Does Rob Rufus go too far?
Just before this post.... I have been nominated for an SA Blog Award 2014! I would really appreciate your support, just by taking literally 90 seconds to click below and vote for me in the 2 nominated categories. Thanks so much!
Now back to this Post...
Also, check out this amazing interview we did with Rob Rufus here.
Rob Rufus has been labeled, among many other "Godly" labels, a heretic and a false prophet. The more diplomatic disagreements would simply say that he goes too far. Those are the folk that will say things along these lines; "I agree we are saved by Grace. BUT..." They will then proceed to give an elaborate Scriptural explanation of why there is a limit to preaching on the Goodness of God. Because essentially, this is what they are implying. That God is only Good to a limited extent.
Even the great DR Michael Eaton, described as the greatest theologian alive in the world today, has written a few articles giving his opinion on Rob's so called "extreme" presentation of the Gospel.
Let me say, I value Michael Eaton as one of the most important influences in my life, and to the church worldwide. He truly is a gift to the Body of Christ. I personally deeply love his ministry and have been and continue to be deeply impacted by his ministry.
I have read his article responding to questions regarding Rob Rufus' views on confession of sin and repentance. And to be honest, and I herewith get into the purpose of this article, I don't even see the point.
The article was written to help concerned leaders see a specific perspective on confession and repentance. By the language and construction of the article, it seems as though it is a response in letter-form to an individual's question, and this individual in question has distributed the response at will.
At this point I will say I hear what Eaton is saying in his article, but I find arguing over the preposition of the letter pointless. From a broad perspective, I agree with the point. But am not influenced by its arguments or opinions.
The problem is this: All it is doing is giving weight to leaders and pastors in their argument that Rob Rufus IS going too far in his presentation of the Gospel. When actually, if you read the article, Michael Eaton commends Rob and even thanks him for his fearless manner in which he has declared his convictions. Not once does Eaton refer to Rob as a heretic or false prophet, or even give a warning against those aligning themselves with Rob. Which other pastors and leaders have felt it necessary to take on such a responsibility.
I find it interesting that Eaton, one of the world's greatest and respected theologians, does not give any such warning, and yet pastors and leaders overseeing churches of a few hundred feel the necessity to even go as far as preventing "their" people from listening to what Rob has to say. You see, the key is this... Eaton has nothing to lose, and therefore is not clouded by circumstance in his opinion. Other such leaders have much more to lose, such as members, tithes, and peace. Sometimes its "easier" to keep the peace and status quo than to let people actually think for themselves.
My point is this... Rob Rufus IS extreme. And rightfully so. Because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is extreme. Paul's presentation of the Gospel was extreme.
What Jesus did on the Cross, fulfilling the role of Last Adam, is the most extreme act in all of eternity! And the power of being in Last Adam (Romans 5) is the most underestimated power in the church today! And if we did not have prophets like Rob Rufus, who unashamedly declare and present this Glorious Gospel in its most extreme manner possible, with cutting edge, razor sharp precision and clarity, our eyes would remain clouded by the religious conditioning and human traditions we have so deeply ingrained within.
I am unashamed to say that it is Rob Rufus' ministry that has opened my eyes to Glory of the Gospel. Before, I thought it was just good news. Now, it is UNBELIEVABLY, RIDICULOUSLY, EMBARASSINGLY GOOD NEWS!!! And I am more radical for Jesus than I ever have been in my entire life! I have started work in the townships of South Africa because of my deep convictions of THE GOSPEL. My preaching has never been so passionate, so full of conviction, and so clear in all my life. The people I have the privilege of partnering with (or "shepherding") in my youth group have become the most passionate, deeply wise, and bold group of people I have ever led. People of character, quality, and integrity. Because of THE GOSPEL. These people have released a CD filled with anointed, gifted and talented music written by themselves because of their revelation of THE GOSPEL.
I am willing to die for this GOSPEL. Without question. Whereas before, I would have weighed up the cost, thought about it, hesitated. Now, it is not even a question in my mind. I could go on listing the testimonies and results that we have seen because of people coming into a deep revelation of THE GOSPEL. But these are enough.
The point is; had Rob Rufus watered down his message and been a tad more politically correct, and less offensive, then I doubt I (or many others) would ever have had such a deep-seated conviction about this GLORIOUS GOSPEL. Because now, to me, it truly is glorious. Before, it was just the gospel. Another word used to get people saved at outreach events. Now, it is GLORIOUS! It is everything! It IS THE WINE! And New Wine cannot be put into old wineskins! It is everything that I am. Everything that I do. Not just a message. Now, it is truly Good News that makes me weep, cry and laugh every time I hear it. And had it not been for Rob Rufus, and other such pioneers equally radical about it, I would never have been so impacted.
We must understand that what Jesus did on the Cross was the most radical thing God could ever do. Ever! It was extreme. And this Gospel IS extreme. If the Gospel that you believe is not extreme, then it has probably been watered down and diluted to become a little more "agreeable" for our religiously conditioned minds and backgrounds.
