The Archbishop's dose of the measles

An article carried in The Telegraph newspaper this week of an interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has highlighted the gross apostasy at the very heart of the Church of England. In that interview he makes the shocking statement about his conversion that 'I was desperately embarrassed that this had happened to me, it was like getting the measles'! The content of the Archbishop's interview make it abundantly clear that he has never had the experience of the new birth, and that he has no true understanding of the gospel. That this can be said of the pre-eminent church leader in England is a sad state of affairs, indeed the spiritual darkness in England should be no surprise where men like this proclaim to be teachers of God's word. When we take into account the fact that Justin Welby is described as being on the evangelical wing of the Church of England it is evident to all just how far that denomination has fallen.

The Archbishop's description of his conversion being embarrassing, akin to a dose of the measles, contradicts scripture and is at variance with the testimony of every true believer. For the one who has come to Christ their conversion is a moment of joy, when they receive eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Justin Welby's experience appears to be a very shallow one, not the work of regeneration in the heart of one seeking Christ. Indeed he goes so far as to say that a personal conversion experience is not necessary, that 'there is an incredible range of ways in which the Spirit works. It doesn’t matter how you get there.' We can only answer that statement as the Lord Jesus Christ answered Nicodemus in John 3:3 that 'except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God'. The only way to God is through faith in Jesus Christ, and all believers can look back to that time in their life when they came in faith and repentance to Christ; repentance from sin being something which is noticeably lacking from the Archbishop's account of his conversion. True conversion involves a turning away from sin and turning to Christ. It is never something which we are embarrassed about, but indeed the evidence of our faith is that we have a desire to tell others what Christ has done for us, for 'if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, though shalt be saved'. For the Archbishop to liken it to a dose of the measles, something that was embarrassing and inconvenient, is surely evidence that no work of regeneration has ever been done in his life.

That being the case it is perhaps no surprise then that he errs on so many other matters; that he has for his spiritual advisor a Roman Catholic priest, Nicolas Buttet; that he uses Roman Catholic models of spiritual discipline and that he views Pope Francis as extraordinary! It appears that whilst the Archbishop of Canterbury may not be suffering from the measles he is suffering for far worse diseases; apostasy, heresy and ecumenism. Pray that God would deliver us from men such as this and raise up those more fitted to fill the seat of Thomas Cranmer.

The original Telegraph article can be read here