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Moody Press, which boasts of being, “The Name You Can Trust,” is an alleged Christian publishing house. As such, they pride themselves in publishing books that are true to scripture, Christ and His gospel. Multitudes worldwide, however, who rest their eternal hopes on the teaching published by “The Name You Can Trust” might be shocked to find that Moody Press should not be trusted.

For example, in his book How Can You Be Sure That You Will Spend Eternity With God, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996) Erwin W. Lutzer wrote and Moody Press published:

The question is not whether we can remember the day or the hour in the past, but whether our faith is in Christ in the present. Are we now persuaded that Christ met all of our obligations for us when he died on the cross (p. 129).

If you, my friend, are convinced in your heart that Christ paid your debt, and you are resting your eternal soul on Christ and nothing else, you too are saved (p. 115).

At first glance such teaching actually seems quite scriptural. Who in their right mind would argue against the idea that saving faith must be directed to Christ alone? Nonetheless, under color of exalting Christ, Dr. Lutzer and Moody Press may actually dethrone Christ.

According to Erwin Lutzer’s doctrine, salvation through “Christ alone” is often theological double-speak meaning that a professing believer who turns from the faith or even seeks salvation through some means other than Christ alone will still be welcomed into God’s eternal paradise. What I mean is this: when Lutzer (and Moody Publishers) uses the term Christ alone he means that no work (of any type or degree) ever impacts salvation–even rejecting “Christ alone.” It sounds ludicrous (and it is!), but hang in there as I illustrate. Consider Hebrews 6:4-6:

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame.

Now, in reference to this sober passage Moody Church pastor Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer writes and Moody Publishers spreads abroad:

We have to [recognize that] the author is talking about true Christians in this passage…Yes, believers can “fall away”… they were starting to doubt whether Christ was fully sufficient… The point is that as long as they were returning to the sacrifices of the Old Testament, they couldn’t be brought back to repentance. Understandably, they could not be brought back to fellowship with God while they were offering lambs on the alter… Yes, believers can fall away, but not to eternal damnation (p. 150).

Those who sacrifice lambs on pagan altars will be saved? Is it congruent to teach that “a wrong faith leads to destruction” yet still promise paradise to those who reject the faith altogether and prove as much by sacrificing animals on pagan altars for the forgiveness of sins? A wrong faith leads to destruction, resolutely asserts the doctor, yet the blatant rebellion and no faith of Christ rejectors leads to life eternal? What a contradiction!

Dr. Lutzer’s rhetoric is just that - meaningless rhetoric. Contradictions are the clearest evidence of error and misinterpretation. Moody Press and Dr. Lutzer have grievously erred on basic principles. Do not be duped by “The Name You Can Trust.” Moody Publishers can not be trusted.

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