You see, it comes to the hungry. "God gives Grace to the humble, but opposes the proud." You will find that those around the world radically preaching this Message in a so-called extreme manner, and there are many, each had divine encounters with God where they were just desperate to see more of God in their lives, meetings, churches and ministry. They had reached a point where it was all or nothing. And I think God is attracted to such people. It is in this place, that God reveals to them the Message that IS all or nothing. The Message of Jesus. Who went "all or nothing"!
Jesus went the furthest He could ever go to reconcile mankind to God, their Father. So if Jesus went that far, Rob Rufus isn't going far enough. Simple.
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Don't forget to check out this amazing interview we did with Rob Rufus here.
And if you enjoyed this article, I would strongly recommend you read the article "Moving From Denominationalism to Apostleship" as it grounds us in an important point we need to understand when making stands for what we believe... and that is that relationships are more important than doctrine. Give it a read by clicking on the pic below:
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| DENOMINATIONALISM TO APOSTLESHIP |
14 comments
Thanks and God bless u Pastor James.:-)
The Gospel of JESUS is 'unfair and unbalanced' and to preach it any other way is to nullify its effectiveness to save, heal and deliver!
Blameless, spotless JESUS, PERFECT AND PURE in every sense was brutally tortured, pierced and murdered for me.To save the least of men, HE WAS CONDEMNED AS THE WORST OF MEN..
God bless and prosper Rob Rufus and other grace preachers.. They are true giants of FAITH:-)
If Rob Rufus was silenced today would the message of the Gospel of Grace continue being preached around the world?....In my opinion YES. This message is not a unique philosophy of one man/organisation, but has been planted in the hearts of many Mighy Men (and Women) of God around the world. To my mind God is using simple men like Rob and all the others to "confound the wise" and show how simple it is to accept the Grace that is offered by God the Father through His Son Jesus.
To show that God's Grace is free and so easy to attain, no rules, regulations, laws or 7 point steps are needed to get it.
Just Belive it and Accept It.
(Easy as that)
For Some preachers saying that Rob Rufus is going to far (i don't think they understand the term Grace)Since
The grace Message The knowledge of the word is very clear to me, It's like the light bulb just switch on!
I dig Rob too, he is one cool guy....and "his" message...absolutely awesome, supernatural, "cant get enough" stuff. A revelation of the gospel of grace is going to change the face of the church...from a frown to a smile!
Bless you Jamesie
i agree with most of what rob preaches and yes Grace is so raical and the Gospel is absolutely life changing!!
For me ive Always belived itCos its A PERSON..JESUS CHRIST!!
And my concern is that some ppl are taking it to the point of blurring the lines of justification and sanctification.
Clearly Romans 5 Declares our unshakable position in Christ and that position enables freedom and confidence toward God!!
But to declare that there is no repentance and that we are unable to sin is clearly prove false in romans 6 and paul in ephesians urges the church to flee from sexual sin and other behaviour...
And in revelation there is the statement REPENT so whether we referring to beahaviour patterns, thinking or both repentance is Healthy cos we want to pls God by agreeing and fleeing from wron patterns!!!
"Godly sorrow leads to life!! @ Cor 7... thanks for the article:)
Hi,
Do you know where I can read Eaton's articles? I respect Eaton and loved his No Condemnation book. He's definitely more on the grace camp in most ways in that book. I don't think he qualifies as the greatest theologian alive - was that a remark by Kendall?
I'm not that familiar with what Rob says about confession of sins, but I guess it's similarly radical to what Pastor Joseph Prince says.
Cheers!
I fully agree that the principle of grace is radically life changing. But there is nothing controversial about preachers in the hypergrace camp (for a lack of a better term). In fact one could see it as the opposite. By overemphasizing grace and not the cross, discipleship, repentance and suffering, one presents a seeker friendly gospel that sells books and fills halls. At the end of the day not many like to be confronted with their sinful nature, not many are willing to do a daily check on how we are doing with the things that Jesus has commissioned us to do. Not many are comfortable with the fact that the gospel asks us to lay down everything for Christ and fall on the rock.
There is also nothing too controversial about saying that healing and prosperity are freely available to us as long as we proclaim the word often enough. I mean isn't that what everyone wants? We want some sort of formula that helps us to live a more comfortable life according to our personal ambitions. It gets controversial however if we are asked to accept Gods sovereignty over certain situations like Job had to do. It becomes uncomfortable when we hear about men of faith that drew closer to God through suffering and persecution. I don't think this sells as many books as Joseph Prince and Rob Bell do.
I am not denying the fact that grace based teaching has transformed the lives of many but this doesn't mean that presenting only half of the gospel is a good thing.
“Enter by the narrow gate…For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (7:13-14).
Before somebody accuses me for preaching justification by works: We are alive in Christ by faith but our understanding of what faith is has become severely tainted by hypergrace teaching. If that we believe in doesnt result in us wanting to labour for the kingdom and grow in holiness, we have to seriously question the nature of this faith.
Matthew 18:32-35 “Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord delivered him to the torturers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Justin,
The most fundamental question of your life is this:
Imagine if what Jesus said was true?
Think of the possibilities....
Simon, I am sad to say that you were all over the place with your comment. It is actually very difficult to follow what you are saying. It sounds like clever, intellectualistic ranting, but not much more.
