Discipleship Is Messy

Insider movements can lead to syncretism, yes. But less so if we all stay connected.

The most telling comment in the interview with Abu Jaz, a Muslim follower of Christ (page 22), is this: "We cannot rule out syncretism at the beginning of a new believer's life …. When they put their faith in Jesus, they may have at the same time Muhammad in their heart."

It harkens to another quote from a recent CT interview, this one with author-pastor Max Lucado, given in response to someone who asks if preaching grace might encourage sin: "My experience has been, yes, for a time. There will be people who will say, 'You know what? God is going to forgive me. I'm going to go get drunk again.'"

Whether the context is Christian America or the Muslim world, discipleship is a messy business. Growth in Christ is usually slow, sometimes agonizingly slow, subject to repeated misunderstanding, backsliding, and even heterodoxy. Read more