Steve Chalke’s Open Heaven
Steve Chalke, in the latest of a series of videos for the Open Church, claims that heaven is not just for Christians.
The pastor of Oasis, a south London church, questioned whether a loving God would really consign people to eternal punishment because they were born into a different faith.
He says,
“the common belief that only self-professing believers can be saved is merely a geographical lottery… Could it be that [God] is more interested in people as people, rather than as members of religious groups, whether Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Christians or even atheists?”
He falls short of an explicit universalism (i.e. everyone goes to heaven) but he gets pretty close.
In a way this is not at all surprising, given Steve Chalke’s previously stated opinions on related matters, but it is nonetheless desperately sad. But why does it matter, why should we be at all bothered by it. I would suggest there are reasons why we should be both concerned and challenged by his comments
Firstly, his teaching is unbiblical. Steve Chalke’s teaching in some key areas is not biblical Christianity; he has long since abandoned taking Scripture as God’s word in favour of deciding for himself which parts of the Bible he finds reasonable and therefore acceptable. Anyone who claims to be speaking on behalf of Christ and yet manifestly rejects the word of Christ must be considered a false teacher. What else could you call them?
Secondly, his approach appeals in today’s society which values highly individual rights and entitlement, personal freedom and equality. To say that God does not discriminate against anyone sounds good and kind, but seems to remove any qualification at all for getting into heaven. We need to recognise that for many people attending Steve Chalke’s ‘Open’ Churches, and in the wider church scene there is a strong emotional appeal to the teaching that because God’s grace is so amazing people of all religions (and none) should, or could, be in heaven.
Thirdly, we also need to be honest that Steve Chalke raises some important questions. We need to admit that although God’s word is clear that repenting and believing the gospel of Jesus Christ is our only hope for eternal life, we do not know precisely who will join us in heaven and we want to affirm that God’s grace is greater than we might imagine.
So, we need to be compassionate and prayerful for the lost rather than retreating behind cold and clinical theological formulations. And in terms of the question as to who it is that will ultimately receive eternal life, we will go as far as God leads us in his Word in expressing his desire that all people should be saved, even though we know that not all will respond to his call to repent and believe the gospel of his Son, Jesus Christ.
This is wrong, small minded and blasphemous. Something a pharisee would say. God loves EVERYONE.
Hi there, thanks for leaving a comment. I would love to know which part of this article you think is blasphemous? When you say God loves everyone, what does this mean about forgiveness? Everyone is forgiven? Does the Bible teach that everyone will be in heaven?
Hello,
I agree with what you said- I would go stronger in my opposition to S Chalke.
Almighty God is not just interested in people!! He is angry with the sinner every day- Were He to blot us out in a second He would be just and right to do it, we would all deserve it. He is Holy, we have no concept of that because we are all looking at ourselves and what we think is good. Were He to draw near to us we would disintegrate in a second, His intense light cannot be born by humans, let alone sinful humans, He is too pure for anyone to look upon Him- as He said to Moses, ” You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live! His is absolute purity. We have no idea what sin is, or how black we are. Our righteousness is as filthy rags.
Being Righteous means we have never committed a sin, never thought a wrong thing or committed wrong. We have never loved God and obeyed Him with all our hearts for every second we have lived. Only One ever did that, our Saviour who paid for our guilt and gross sin in His body on the tree. He was made a curse for us.
This is something Steve Chalke denies as well, when He touches the Cross of Christ he is treading on extremely dangerous ground- No one gets away with what he is teaching without deadly consequences. We have forgotten Who we are dealing with, God is Holy, when even the holy men of God saw Him they fell at His feet as dead. Judgment is upon us. False teachers like Steve Chalke, who have gained popularity, especially with the lost, but most dreadfully with the people who do not read their bibles or love the truth. The authority of God’s word is treated as nothing- but no one will escape-
Gods word means more to Him than anything, it is the power of life and death. We are in dire need of repentance, to have such a conviction of sin that we fall as dead men. We have, as a church generally, Lost the fear of God, unless God in His great mercy sends that fear upon us in anyway that He sees fit, we have no hope in the coming storms that will hit the church. Many whom we thought would stand will fall like a pack of cards. We have departed from the living God for our own idol- self. May God have mercy upon us.