A Dangerous Enemy of Christ?

A website that claimed to be written by “Christian watchmen” with the mission of protecting the “Truth” caught my attention when I was doing a search to get some background on a man whose writings have inspired and informed me. The page I read ripped into this man, whose is an influential Christian, as a “dangerous enemy of Christ.” Among his ‘errors’ were his acceptance of women in ministry and his belief that disciples were called to build God’s Kingdom here on earth through social concern for the weak, the poor, and the oppressed in addition to preaching the Gospel. On both issues there are serious difference of opinion among followers of Jesus Christ, but, these are not cardinal doctrines that should divide us.

Truth is a difficult issue. It will divide people. It should and it does! If pressed to renounce Christ Jesus as the Savior and Lord, I would sacrifice family, friend, personal security, and hopefully - life itself - before letting go of the conviction that He is God come to earth, to live as a Man, who died to make the way for us to be restored to our Father, and who rose again with the promise of eternal life for all who trust His merciful grace. For me that is the Truth and about that I cannot compromise. However, I won’t fight with you about which Bible translation is ‘the’ true one. Devout disciples differ about which day is the right one for worship, about modes of baptism, about spiritual gifts in the Church today, about what is ‘right’ for a Christian to eat or drink. I have convictions about those things, but my beliefs about these matters are not what makes me right with God. My salvation is fixed on Christ alone.

We Christians so quickly forget the principle taught by the Word that urges tolerance on matters of conscience, don’t we? A combination of fear and pride causes us to elevate our tribal traditions over our love for others! Raised a Pentecostal, it is easy for me to think that “I know about matters of the Spirit” and look down on those raised in a contemplative tradition that shows little outward enthusiasm in their faith practices.

In the book of Romans, Paul teaches us the principle of loving respect for one another. "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble." (Romans 14:16-20, NLT) Do you see his main points? Our highest goal is to live ‘in the Spirit’ having a deep love and devotion for the Person of God. The Bible says that if we ‘keep step with the Spirit’ we will please God! Our second goal is to preserve those who live with us in the Body of Christ. Gentle respect causes us to avoid taking offence or being an offender!

Wow, that sounds just like what Jesus taught us about being His disciples.
Remember His words? Love God! Love others!

"One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is most important of all the commandments?”

Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” (Mark 12:28-31, The Message)

His words are not simple, nor is putting them into practice easy, but they are clear and unambiguous. Before you pick up your sword to take a swing at another, think and pray about the issue that divides. Is it really a matter requiring war? Ask yourself: would tolerance of that divergent point of view be compromise of a cardinal doctrine and therefore a matter of sin; or would it demonstrate a gentle respect for a difference of understanding of God’s Word?

Here’s a word from the Word. May it guide us in our defense of Truth.

"For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. …

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church." (Ephesians 4:4-6, 11-15, NLT)
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The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the word.
From heav'n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.

Elect from ev'ry nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses;
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the three in one,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won;
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.


The Church's One Foundation
Stone, Samuel J. / Wesley, Samuel S.© Public Domain