I recently read about the Chinese Bible Exhibition in Dallas. This is a tour by the Chinese government to convince Americans that Chinese Christians have religious freedom. Two of the main presenters were from Dallas Theological Seminary and affirmed that the official TSPM churches in China are good and that there is freedom of religion in China. This is particularly shocking to me since I recently spoke on the phone and on Skype with a woman who spent 6 years in Chinese prisons because she is a Christian. 400 members of her church were arrested on that same day. Today, thousands of believers sit in Chinese prisons because they believe that Jesus, and not the Chinese government, is Lord.
Dallas Theological Seminary (or at least several professors there) is also one of the main proponents of non-Lordship salvation (the idea that you can say a prayer, live however you want, become a murderer, atheist, openly profess that you hate Christ, and still go to heaven). Is this a coincidence?
No. It seems that the two go together. Why is DTS supporting the official government churches? Apparently, they are being allowed to do some teaching in China by the government. It is not lukewarm, easily-controlled, half-hearted Christianity that the Chinese government hates. It is the real thing. Unfortunately, the Chinese government and DTS probably are on a similar page with their idea of what Christianity is.
There was a similar situation awhile back when the Communists took over Romania. All the pastors stood up and praised Communism, except for one man who pointed out that all over the world Communists were oppressing and persecuting and killing Christians. His mic was cut off and he was thrown in prison for 14 years. Today, in China, if you follow Christ, the same thing will happen. But people in America are helping to propagate the idea that there is freedom of religion in China. May the Lord forgive them and grant them repentance for betraying our brothers and sisters in other countries.
May God deliver us from such lukewarm and half-hearted "Christianity", and give us grace to return to the old paths. Pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in China and in other countries, and for those in America who are deceived and deceiving others concerning both the persecution in other countries and the Gospel itself.
