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Thread: Six Major Problems with 'The Shack' by Dr. Michael Youssef

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    Senior Member Valiant Woman's Avatar
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    Six Major Problems with 'The Shack' by Dr. Michael Youssef

    Another point of view by Dr. Michael Youssef of Living Way Ministries. This should please the Cardinal.


    This Spring, the New York Times bestselling book The Shack by William P. Young will come to the big screen. The emotionally charged story seems to offer a resolution to the problem of pain—those who are struggling with the question, "Where is God when the world is full of brokenness?" Though many readers have labeled Young's story a compelling work of Christian fiction, discerning believers must ask themselves: Are The Shack's underlying teachings Biblically sound, or a far reach from the teachings of God's Word?

    Though you might be swayed into thinking the god of The Shack is the same as the God of the Bible, there are several problems that arise if we take a close look at The Shack. Here are six concerns that develop as Mack converses with Young's caricatures of the Trinity.
    Beware of the "broad road" theology of The Shack.

    LOVE VS. JUSTICE
    Problem #1: According to Young, justice and love are at odds and cannot be reconciled. He reasons that God will never judge people for their sins because He is limited by His love. Neither will He enact eternal judgment upon those who reject Him or send anyone to torment in hell.

    But why would Jesus Christ die a criminal's death on the cross if not to save us from something? What a wasteful and pointless act it would be if Christ did not take on our just punishment, the wrath of God, for our sin.

    We cannot remove the wrath of God from Scripture. It is as surely a part of His character as His love and mercy are. But God's wrath is not a human anger that flares up because of wounded pride or envy. His wrath is not self-indulgent, but rather, as theologian J.I. Packer says in his book Knowing God, "a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil. God is only angry where anger is called for. . . . all God's indignation is righteous."

    The Bible is very clear about why Jesus came to earth, humbly taking on the very nature of a servant (see John 3:16-18, Philippians 2:6-7). Jesus Himself warned about the coming judgment and hell, commissioning His followers to proclaim the Gospel that the lost might be saved—that they might choose life (see Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 21:6-8). Ultimately, that is what every person must do: Either choose salvation through the atoning blood of Jesus or choose the wrath of the righteous God.

    Would Mack really want a God who would not punish evil? Would he be okay with a God who would not exert justice for the evil done to his daughter? Would God be good and loving if He said to Mack, "We'll just let this slide"? Of course not. He shows us His love by both punishing sin and providing us with an escape: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He is "the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished" (Exodus 34:6-7).

    UNIVERSALISM: A PERILOUS PARDON
    Problem #2: Another theme in The Shack that doesn't square with the Word of God is the idea that God forgives all of humanity, regardless of whether or not they repent and believe in the redeeming work of Jesus...

    http://www.ltw.org/read/articles/201...with-the-shack
    When your praise match your prayers, the answer will come.
    https://www.facebook.com/Valiant-Wom...1103844642026/

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    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    I'm staying out of it ....God bless everyone

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    * Toxic Troll - Negative Nancy Farm Truck's Avatar
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    the best place to meet God is not at the shack, but at the cross
    Thank you... those that fall for the shack will fall for other false doctrine.

    Enjoy...

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    Senior Member Valiant Woman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cardinal TT View Post
    I'm staying out of it ....God bless everyone
    I'm shocked!

    When your praise match your prayers, the answer will come.
    https://www.facebook.com/Valiant-Wom...1103844642026/

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  7. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Cardinal TT View Post
    I'm staying out of it ....God bless everyone
    Resistance is futile. You are itching to respond. Give in to you inner "Anti-Shack".

    It's like someone putting that delicious chocolate frosted cake in front of you on the day you decided to diet and you say to yourself, "Just this once and I swear that tomorrow I will REALLY begin my diet."

    Go ahead TT, just this once
    Christ's Victory Bible Teaching Center
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    Super Moderator Quest's Avatar
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    I see the same forced conclusions that the book or the movie or even Mr. Young's own testimony present the idea that God's love prevents Him from justice...

    The more I read the more I conclude most of these challenges come from a belief in grace that is hard to grasp...So many believe it is one extreme or the other....

    I think pastors are afraid of the truth about grace....because it takes the control of the congregation out of their hands...

