Chapter Twelve

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Discussion Questions

Think about all the teaching you have listened to or read in the past three months. How much of it focused on the atoning power of the blood of Jesus? How much of it warned about the danger of refusing to repent from sin? How much of it described the reality of Hell? How much of it first described what Jesus did for you before it covered what God wants for you? Did it focus only on God meeting your needs or did it motivate you to do your part in meeting the needs of others?

We all know that 2+2 = 4. What if a likeable, charismatic, enthusiastic “minister” claimed that 2+2 = 3.99? And what if millions of people watched this person on television talked about how great his 3.99 message was? Would you say, “Hmmm, that’s a little different than I’ve been taught, but it’s very close…I agree!” What would you say are the absolutes of the Christian faith which, if slightly bent, would water down the message and create a form of godliness without the power?

Review the list of “If I were the devil…” statements. Have you fallen prey to any of those strategies?

Review the five categories of teaching. As I will note later in the book, there is a blurry line between categories 2 and 4. What do you think is the turning point, where teaching that used to be category 2 should be put into category 4?

As General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said, “In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers that confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.” Think about each item listed and come up with one or two ways you have seen that item played out in today’s society.