Posted on 06/14/2002 4:14:16 PM PDT by xzins
Peter called Ananias and Sapphira liars. Paul warned the Ephesians of savage wolves who would become prominent "from among your own selves" speaking perverse things attempting to draw away the disciples. In 2 John 10-11 the Apostle forbids receiving into your home or even greeting those "who do not abide in the teaching of Christ" for, he says, to do so makes us participants "in his evil deeds." Jude reminds all Christians that even though God saved the Hebrews from the Egyptians He "subsequently destroyed those who did not believe" in the wilderness. Jesus Himself instructed His disciples to "shake off the dust of your feet" of the towns and homes that refused to receive them or heed their words saying that "it will be more tolerable for the land of Somom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city" (Matthew 10:14-15).
New Testament Christians all exhorting the Church to stand for God with boldness, fearlessness, and most of all...conviction. I am saddened today by the unwillingness of many in the Church to address sin in the household of faith and to speak words of judgment while patting themselves on the back for their moral and spiritual superiority to those who are willing to do the dirty work of offending the liars, the false prophets, and the selfish "wolves" among us.
I know about sharing the love of Christ. I understand Christ's exhortation to pray for our enemies. I am aware of our need to be tolerant of sinners and compassionate to those caught in the snare of the Enemy. However, it seems to me that Scripture makes a clear distinction between the "sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2) of which we all once were and "enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction" (Philippians 3:18-19). I can say with the publican "God have mercy on me a sinner." But acknowledging my own sin and taking responsibility for my disobedience to God (via repentance) does not permit me to abdicate my responsibility to speak with certainty and conviction against the enemies of the Cross. I love Christ even though I am certain I let Him down frequently. The enemies of the Cross have no love for Christ or His Cross. Rather, they attack the Cross by teaching the goodness inherent in mankind thereby making the sacrifice of Jesus quite inconsequential. Or, they refashion their theology of the Cross in such a way as to validate their sinful behavior making a mockery of Atonement. Either way, nowhere does the Scripture give us permission to look the other way or remain silent and think we are demonstrating true Christian love or compassion when the Cross is demeaned, ignored, or ridiculed.
We seem to have come to a point in the Church that anyone who speaks anything about anyone that is deemed to be "unkind" is chastised for their "judgmentalism" or lack of Christ-like love. It is really quite frightening. It is nothing more than the ancient belief that mankind can create our own Utopia. The voices of the prophets have always been deemed as an annoyance and a roadblock to peace. They were silenced in biblical times by death and today they are silenced by fear of ostracization. If Jesus said to shake the dust from the soles of your feet concerning those who refuse to acknowledge His Word then why do we expend so much energy trying to convince them otherwise? I certainly realize that enemies of the Cross can come around although I do not think it happens as much as people think. Remember, there is a difference between being a child of disobedience and an enemy of the Cross. Look what it took to get the most famous enemy of the Cross to come around: a personal appearance by the Risen Lord on the road to Damascus. There is nothing wrong with praying for haters of God and enemies of the Cross but we are wasting precious and valuable time and resources by trying to get them to come around.
One of the most important contributions to theology John Wesley made was promoting his understanding of prevenient grace. Jesus told Peter that flesh and blood could not reveal understanding and subsequent belief that He was the Son of the living God. Only God could do that. Hence, prevenient grace. Wesley instructed his preachers not to waste time with those who had not yet been prepared to receive the Word by prevenient grace. Said Wesley, "go always, not only to those that want you, but to those that want you most." God prepares the heart for the Messiah. Twenty nine recipients of this commentary corresponded a couple of weeks ago with a man who was blatantly hostile to God and the Cross and mocked the situation with my son. All it did was give that man a good laugh and what is worse a venue and audience to spew forth his twisted ideology and vile affections. Clearly, God had not been working in his heart and all the sincere pleas in the world would not have moved him into the kingdom of God.
If all we are interested in is being accepted and well-liked or received by those in the world who are hostile to the God of the Holy Bible then we are no different from everyone else who demands unconditional acceptance. We are witnesses. Not just of God's grace and mercy but also of His wrath and judgment. The author of Hebrews puts it this way, "If the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and evry transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Hebrews 2:2-3).
There is no short supply of tolerance, acceptance, or unconditional love today. What does seem to be in short supply are those who are willing to call liars liars, ravening wolves instruments of Satan, and "No!" to those who do not abide in the teaching of Christ. Paul's word to the Ephesians who were threatened by those wolves in sheep's clothing was, "do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them" (Ephesians 5:11).
We identify them by their fruits.
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