    One passage seems to covey what I mean by that...If our focus is not fear of failing but looking to Jesus, keeping our hearts submitted and centered on Holy Spirit leading...temptations will be behind us...so many seem to think living the life of Christ follower is always a frontal fight with the devil and the flesh...and they lose far more than they win because they are doing the fighting, not Christ IN them...

    James 4:6-8

    6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.…

    The Shack focuses ON CHRIST the answer....For the one seeking Christ the answer, they don't need the fear of Hell preached at them...

    The Prodigal's father did not go after the son that left....but he stayed where he was....when the son came to himself he returned to his father who embraced him and loved him...scripture does not say the father felt the need to lecture the son about his sinful life...now we do have the other son who felt this loving unconditional welcome of the repentant one was unacceptable....

    The pig pen is real, Hell is real, judgment is real....but to insist that needed to be preached to Mack in the book is false...Mack knew about Hell...he told Papa he wanted the killer to be damned there....I get the sad feeling many Christians wish Papa had said, "I DO TOO!" Instead he said, 'I love him and want to redeem him....I need you to forgive him...'

    We need to be honest....would we want God to redeem someone who had brutalized our young child?

    like the guy in the Great Divorce, paraphrased....'I don't want to go to heaven if people like you are there...'

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    Super Moderator Quest's Avatar
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    Victory Word, I ordered Mr. Young's book "Lies We Believe About God"

    I look forward to having a discussion about those when the book arrives....Especially since you have spent significant study on the concepts of God's character in regards to how we view God...

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    Super Moderator Quest's Avatar
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    Yep, Michael reveals the truth right here..."
    Would Mack really want a God who would not punish evil? Would he be okay with a God who would not exert justice for the evil done to his daughter? Would God be good and loving if He said to Mack, “We’ll just let this slide”? Of course not. He shows us His love by both punishing sin and providing us with an escape: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He is “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:6-7).
    Does anyone else see the problem in this statement?

  14. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Quest View Post
    Yep, Michael reveals the truth right here..."

    Does anyone else see the problem in this statement?
    Never been a fan of Youssef though I have nothing against him. He leans more towards that Evangelical, non-Charismatic Calvinistic ideology and I don't. I read most of the link that ValW provided and would probably have to read the book itself to determine the accuracy of his arguments. But I can say that his understanding of God, especially the statement you quote, appears to be somewhat vindictive and appears to encourage us towards wanting justice more than redemption.

    Now, granted, if someone did to my children what happened to the fictional character of Mack, my flesh would have to fight long and hard battles, not only to want God to take vengeance for me, but for me to be His agent of that vengeance. But from a Biblical standpoint, the Father of Jesus Christ, who possessed all of the power in the universe, watched His son being beatened, tortured, and mocked. Yet, His only concern for those involved was for their redemption.

    Certainly judgment will come upon the unrepentant, but it is not what God wants. He wants their repentance and deliverance from this judgment. Furthermore, He wants us to act like Him in wanting even the worse sinners to repent. So I am troubled by some of Yousseff's teaching here.
    Christ's Victory Bible Teaching Center
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    Vindicating God Ministries
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    Super Moderator Quest's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by victoryword View Post
    Never been a fan of Youssef though I have nothing against him. He leans more towards that Evangelical, non-Charismatic Calvinistic ideology and I don't. I read most of the link that ValW provided and would probably have to read the book itself to determine the accuracy of his arguments. But I can say that his understanding of God, especially the statement you quote, appears to be somewhat vindictive and appears to encourage us towards wanting justice more than redemption.

    Now, granted, if someone did to my children what happened to the fictional character of Mack, my flesh would have to fight long and hard battles, not only to want God to take vengeance for me, but for me to be His agent of that vengeance. But from a Biblical standpoint, the Father of Jesus Christ, who possessed all of the power in the universe, watched His son being beatened, tortured, and mocked. Yet, His only concern for those involved was for their redemption.

    Certainly judgment will come upon the unrepentant, but it is not what God wants. He wants their repentance and deliverance from this judgment. Furthermore, He wants us to act like Him in wanting even the worse sinners to repent. So I am troubled by some of Yousseff's teaching here.
    That was my take away..in one breath he speaks of the sacrifice of Christ and then that the evil deserve justice...there seems an absence of the reality that apart from the grace of God I TOO deserved justice...once we lose site of that truth we can easily step on the throne of judgment...

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