If Christians stood up against darkness half as much as they
stab at each other, we just might get somewhere. Before I get flooded with
e-mails, I must delineate a nuanced point that seems to escape some folks
nowadays. There is a difference between standing up for truth and calling out
individuals when they attempt to insert heretical teaching into otherwise
Biblical doctrine, and running around screaming Ichabod because someone wears a
wedding band and you chose not to. What is troublesome is that most Christians
will do the latter rather than the former far more passionately, because for
some unexplained reason we are more willing to defend personal preference to
the utmost, than we are to defend the truth.
It is something that has been happening with disturbing
regularity of late. Someone has a personal conviction about something the Bible
does not identify as sinful or harmful, yet they take it upon themselves not
only to make general doctrine of their personal conviction, they insist anyone
not willing to shave their heads and wear clothing made out of hemp
exclusively, is a spawn of darkness itself.
They are the self-appointed bouncers to heaven’s gates, and
they will deny you access for any trivial thing they deem inexcusable. If
perchance you don’t fall in line right away, if you attempt to point out the
fallacy of their argument, not only are you eternally banned from entering
heaven, you are summarily sentenced to the outermost darkness.
We isolate ourselves from each other by the demands we place
on each other, allowing not an ounce of grace to shine through. It’s our way or
the highway, and if it’s the highway, then buddy, it’s the highway to hell.
Instead of happy warriors with one common enemy, we have
become vengeful gnats that buzz around each other’s heads, more of an annoyance
than anything substantive, but somehow pleased to no end with ourselves. We
actively look for points of contention with other believers rather than attempt
to find common ground. Something as trivial as worshipping on a particular day
of the week is enough to cause a schism.
While we bicker and backbite, and feel spiritually superior
to our fellow brethren because we do some arbitrary thing while they do not,
the enemy is advancing, his armies are purposeful, and they are ready for
battle.
I know, I know, Jesus wins in the end, so we have nothing to
worry about. If it were that simple if it were that perfunctory, why are we
repeatedly instructed to put on the armor, to stand, to fight, and to overcome?
Either God is an alarmist, and He just wanted to harsh your
mellow by including all those verses in His Word, or there’s more to it than
staring at our navels and wondering where the fuzz comes from.
It’s easy to think it’s easy until reality demonstrates that
it’s not. Men who considered themselves on solid footing have been swept away
because they were too self-assured, and did not guard their hearts. Men who
seemed like the spiritual juggernauts of a generation were brought low because
they did not anticipate the enemy's attack, and were blindsided.
Don't be one of those people who realize they can't take on
an army by themselves only when they're surrounded, and the enemy is closing
in. Lone wolves are great in movies but don't do so well in real life. We need
each other, we need to be able to count on each other, we need to fight side by
side, and together as one advance against the darkness.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
No comments:
Post a Comment