Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
Patrons of the Elephant Room must be seething and foaming at the mouth. The new “brother” they pronounced as orthodox has kicked up another storm. Just barely two months after T.D Jakes was given the thumbs up and a pat on the back by James Macdonald and Mark Driscoll (despite holding to Modalism, Word faith and prosperity teachings) he has now released a new book Let It Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven that has raised a few more eye brows.
T.D. Jakes recently released a new book on forgiveness that has at least one critic accusing the renowned preacher of denying the doctrine of original sin.
Chris Rosebrough, an apologist, rejected Jakes’ statement to CP that forgiveness is innate and unforgiveness is learned from one’s environment. There isn’t a “single passage (in Scripture) that says human beings are by nature forgiving,” he argued.
Rosebrough explored the premise of Jakes’ new book Let It Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven on his radio program, “Fighting for the Faith.”
Jakes is the pastor of the 30,000-member The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, and his book claims that people learn how to be unforgiving by behavior modeled to them, so this means they can also unlearn it and become forgiving…
But Rosebrough said not so fast. There are “many passages that say we are by nature evil, sinful, at war with God, objects of God’s wrath, dead in trespasses and sins,” he contended.
Jakes’ idea of being forgiving in nature makes it seem like there is something good in our nature, which also would be running contrary to the Word of God, Rosebrough argued. He called the idea that children are naturally forgiving an “argument from limited experience.”
Jakes, meanwhile, has stated in an earlier interview with CP that people “come here with a certain propensity to be open, loving, accepting, and trusting. We learn to be unforgiving, doubtful, suspicious, guilt-ridden, and anxious.”
[Rosebrough further added] we are commanded to obey God’s law perfectly even though this is impossible. Jesus was the only human that actually did that. He explained that if someone thinks they can keep God’s law, then they don’t understand the depth and magnitude of their inborn sinful nature.
What we can be sure of, Rosebrough said, is that “Jesus taught us to pray daily for God’s forgiveness.” And in talking about sinful or unforgiving behavior, it shouldn’t be about you “unlearning” a behavior, it should be about asking, “Do I need a crucified and risen savior for any of that?”
For Rosebrough, the answer is a resounding yes.
This shows if T.D is to be brought to orthodoxy he will have to be dragged in kicking and screaming all the way. Surely that requires a work within him that no other man can do. How many heresies will one man espouse and remain obstinate?
Oh the misery of it all.
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 
Yikes & crikey, Michael. “Man ain’t so bad” reminds me of the “hath God really said” argument in Gen. Wow, Jakes does appear to deny original sin! How else could he claim that corruption is learned? Astounding!
Folks, this is what happens when you “agree to disagree” . I hope James McDonald gets pinned down and forced to explain himself. Jakes, Driscoll, Furtick, Noble…not the kind of elephants you want in the real church.
In the words of the great theologian Osteen, let’s just love one another and not try to correct each other.
When did Osteen become a theologian?
I always thought he was 😉
@Truthinator:
“I hope James McDonald gets pinned down and forced to explain himself. Jakes, Driscoll, Furtick, Noble…not the kind of elephants you want in the real church.”
Don’t hold your breath. They’ll give him a few softballs, at best, and just rename it as orthodox. What’s the big deal anyway? It’s only the doctrine of original sin. Who really understands it?
/sarc
Mike-I feel dumb for asking, but I would like to become un-dumb. What is the elephant room, and where can I find more info about it? I have heard you guys throw this phrase around, but don’t know to what you are referring.
Well a bunch of evangelical christians (led by James Macdonald) got together and decided to have a couple of sessions where they would discuss several major issues happening in Christian circles. That is to say they would discuss the proverbial “elephant in the room”. They named the forum the “Elephant Room”…. The first Elephant Room session was followed by the most controversial session which was Elephant Room 2. The main issue of contention in the second session was when T.D Jakes was invited to attend. Many in conservative circles disaggreed with this because T.D Jakes is not orthodox because he is a non-trinitarian and has never renounced his non-trinitarian views (he was ordained as a Bishop in a non-trinitarian church and is a patron to several Oneness Pentecostal church orgainsations). That said, Elephant Room 2 was hastily convened and T.D Jakes remained vague in his definitions of the doctrine of the trinity but was applauded and confirmed as an orthodox brother in the Lord. This led to a fall out as through out church histrory non trinitarians plus jehovah’s witnesses have always taken to be holding heretical doctrinal stances. For more information check here:https://atwistedcrownofthorns.com/tag/elephant-room/ and here: http://thecripplegate.com/herding-the-elephants/
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