Many of our Christian leaders aren't doing their job. If you think I'm being too harsh, read the transcript of a recent Fox News Sunday interview between Chris Wallace and Joel Osteen, the pastor of America's largest congregation. 

In the interview, Osteen stated that members of one of America's largest cults are true Christians. His comments highlight something Christians need to remember: we can't necessarily trust our leaders to protect us from spiritual harm -- especially in these last days when deception will increase.

Osteen's Interview

During the interview, Osteen talked about his messages of hope, self-improvement and positive thinking. About mid-interview, Wallace brought up presidential candidate Mitt Romney. He asked Osteen: "Is a Mormon a true Christian?"

Here's Osteen's reply:

Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his savior, and that's what I believe, so, you know, I'm not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are.

Wallace presses Osteen further:

So, for instance, when people start talking about Joseph Smith, the founder of the church, and the golden tablets in upstate New York, and God assumes the shape of a man, do you not get hung up in those theological issues?

Osteen replies:

I probably don't get hung up in them because I haven't really studied them or thought about them. And you know, I just try to let God be the judge of that. I mean, I don't know. I certainly can't say that I agree with everything that I've heard about it, but from what I've heard from Mitt, when he says that Christ is his savior, to me that's a common bond.

The Oldest Trick in the Book

I don't like to criticize Christian leaders, but Osteen's ignorance scares me. He's fallen for one of the oldest cult tricks in the book: using Christian terms, but giving them radically different meanings. When a Mormon calls Christ his "savior," he means something totally different than what a Christian means. Such ignorance may be excusable for a new Christian, but it's inexcusable for the pastor of a 50,000-member church and national television audience.

The differences between Mormonism and Christianity are far from "little details." Mormons believe not in one God, but in many. They think they can become gods by obeying the Mormon gospel, which is a mix of faith and works. The only difference between Jesus and Mormons, in their minds, is that Jesus has been a god longer, so he has more practice at it. And through his atonement, he set Mormons on the path to godhood. That's hardly what Christians mean when they call Jesus "Savior."

The idea that a human being can become a god is a classic heresy. Any Christian with basic Bible knowledge should be able to detect it. That's not to mention Mormonism's other heresies -- such as a works-based salvation, which contradicts Christ's gospel of grace.

Even though the cults try to pass themselves off as Christians, one doesn't have to look far to see the differences. The Mormon teaching that human beings can become gods can be found right on their Web site here. Yet, Osteen admitted he hasn't taken the time to think about Mormon teachings.

By his own admission then, Osteen is unqualified to be a Christian teacher. I don't mean to sound mean, though I fear I will sound that way. I think he's a very likeable and loving man. Kindness is a requirement for church leaders, but not the only one. In the list of requirements the apostle Paul gave for church leaders, he said they must hold tightly to God's Word so they're able to teach sound doctrine and refute those who contradict it (Titus 1:9). Yet, by stating that Mormons are true Christians, Osteen has failed to do both.

Job Opening

Osteen's upbeat messages may attract many followers, but his failure to teach sound doctrine leaves them vulnerable to deception. Of course, Osteen isn't the only Christian leader to fail this way. But he's one of the most influential. Some of his followers may now become Mormons. Or they'll feel no need to share the true gospel with Mormons, who are in desperate need for Christ as Savior in the real sense of the word. Either way, the eternal consequences are dire.

Because we often can't trust our leaders to protect us, we need to protect ourselves by holding tightly to God's Word. And we need to protect others by teaching sound doctrine. Many of our leaders are sleeping on the job, so let's pick up the slack.