Date a Mormon for Free Narnia Tickets
StandingTogether.org
is providing free Narnia tickets in groups of two. To get these tickets
however, one member of the couple must be an evangelical Christian and
a second a Mormon (official rules here).
Do not get me wrong in the purpose of this post, I do not think that
Christians and Mormons should not be friends - in fact, many of my
nonChristian friends are Mormon. The purpose of this post is so that
those friends and others out there may realize that the claims like those made in recent books like A Different Jesus
While Standing Together is actively promoting interaction, relationship, and dialogue with the Mormon culture, we believe it makes clear the distinction between Mormon theology and that of the historic Christian Church.
However - and this is likely not the fault of the organization, just a by product of dialog where little has existed before - I have had mormons cite interaction with the mormon community by people like Ravi Zacharias and Richard Mouw as evidence that there really isn't that much difference between us, saying that I'm making a big deal out of nothing or that I am simply being divisive. There is often much common ground between Mormons and evangelicals regarding political and moral views; however when it comes to the God, Jesus (God), man, sin, salvation, there is literally no common ground.
We do use a lot of the same words, our ethical principles are similar, and somebody named Jesus is important to both groups, but that is about it. Mormons who know their doctrine know that, and any Christian should know that too. James White has some excellent observations here. Take away the doctrinal distinctives of each Mormonism and Evangelical Christianity and you have neither. If there was truth in either Evangelical Christianity or Mormonism then we should have neither, in fact according to the Bible "we are of all people most to be pitied (1 Cor 15:19)" for we have both been deceived in putting our hope in something that was not true, in spending time that could have been spent in hedonistic pursuits laying up treasures in heaven. Our participation in "religion" has no more significance than being in Rotary or Boy Scouts.Now, my concern in writing this is not that the Mormon church maintain it's doctrine, but that Christians not be convinced that there is not a profound difference between us and Mormons. And the difference that matters most, the one with which I will never "agree to disagree" is the Gospel. In that word, gospel, there are many profound disagreements, in which are contained the answers to the questions: (1) Who is God?, (2) Who am I, (3) Who is Jesus?, (4) Why do I need to be saved? and (5) How am I saved (What did Jesus accomplish on the cross?).
I will not go into all of these now, please comment if you think it would be beneficial to explore each of these. The essence of what all needers need to know is that when Jesus (God) stepped out of heaven into earth in the form of a man, paid the price for our sin which separates us for eternity from Holy God, and our position for now and for eternity is to worship and enjoy Jesus (who is God), a gift which we never could have earned and can never attempt to repay - that is the gift of salvation. Jesus died the death that we deserve, to give us righteousness that is not ours, so that we can be with God for eternity.