Over on the FBC Jax Watchdog blog, there is a long thread under the post called The Ergun Caner Evangelical Crisis. A user “Slow to speak” posted the following comment:
Why don’t you put him on a Cross? He is absolutely being condemned for what he has already admitted is…”misspeaking”. What do you want from him….his soul?
Here is the response I posted:
Unfortunately, the statement to which you refer was not a repentance in any sense of the word. On the contrary, it contained an additional lie when he said that he “never intentionally misled anyone.” So it is worse than no repentance. It added to his sin.
Now as for your question “What do you want from him….his soul?”
BINGO!
That’s exactly what I want! Can you imagine what life must be like for him right now? Living in sin, alienated from God and God’s people? He has been caught in a mountain of lies but seems unable to repent. My soul ACHES for his soul. I know what sin is. We all know. We all have lived under its power. And so we all should have one desire – to retrieve THE SOUL OF ERGUN CANER from power of darkness, sin and lies!
Please work with us on this. Think of the glory of God that would be revealed if Ergun stood up and really told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
I think this sums up the matter. Ergun is not being attacked by the folks calling him to repentance. On the contrary, we are working with all our might to help him return to fellowship with the God of Truth and His people. His real enemies are the people who are actively supporting him in his sin (John Ankerberg, Liberty University, etc.)
For 9 years Ergun Caner has been lying to the world for personal gain. It is that pure and simple. He should be prosecuted in court.
That’s why it’s such a difficult battle. A heart hardened by nine years of lying in the name of Christ does not come to repentance easily. But let us pray the he does repent, and tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth – that’s the only way his soul will ever be free.
R.A., in case you missed the link, TurretinFan explained why Dr. Caner’s apology was not a statement of repentance. The apology can still be found in cached format: STATEMENT RELEASED ON 25 FEBRUARY 2010.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the heads up. I saw that page earlier today. It gives an accurate account of how it fails as a statement of repentance.
Richard