Luke 9:49-50 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
This verse is teaching that people may not be following with you who are truly following Christ. Just because someone does not live by "your" prescribed standards or "your" convictions does not mean they are not following Christ. Just because they are not in "your" prescribed religion or use "your" approved methods does not mean that they have no relationship with Christ. Just because they do not listen to "your" music genre or dress in "your" approved style does not mean they are not living for Christ. Yet many in the Christian world will preach against others that don't live as they do and don't follow as they follow and will lead their people to avoid them or to separate from them. This unbiblical separation is more along the lines of segmentation or segregation, both of which have left a bad mark in American history along with leaving a bad taste in God's mouth when unsuspecting Christians practice this man made type of separation.
When looking at this portion of Scripture we see Jesus' disciples having zeal but adding to the Word of God as do many of our IFBx brethren. We also notice that Jesus has to correct their error here of forbidding them to follow him (man made separation) and teach them that they all were on the same side! Their zeal is comendable but not at the expense of God's word. When Christians have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge and add to the Word of God the end result is a schism or a rift within believers that God never intended to be there.
When I think of all the 'separation' that is occurring within IFBx churches and all the divison that they are incurring my heart breaks. My heart breaks for God as His children do not want to get along. My heart breaks for those Pastors who are caught up in their man-made system yet cannot see it or their pride prevents them from acknowledging it. My heart also breaks for the unsuspecting followers whose loyalty to the "man of God" trumps the Word of God.
John 17:21-23 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
This verse is teaching that people may not be following with you who are truly following Christ. Just because someone does not live by "your" prescribed standards or "your" convictions does not mean they are not following Christ. Just because they are not in "your" prescribed religion or use "your" approved methods does not mean that they have no relationship with Christ. Just because they do not listen to "your" music genre or dress in "your" approved style does not mean they are not living for Christ. Yet many in the Christian world will preach against others that don't live as they do and don't follow as they follow and will lead their people to avoid them or to separate from them. This unbiblical separation is more along the lines of segmentation or segregation, both of which have left a bad mark in American history along with leaving a bad taste in God's mouth when unsuspecting Christians practice this man made type of separation.
When looking at this portion of Scripture we see Jesus' disciples having zeal but adding to the Word of God as do many of our IFBx brethren. We also notice that Jesus has to correct their error here of forbidding them to follow him (man made separation) and teach them that they all were on the same side! Their zeal is comendable but not at the expense of God's word. When Christians have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge and add to the Word of God the end result is a schism or a rift within believers that God never intended to be there.
When I think of all the 'separation' that is occurring within IFBx churches and all the divison that they are incurring my heart breaks. My heart breaks for God as His children do not want to get along. My heart breaks for those Pastors who are caught up in their man-made system yet cannot see it or their pride prevents them from acknowledging it. My heart also breaks for the unsuspecting followers whose loyalty to the "man of God" trumps the Word of God.
John 17:21-23 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
This separation mentality is so easy to get out of hand, just as easy as it is for the very pragmatic believers to completely set aside all bible inspired virtue and be completely indiscernible as a Christian. There’s a balance to be struck that has more to do with “the Lord looketh on the heart” than it does with man’s predilection to “looketh on the outward appearance”. Paul reminds us in 2Cor:10:7 “Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.”
ReplyDeleteLooking back now, I shudder with embarrassment at the memories of how we’d “check” the salvation of anyone and everyone who purportedly accepted Christ sometime in the past, but not under our “supervision”; asking ridiculous questions like “what if you were to rape and murder a whole school bus of children and immediately die afterward--would you go to heaven then?” Goodness gracious, are those the questions that we want representing us to people who just recently heard of our church for the first time? I’ve met people who’ve been saved since childhood who’ve winced at that one, but we were always quick to take that as our first indication that they “didn’t really get it”, proceeded with our 1-2-3 repeat after me prayer and called them a new convert after that!! What a racket, only the personal gain in this racket is our personal “soulwinning” numbers that we can use to prevail when comparing ourselves among ourselves. It’s just as bad as those churches who fleece members for money with “$10 line over here, $20 line over there, $50 line over yonder”. Add to that our very strict tenet of lambasting them after 3 months if they don’t trash all their “worldly” clothes, music, movies and friends, and you’re a “real” fundamentalist after that! Good for you!