The Manhattan Declaration, Sounds Good Doesn't It?Prophecy Chat by Sharon L. Clemens

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION? SOME CHRISTIAN RADIO HOSTS ARE TOUTING IT AS A SIGN OF REVIVAL IN AMERICA...BUT IS IT? As sincere believers pray for spiritual revival, be sure that Satan is quick to infiltrate the good intentions of many in order to deceive. The Manhattan Declaration, a document that is circulating through Christian groups, purports to be a uniting instrument of morality and social change. But according to evangelical leaders such as John MacArthur, the document leaves out the key component for Christian unity--a definition of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only under a clear declaration of salvation by grace, through faith--not of works--can the label "Christian" be applied [Ephesians 2:8-9]. To see John MacArthur's views on The Manhattan Declaration, [Click Here].

Following is one of the main reasons MacArthur sites for NOT signing the Declaration:

"Although I obviously agree with the document's opposition to same-sex marriage, abortion, and other key moral problems threatening our culture, the document falls far short of identifying the one true and ultimate remedy for all of humanity's moral ills: the gospel. The gospel is barely mentioned in the Declaration. At one point the statement rightly acknowledges, "It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season"--and then adds an encouraging wish: "May God help us not to fail in that duty." Yet the gospel itself is nowhere presented [much less explained] in the document or any of the accompanying literature. Indeed, that would be a practical impossibility because of the contradictory views held by the broad range of signatories regarding what the gospel teaches and what it means to be a Christian."

This Declaration is another attempt to save the world without saving souls. Chuck Swindoll summed up the problem of empty social reform by quoting Dr. J. Vernon McGee: God didn't tell us to clean the fish bowl; He told us to fish! [ Mark 1:17] This Declaration represents false Christian unity based on social reform, or human works. Satan loves to get the Church of Jesus Christ involved in fruitless campaigns that clean up the outside without saving from the inside out. As our Lord said, the pig will return to the mud unless there is true conversion [ 2 Peter 2:22]. But since the signers of the Declaration cannot agree on how to be "saved," the Gospel is omitted--making it powerless to achieve real social change.

THE CAUTION IS THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT SIGN WILL BE LABELED COMPLACENT OR DIVISIVE.

True Christianity, through the call of Christ, His justification of our sins and the sanctification of ours lives to reflect the righteousness of Christ Jesus, naturally results in true moral revolution and social reform [Romans 8:29-30]. NO TRUE BELIEVER IN CHRIST JESUS WOULD DENY OUR NATION DESPERATELY NEEDS MORAL IMPROVEMENT...WE JUST DO NOT AGREE ON THE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH IT! When conversion takes place, each believer becomes a vehicle of God for social reform, but it must begin with true salvation, by grace alone through faith alone. Many of the signers of the Declaration would never agree that salvation does not also include works righteousness. But, without faith in the atoning work of Christ ALONE, there is no conversion, and no Christianity.

[Click Here] for the recent article by [Lighthouse Trails Research Project], detailing the contents of the Declaration and its hidden agenda. Any so-called Christian movement that is NOT based on the true Gospel is not of God--it is false unity that is leading to the one-world false church and its Babylonian Mystery Religion of New Age Spirituality. Many are being deceived in these days by their lack of discernment. Recall that our Lord warned us in [Matthew 24] that deception would be Satan's primary weapon in the end times. Satan already occupies the world; he is now infiltrating evangelical groups with his lies and manipulation. Don't be deceived.

In Him We Wait, Work, and Watch,
[Luke 12:35-59]
Sharon
[Prophecy Chat is a weekly commentary of current events in light of Bible prophecy. Sharon L. Clemens is an evangelical, premillennial, dispensational teacher of eschatology. She can be reached for comment or questions by e-mail at farmgrove@verizon.net]