the cross where Christ suffered and died was not exactly a "positive" experience, to say the least. That is, unless you come to grasp the big picture as laid out not only in the red letters of the New Testament, but throughout all of Scripture. If a person is going to do away with sexual sin and hell, then what about the crucifixion? Maybe that's another area where some major revisions could help make Christianity a little more positive.
And sure enough, there are plenty of folks today who choose to redefine why Jesus endured horrendous pain, suffering, and death on the cross.
You see, those who tamper with Scripture always end up tampering with more than just one doctrine. They get lost in the forest of human reasoning, and they assume that their progressive ideas are superior to those traditional doctrines of the atonement, sexual sin, and eternal hell. Or if not superior, at least more positive.
It's certainly convenient to pick and choose which words of the Bible you are going to affirm. But after all is said and done, a person can end up talking himself right out of the message which came straight from the Holy Spirit into the minds of God's prophets and apostles. (see 2 Peter 1:20,21 & 2 Tim. 3:16)
It is truly disconcerting when "positive prophets" present dangerous new doctrines which were never spoken by our Savior, and therefore never written in red letters. To put it simply, these new doctrines are rooted in human emotions rather than in biblical facts.
But that shouldn't come as a big surprise to anyone. All of us would be tempted to tamper with God's Word if we allowed our emotions to dictate our interpretation of the Bible. Our unstable feelings can easily run rampant over the unchanging nature of Scripture, if we allow it.
Feelings come and go, and they change over time. Tony Campolo's feelings gradually changed concerning God's design for human sexuality. But Tony's feelings and opinions are not nearly as reliable as the Word of God. And so positive prophets will continue to spin their tale of a theology which brings people of all religions to heaven, and which allows man to define the appropriate boundaries for his sexual experiences.
But let's never forget that not all prophets speak on behalf of the Lord. In the words (and red letters) of Jesus, "Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." (Matthew 11:24) Whether you consider that statement from our Lord to be "positive" or not, it is the truth. And truth always outweighs man's emotions, opinions, and fluctuating feelings.
