Is The Shack a doctrine of demons?

Many times when the end times are spoken of in the bible, there is always a grim warning to guard your heart and mind against any doctrine except the gospel brought by Christ. A few such warnings are in Acts 20:28-30, 1 John 4:3, Matthew 24:11, 2 Timothy 4:3.

In comes The Shack, a Christian fiction book by Paul Young. A healthy debate with nearly 600 comments is over at Pastor Wade Burleson's blog, which is just one among many, many other discussions saturating the 'net. I wrote "The Shack is a Devilish Deception" 8 months ago on my other blog. When I wrote that it was for an audience of non-Christians. Apparently the need is great for a message to Christians as well.

Dr. Michael Youssef has a video entitled Thirteen Heresies in The Shack, the second link is a written essay with the same title. Those are some pretty big heresies in Youssef's list. I urge people to watch it or read the text.

When the disciples asked Jesus for signs of His return, in Matthew 24:4-5, the very first sign Jesus gave, and it is the only sign He repeats (Matthew 24:11,24) is blunt and pointed. He said, “Many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many.”

Therefore it makes sense to be on guard for these false prophets and deceptions and perversions of the Word. Yet because the Shack has such a heartfelt message and warms the emotions of so many, they deem it acceptable. Well, satan does not come in all red clawed and hissing, he puts poison inside sugar. He cloaks falsity in a near-truth.

Sure The Shack is fiction, but to me that doesn't matter. The basic foundations of the bible are corrupted in this book, and this book is accepted by the Christian community and promoted by the Christian community. This is WRONG. Have we lost all ability to discern? The bible says that yes, even the elect would be deceived if possible.

In 2 Peter 3:17 it is written "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position." And in 1 Timothy 4:1 Paul wrote "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." So it should not surprise us tat controversy surrounds a book that has flawed doctrine in it. The surprise (to me) is its acceptance by Christians.

The Shack is heresy. Its author Mr Young wrote a book that presents God in a totally unbiblical way and presents salvation in a totally unbiblical way and this book is influencing millions.


Where does it end, then? How MUCH will we be OK with? Where does the line get drawn? And on which side will the undiscerning Christian be when He comes? Read the bible daily. Get into a close relationship with Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit for discernment. Any book, fiction or not, that denies Jesus is the only way to heaven and states clearly that sin goes unpunished is heresy. No matter how nice the book makes you feel, and remember that is satan's goal, to make you feel good all the way to the other side of the line, the line of unending hell, from these, stay away!