In the third installment of our report on Francis Chan’s diatribe against the Scriptures and sound doctrine for the day, we’re going to show you how Francis Chan is becoming even further aligned with the Roman Catholic Church. In the first two parts, we reported that Chan said that charismatic false prophet, Benny Hinn, repented right in front of him and then prophesied an anointing on him. Then he went on to say that another charismatic false prophet, Mike Bickle of IHOPKC, is a “godly, godly man” whose office is full of John MacArthur commentaries.

Now, in this installment, Chan and Preston Sprinkle–of the “gay Christian” Revoice movement–are discussing a recent event that Chan attended where Catholic priests washed his feet and pray over him. We reported on that at the time and that article can be read at this link.

Now, Chan has taken that event a step further and says that he believes that the Catholic understanding of the gospel is very similar–if not the same–as his.

Chan is currently involved in an all-out assault on the Word of God and sound doctrine. It would be nice to think the best of him by believing that he doesn’t actually know what he’s doing–but, considering his solid theological education at the Master’s Seminary, that’s going to be tough to pull off.

Chan knows what the gospel is, he was taught what the gospel is in seminary and in church. Chan used to actually preach the gospel. Now, he’s written off the gospel in an exchange for what he has turned into an idol–unity. But doesn’t Jesus want us to be united (Philippians 2:2)? 1 Peter 3:8 says,

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Let’s break this passage down, and see what we are really being commanded to do here. Clearly, Peter is saying in 1 Peter 3:8 that we, as Christians, are to be unified. But this begs the question: what exactly is “unity of mind?” Romans 16:17 says,

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

Undoubtedly, however, no believer is perfect in their doctrine–no denomination has it 100 percent right all of the time. So where do we draw the line?

The clearest line to be drawn is on the doctrine of justification. This is by far the most important doctrine in all of Scripture, and it’s the doctrine that many other doctrines rest on. It is the doctrine that if you have wrong, you cannot be saved, and you are not a Christian. If you have this doctrine wrong, you cannot, under any circumstances, be united with believers.

Simply put, the biblical doctrine of justification is by Grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the Scriptures alone, to the Glory of God alone. When this doctrine is rejected, God’s grace is rejected. According to Chan and Sprinkle, the Roman Catholic soteriology (doctrine of salvation) really isn’t any different from ours–but this is false. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church explicitly condemns anyone who holds to the Evangelical/Protestant belief in salvation by grace alone through faith alone.

Canon 9 of the Roman Catholic council of Trent says,

If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will, let him be anathema.

The Roman Catholic Church believes that grace is dispensed through the sacramental system, most importantly, the Mass and Baptism. Apart from these, and apart from the mediation of the Church, there is no salvation. This was the Roman Catholic Church’s response to the Protestant doctrine of justification and, yet, these two clowns deny that the Roman Catholic Church requires works for salvation.