What does turning away entail? Does it mean we isolate ourselves into groups no bigger than what could fit in a minivan and go about our existence in a bubble? Do we automatically shun anyone who disagrees with us on any tertiary issue or minutest of detail? Are we to disavow any knowledge of an individual and wipe them from our past altogether if, perchance, they don’t believe wearing a wedding band or a necktie is Ichabod, or even more controversial, are okay with drums in church? I mean, where do we draw the line? Where is that sweet spot wherein we are not exaggerating our reaction to Paul’s direction to turn away from such individuals but likewise not finding ourselves tolerating things within the body of Christ that we ought not to?
I’ve come to the point where I dread public speaking, not
because I no longer enjoy it but because there is this underlying fear that
I’ll pick my nose at some point during my sermon and someone will snap the
perfect photo of me with my fingers in a particular position and determine that
I am, in fact, Illuminati.
I recently did a video interview with someone, and I happened
to be wearing a bracelet one of my daughters made for me. They’ve gotten into
such crafts lately, and when Victoria excitedly declared that my surprise was
finished and produced a red and black string bracelet she’d woven all by
herself, I couldn’t say no to wearing it. Wouldn’t you know it, someone spotted
the bracelet on my hand during the interview, and because it had some red thread
in it, I was thoroughly rebuked for being a closet Kabbalist.
Yes, it’s gotten that bad, and the last two times I’ve spoken
at a conference, I tended to keep my hands in my pants pockets even though,
more often than not, I talk with my hands. I gesticulate; it’s just how I am,
but bring your hand anywhere close to your face, trying to wipe off some sweat,
and Bam! We’ve uncovered another one; look at that; he’s covering half his face
with his palm. Back in Micronesia, before the continents split, there was a
small band of wildmen that used that as a sign of their allegiance to the dark
forces. Ergo, he’s one of them.
That’s how absurd we’ve become, and it does us no good. While
the devil is dismantling the church brick by brick and inserting his servants
in key positions of power therein, we’re accusing people of being part of some
long-dead cult just because they got caught trying to flick a booger off their
index finger. Unsanitary? Perhaps. In league with the forces of darkness?
Hardly.
Granted, if you’re posing for a photo shoot and that’s the
hand gesture you choose, I may have questions, but we can’t jump to conclusions
or think the worst of someone just because a photo of them got snapped during a
sermon that seems like the thing in that fraction of a second when they’re
trying to get hair out of their eyes.
So, what is the proper reaction? How do we avoid overreacting
while still being true to the gospel and turning away from those who intend to
erode men's faith and shift their focus from the things above to the things of
this earth?
It’s easy enough if we’re patient. The enemy’s minions can’t
help themselves. They have a mission, and they are dedicated to their execution
thereof, so given enough time, you begin to see the pattern. Whenever anyone
consistently points the way to anything other than Jesus in their oratory or
teaching, whenever anyone attempts to elevate themselves above the written
Word, whenever the gospel they are preaching is a gospel of their own invention
rather than the Gospel of Christ, then you know it’s time to turn away from
such individuals. Patience is key in discerning the true from the false.
It doesn’t matter if they’re charismatic or enigmatic if they
tell good stories or make you feel your feelings. If the gospel is not the
foundation of their ministry and they consistently disregard it in lieu of
their machinations, pull the cord and turn away. You come to realize the true
intent of a shepherd if he is leading you away from Jesus rather than toward
Him. You begin to realize that your spiritual well-being is not their priority
when they consistently try to make themselves indispensable to your spiritual
growth rather than the Gospel. The Word of God is not a placeholder until a
particular individual comes along. You don’t abandon Scripture for the
teachings of men, especially when the teachings of men contradict the Word.
Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let us hold fast the confession of our
hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one
another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and
so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
That’s the benchmark of healthy, scriptural fellowship: that
we stir up love and good works in each other. When we navigate away from these
things within the context of fellowship, our focus shifts to finding fault or
seeing some heinous thing where there isn’t any. Just because Sister Agnes is
averse to color does not mean that Sister Melba has been given over because she
wore a sunflower dress to church. Do not make doctrine out of personal
preferences, and do not excuse sin if the Bible forbids it. It’s a good rule of
thumb, but one we rarely adhere to because that would mean my drinking tea
instead of coffee in the morning doesn’t make me more spiritual than someone
who prefers coffee.
The contemporary church has come to the pitiable point of no
longer being able or willing to discern between culture, sin, and the world,
and the duty of the household of faith to remain a set apart people that God
can use as a testimony to the world. What empowers the testimony of the church
is not acquiescing to the demands of the godless or living as they do in the
hope of garnering their validation. What empowers the testimony of the church
is the authority of the Word of God, a source of divine truth that we must
always hold in the highest regard.
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