For example, this comment :"By overemphasizing grace and not the cross, discipleship, repentance and suffering, one presents a seeker friendly gospel that sells books and fills halls. At the end of the day not many like to be confronted with their sinful nature". Firstly, Over emphasizing Grace includes overemphasizing the cross as they go hand in hand. You cannot overemphasize one without the other.
Secondly, the whole point of Grace is that the sinful nature is taken away at the cross, read Romans 5 for starters...so, why continue focusing on it as if Jesus work has not been completed. As a believer you should be well aware of that fact.
Thirdly, Suffering is a part of the christian walk, not a badge of righteousness. We are strengthened by Grace to endure suffering we will face. So, are you implying that believers should pray for more of it to be holy, or righteous or....what? I again, dont really get your point.
I guess my real concern is that you mix "name it and claim it" together with grace preaching, and top it off with a bit of Rob Bell...this is facinating and nothing more than a ruse.
You shouldn't find it suspicious that these Grace preachers sell books. And those of us who continue to buy Rob Rufus, Ryan Rufus, Cornel Morias, Joseph Prince, Mick Mooney books et al, aren't somehow misguided, simple minded, seeking ear tickling or carnal minded....we just love the Lord and want to know him in a greater way.
If my righteousness comes by the law Christ died in vain - Paul. Its not grace to be saved then law to stay saved. Its grace all the way. God's grace causes me to want to do good works and to live out my true nature that is in Christ. Gal.5:1 is not talking about being free from sin but from the law. The new testament real starts in Matthew 27:50 when Jesus dies on the cross according to Hebrews 9: 16,17. After that point we must view everything from the finished work of the cross
Thanks for all the comments everyone. Great reading all the differing opinions. I would strongly suggest if you read my article on "Denominationalism" after this, as it goes hand in hand in my opinion.
Derek, that's a fantastic point right there! Well done! The Gospel Revolution continues to spread like WildFire!! Thank You Jesus! :)
Much Love, everyone.
James
Rob is whole-heartedly communicating the glorious grace of Jesus. But does he live it out in relationships with those in his church? After 3 years of basking in the glorious message of grace, we found that the practice part only went so far. In the end, we just wanted more close community and "knowing", but the Rufus's eliminated all elders, and told members to they were not allowed to start home groups that were not totally 100% in agreements with everything he was preaching and teaching. We continue to seek out a "sustainable life" that is true to the revelations we have had with God's Spirit and His Word, one balanced with grace AND willingness to suffer. This means deliberate choices and intentional (and difficult) submission to pruning. We disagreed with how people were treated who disagreed with Rob's leadership and teaching. He didn't want disagreement. He didn't want to allow others to lead who he didn't trust. He didn't want us to BE THE CHURCH, caring for each other and answering deeper questions. Where is the mutual submission, caring for one another, and meetings that have more purposes than just teaching and worship... ie questions, sharing testimonies, open times of prayer, and intimate knowing?? Isn't this what Christian fellowship should promote? This is truly hard to find in a very fast-paced, over-worked, and rigid culture such as Hong Kong, but we feel called to pray it into being and build it. I love Rob and his heart is truly fearless and brave, but he needs to cautiously keep an open heart of grace towards those who disagree with his leadership, choices, and teaching.
I have known Rob Rufus and his family for about 30 years. In that time I have found him to be a strong passionate leader
who is always willing to listen to the views and opinions of others whilst retaining the right to disagree with them.
He is a man of integrity who loves God and the body of Christ with all his heart.
Accordingly I am amazed at the accusations you have levelled at him and find them particularly distasteful given that as a member (but not leader) of CCI I happen to know that what you have said is basically untrue.
I'm not sure what your agenda is, but I do know that no pastor in his right mind would release people to lead home-groups etc if they are in
disagreement with his teaching or vision for the Church.
Surely this is normal and common sense?
It is a fact that a number of people who have subsequently left the Church had their own agenda's and when Rob wouldn't entertain these
erroneous ideas and priorities, then the grumbling began.
I for one am delighted to be in a Church where the leader is strong enough to say no to people who can't or won't get fully behind the God given vision.
There must be one vision, anymore and it becomes division.
You say you love Rob, well you sure have a strange way of showing it!
I fully believe in grace and it is not an idea but God's attitude towards you, the free gift of the cross He gave to you with no input of your own, it is the essence of Jesus' character, it is Him!!. Those who seek after extreme grace are generally people who have lost confidence in thier own abilities, a people who are tired. That is why when we mix law and grace and hand it out, people who have tasted the wine of pure grace will never go for it. Sometimes it does get confusing because every man and his dog has an opinion but fruit does not lie, the message of pure grace has set millions of people free and last time I looked the lies dont set people free TRUTH DOES!! The Devil does not cast out demons by demons because if his kingdom is divided. If you don't believe the gospel of pure grace just test it out with no reservations and if your not convinced then no argument from a 'hyper grace' person is going to change your mind. It's very hard to ignore the pure grace message in my life because of the fruit that's been borne, a bad tree CANNOT produce good fruit, fruit does not lie!.
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