I have no doubt Young is a great guy. I’m not questioning any of that, nor do I in this blog post. And the issue is not one of just being ignorant of doctrine. Ignorance and outright denial are two different things. The issue is one of Young knowing the teaching and then denying it, not just being ignorant. And the issue in discussion above is a belief that lies at the very core of the Gospel itself. Did or did not Jesus suffer the wrath of His Father that we deserve, in our place, in order that we could be accepted before Him? Was he a sacrifice of atonement or not, a propitiation, in the historic, Biblical sense? Young denies this. That’s a problem because that teaching lies at the core of the Gospel itself.

It’s not as if Young is ignorant to these things. From the interview, he sounds very knowledgeable (and to his credit, very kind and sincere when discussing them). This is not a condemnation of the man, for I have no idea of the state of his soul, in same way he has no idea of the state of mine. Only God judges the person. We are supposed to use discernment though of teaching that comes in, as Jesus said, like leaven and ruins the whole batch, no matter who it is coming from.

There is also a difference between heresy and error. You are right to say that even as believers we are filled with untrue beliefs or thinking, or error. There are things I believe in my head that I’m still working out in my heart. This is exactly one of the reasons we still sin even while saved, wrong beliefs. So it is one thing to believe erroneous things that are non-essential, i.e. that won’t lead you to hell. However, heresy is not just error (as you defined it above), but outright knowledgeable denial of a particular essential teaching that leads one to hell. It is quite different from mere error to deny or disbelieve something that lies at the heart of the message of Scripture, and particularly the Gospel itself. That is the issue here. And again, I’m not saying I know Young’s current or even final state. The Lord only knows that. The only thing we’re speaking of is what he is espousing as the truth of God as it pertains to salvation, which is counter to what Scripture teaches on that point.

I hope this reply finds you well and that your joy will be full in Christ, Bart!

David

Not having read ‘The Shack’ (yet), I find this discussion interesting for two reasons. First, I heard Mr. Young speak this weekend (and was blessed to join him for lunch). He is an incredible person with a deep love for Jesus and others. Offer your questions of doctrine – they are interesting. But do not condemn the man for you only condemn yourself.

Second, the desire for orthodoxy is dissolving for me (in the traditional, evangelical sense). Is knowing Jesus central? Absolutely. But can we know Him perfectly? Not yet. We are all filled with heresies (i.e., untrue beliefs) about God. Have you believed everything you believe today since birth? No, you have learned and developed (hopefully). We will continue in that path with God’s grace. Do not hold to your arguments so tightly because you will fail to embrace Jesus. It is much more important that we join together, live out our trust in Jesus as Lord and care for each other as family. In my short time with Mr. Young, I am certain he would welcome even those who criticize and attack him into loving, compassionate conversations. If you want grace in your life, start living it with others. That’s probably more of a challenge for me than for you.