The Gospel According to Harold

Harold Camping’s prediction of the coming Rapture ushering in Judgment Day was a blatantly obvious error because everyone knows Jesus said, “No one knows the day or the hour.” However, Brother Harold has been preaching a legalistic, morbid gospel for years. According to Harold, anyone who did not believe like He did was following “another Gospel” and was condemned to hell. He has been preaching that for over 30 years. Likewise, Harold Camping’s call to repentance is morbid, and Harold Camping’s view of God is very impersonal. He view’s God’s holiness as a reason for God to be angry and wrathful and unwilling to show grace and mercy unless we beg and plead with God as though the begging and pleading might get God to be merciful and kind. He writes on his website:
Sadly, the Holy Bible tells us that only a small percentage of today’s world will turn from their evil ways, and with great humility and fear will cry to God for mercy. Nevertheless, the Bible assures us that many of the people who do beg God for His mercy will not be destroyed. We learn from the Bible that Holy God plans to rescue about 200 million people (that is about 3% of today’s population). On the first day of the Day of Judgment (May 21, 2011) they will be caught up (raptured) into Heaven because God had great mercy for them. This is why we can be so thankful that God has given us advance notice of Judgment Day. Because God is so merciful, maybe He will have mercy on you. (http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/judgment/judgment.html)

Mr. Camping says that we have to “beg” God for His mercy, and that “maybe” God will have mercy on you! MAYBE???? While He insists that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for sins is the only payment for sin and faith in Christ, the only way to Heaven, He seems to doubt that in his preaching; in other words, I don’t think Camping thinks what Jesus did on the cross for him was good enough, and thus, Harold fell into the trap of legalism, leading to a religious addiction demonstrated in his constant, obsessive-compulsive, numerological approach to Bible Study.  Contrast Mr. Camping’s statements with Jesus’ interaction with the child of God traditionally known as The Thief on the Cross:

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[d]”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23)

The Thief on the Cross simply recognized who Jesus was, what Jesus came to do, and what Jesus had to offer him personally. Notice Jesus loving response and promise. He was bringing this child home to the Father with Him! Jesus did not say, “Well, maybe if you beg, I will have mercy on you.” So, if you were thrown off by all of last weekend’s events, simply recognize that Jesus Christ is the Son of God come to save you, and ask Him to do with you what you can’t do for yourself. He offers complete forgiveness of sins and the entrance into paradise based on His work. Some ask me if Jesus is the only way to heaven, and I tell them, "Well if you want to try, you can bring your own works and righteousness before God. You can see if God will accept your sin stained life over the Gift of Righteousness he offers you in His Son. Yes, that’s it, tell God, “God, I know you gave your Son on the cross and punished all sin in Him so we might have eternal life and freely enter your kingdom, but I really did no need that. I don’t need your Son…I am good enough to get in on my own, so let me in.” And, good luck with that. As for me, I know there is no way I can ever measure up and make myself acceptable to God, and I gratefully clothe myself in the very Righteousness of Christ and receive forgiveness of sins, and eternal life in His Name. I am thankful each day that His blood continually cleanses me from all sin. And God is more than willing and able to pour out his mercy on us every single day. He delights in mercy and he tells us that “Mercy triumphs over Judgment! (James 4) I am not disagreeing with Mr. Camping that God is Holy and Just; full of Light and Truth, and cannot tolerate sin, but God is absolute 100% love, and the cross of Jesus Christ allows His love and Justice to meet face to face so He can treat us with utmost love and respect as His children.  And let the reader take heed; Harold's error does not mean that Jesus will not rapture Believers in Jesus Christ, and it does not mean that those who want to trust in their own righteousness rather than the free gift of righteousness God offers us in Christ won't have to face their own judgment day.