I’ve spent a bit of time on this particular issue lately. Tom of excatholic4Christ has written an excellent post which mirrors my position on this topic. I must add a link to a Youtube channel where I first heard about this issue. I’ve had to criticize the young Christian apologist Keith Thompson for a picture he put up with one of his videos on this topic but I think Keith is correct about the main issue. Tom confronts the same issue in his post.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na8372Mh7uQ
Thanks to Chris at Wings of the Wind for his indirect contributions to this post.
In my last “Weekend Roundup” post, I commented on a recent “dialogue” session held in Idaho featuring evangelical and Mormon apologists. The purpose of that dialogue was to promote understanding between the two “parties” and find common ground. Argh! I’m definitely of the opinion that evangelical apologists should debate false religionists rather than dialogue with them. Accommodation and cooperation with error are slippery slopes that always lead to compromise and betrayal of the Gospel. Try to imagine the apostle Paul endeavoring to dialogue with the priests of 1st-century Roman paganism in order to benefit “mutual understanding and respect.” Imagine, if you can, Charles Spurgeon, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John R. Rice, or James R. White having dialogue sessions with clerics of false religions. Stop the tape! James R. White? I should definitely rewind that statement in…
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Wings of the Wind 
Thanks for the re-blog and kind words, Chris. Lord help all of us to remain faithful to Him and the Gospel of grace. And also to be kind to a brother who made a mistake.
You’re welcome, Tom. If we are to be critical of someone, I also think it is very important how we go about it. I’m still surprised that Keith Thompson has his “metaphoric” picture of James White in turban and black beard still up. I am VERY sensitive about kicking someone when they are “down.” What good is it to be right if it is not in the correct spirit? Your prayer is so important in our time: “Lord, help us to remain faithful to Him (You) and the Gospel of Grace.” Apart from Him we can do nothing.
I’ve been known to be “a little” ungracious at times myself. I must admit I’m more of a “truth” guy than a “grace” guy and I need the Lord to keep rebalancing me. That said, the church is currently leaning so far to the “grace” side these days that pretty much anything goes as long as they “love the Lord.”
So true. This fact (your “love the Lord” statement) makes it difficult at times to keep the balance you refer to. May God give us the wisdom that we need.
Right. I have to keep going back to, “It’s not my fight, it’s the Lord’s” and “He knew about all of this compromise and betrayal 2000 years ago so He’s certainly not perplexed.”
I’ve replied in a new comment so that the reply isn’t so narrow.
That’s a good way to look at it, Tom. God is certainly not surprised by all of the man-made religion we see today. The Gospel is so simple and unique. I guess it’s hard for some to think that their works don’t contribute to their salvation. What a gift of grace we have been given in spite of ourselves! To God be the glory! Here is a scripture that balances the law and Gospel in a chapter pretty well I think. By the way, verse 8 kinda speaks to those who think “anything goes if we only have the Love of the Lord.”
3 “Then what [a]advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What then? If some [b]did not believe, their [c]unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
“That You may be justified in Your words,
And prevail when You [d]are judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness [e]demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? [f]Their condemnation is just.
9 What then? [g]Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written,
“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are [h]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works [i]of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for [j]through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now apart [k]from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [l]who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all [m]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a [n]propitiation [o]in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, [p]because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who [q]has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 [r]For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works [s]of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the [t]circumcised [u]by faith and the [v]uncircumcised through faith is one.
31 Do we then nullify [w]the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”
-Romans 3
Footnotes:
Romans 3:1 Lit is the advantage of the Jew
Romans 3:3 Or were unfaithful
Romans 3:3 Or unfaithfulness
Romans 3:4 Lit in Your judging
Romans 3:5 Or commends
Romans 3:8 Lit Whose
Romans 3:9 Or Are we worse
Romans 3:19 Lit in
Romans 3:20 Or of law
Romans 3:20 Or through law
Romans 3:21 Or from law
Romans 3:22 Or who believe. For there is no distinction, since they all have sinned…and are being justified
Romans 3:23 Or sinned
Romans 3:25 Or a propitiatory sacrifice
Romans 3:25 Or by
Romans 3:25 Lit because of the passing over of the sins previously committed in the forbearance of God
Romans 3:26 Lit is of the faith of Jesus
Romans 3:28 One early ms reads Therefore
Romans 3:28 Or of law
Romans 3:30 Lit circumcision
Romans 3:30 Lit out of
Romans 3:30 Lit uncircumcision
Romans 3:31 Or law