I just happened to pop on CNN in my cabin and whose face did I see but Tony Campolo. On the screen he is identified as a “spiritual adviser.” So I started listening very closely, as they were discussing the Haggard situation. What words did I hear? “Problems.” “Asking for help.” “Issues.” “Problems.” “Needed to be liberated.” “Restoration process.” “Demons you are struggling with” (not in a literal sense of that term, of course), “Love himself,” “not being judged,” etc.
   Of course, nothing was said about sin, rebellion, wrath, punishment, or, the big word, “repentance.” Never appeared. Not once. No cross, no atonement, no repentance, nothing uniquely Christian at all. But then again, isn’t this the norm now? Would we not be shocked if, in fact, we heard someone speaking the truth about repentance and forgiveness at the foot of the cross?
   Then Campolo attached the promise of Christ’s love for the elect in Romans 8 to all people. No matter what you do, God will continue to love you. Sloppy agape, nothing about the fact that not all are children of God, but many are, in fact, children of wrath. He described God as our “most significant other.”
   When the interviewer brought up grace, while Campolo spoke of it as undeserved favor, he never once said it is undeserved favor for the repentant. It is never, ever separated from God’s purposes in salvation. This kind of easy grace that is separated from sin has nothing to do with the grace revealed in divine Scripture.
Addition
   Given that Internet access requires time and moving to another part of the ship, some of these blog entries are…somewhat mixed up. My apologies, but the fact that I can still get access at sea via satellite still amazes me. In any case, I have been reading Abul A’la Mawdudi’s Towards Understanding Islam, a work written from the Islamic perspective itself. I have been struck once again by certain basic things that many Christians do not understand, such as the Islamic insistence that the Bible’s truthful revelation of the sin and failures of prophets is in error (prophets cannot be sinful). Also, many Christians would be taken aback to see the exalted language used of Muhammad. Page after page after page appears before the eyes, including one subtitle, “A Savior is Born,” and yes, of course, that is about Muhammad. I am using this text in my GGBTS class in January, along with the Qur’an itself. Time to start getting Christian leaders familiar with original Islamic sources!
   This morning Steve Camp spoke from 2 Tim. 1:6-12 and not being ashamed of the gospel. This afternoon I speak on the King and His Ambassadors, and then it is time to pack up and get ready for that always enjoyable experience of getting your carry-ons through TSA screening! So, we should be back on our regular DL schedule starting on Tuesday. I hope to be able to grab a few clips from the Spong debate to play on the DL as well.

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