Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. [1 Thess. 5.19-20]
It strikes me as rather strange that so many Evangelicals, for example, who have traditionally condemned the Papacy as the Antichrist, now act as if they believe in infallibility! People are either right or wrong in their world: there is no room for error. If someone says something that can be shown to be incorrect in the light of Scripture, then everything they say is discounted. Is this right? Is this the scriptural way of discernment? Of course not: we should expect to disagree with each other at times. Even Peter and Paul argued; Paul and Barnabas argued; Paul and the "super apostles" argued. In fact, Paul seems to have argued with everyone at some point. So why do we expect perfect orthodoxy from our brothers and sisters?
If there is one reason for this attitude which has come to prevail in the church, it is to be found in the quotes at the start of this rant. Bob Dylan, as so often, says it so clearly. We have come to think of God as our errand boy, there to bless us, give us peace and love and power and that other good stuff. But we have neglected to ask ourselves what it is that God requires of us. We call him Saviour, but we need to remember that he is also to be Lord, ie., the Boss, the One who Makes the Decisions, the One who decides what is right and wrong. So let's look to Scripture, not only to discern truth from error, which is important, but also to learn how to handle those who are found in error, which is also vital.
The motives of most Christians in drawing our attention to what they perceive of as error is very important. Most of the time, the actions are inspired by a regard for God's honour. They see believers bringing God's ways into disrepute, and they want to cry out, as the prophets of old did, against the problem. Their favourite Scripture is probably: Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints [approximate KJV]. This is good and valid. But there is a balance in the Lord, a powerful meeting of opposites. For example: "In your anger don't sin" [Ephesians 4.26]; "Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" [Matthew 10.16].When James and John wanted to deal with opponents by calling down fire from heaven to destroy them, Jesus rebuked them sharply. When the apostles rebuked some people who were baptising in Jesus' name, they were rebuked in turn by the Lord who gave us a strong principle to use in such circumstances. Even here we find that same balance I spoke of:"...for whoever is not against us is for us" [Mark 10.40] and "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does gather with me scatters" [Matthew 12.30]. There is the balance we need: when we come across those with whom we disagree, we have to make a judgment: are they actively against the Lord, or are they simply misguided and in need of greater maturity or insight? Or, perhaps, might it be that they have seen something we have not, something we need to discern for ourselves?
To stop us from getting too arrogant in our judgments on other believers, the Lord continues in the passage from Matthew to warn us against judging too quickly those who seem to differ from us:
And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. [Matthew 12.31-32]
What does this mean for us? It means that we must be very careful that our own motives are pure before we start speaking against anyone in the church. If we attack a movement or an individual simply because they preach or act in a way we don't like, we must be very wary. Let us have the humility to stop and honestly discern whether this might be something of God, before we speak against it.
But what if we discern honestly that it is not of God, not in keeping with the Word of God? How, then, should we proceed? Remember what Jesus said: if they are not against him, they are for him. Are the ones you find offensive actively against the Lord, that is, knowingly and deliberately trying to undermine the gospel? You see, there is a world of difference between saying that someone is in error and teaching error, and saying that they are Satanic, demonic and leading people to hell. That, surely, is where we need to have a sense of balance, especially when it comes to fellow-believers. Satanic activity is something we need to deal with in the correct manner. Paul reminds us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, so personal attacks are not in order. We are fighting a spiritual battle against spiritual forces in the heavenly places, therefore prayer, intercession and even fasting are in order. Preaching the Truth to the misled, backed up by prayer and intercession, will do far more good than blunt personal attacks on the deceived. This is something that we need to be sure the Lord has led us to and really needs an article (books, even) to itself.
But deceived believers are another matter entirely. We should start with the understanding that we ourselves are not in a position where we can lay down the law about everything, because we just don't know it all. Even Paul could say that. So, there are things we will learn from others which may at first not be very appealing to us. At times, we will be convinced that this "new thing" is very wrong, and should be opposed. But we take the Scripture: test everything. Now, if we find that this is, in fact, not a "new thing" at all, but simply something new to us, to be found in scripture, then we must deal with that situation in obedience. If, however, we can find nothing in scripture to support what is being preached, then we have to be extremely wary of it. Have nothing to do with evil, but don't reject those who are involved in it. If they are deceived Christians, then they need to hear the truth, not a blanket condemnation. Resist the temptation, for such it is, to rush to an opposite extreme and denounce absolutely everything. A preacher may preach error, but if he sings "Amazing Grace", there is no need to reject that song and never sing it again! A Christian may claim a prophecy is from the Lord, when it is not, but that does not mean that he is deliberately trying to lead everyone astray and should be shunned and condemned. Music may be used in ways that lull people into an unreal emotional state, but we should not eject all music from our meetings for that reason.
At all times, there is a need for balance, not compromise. Reject everything that it not scriptural, be extremely careful about getting involved in a church or ministry where there is too much emphasis on one thing or another, be it emotionalism, legalism, charismania or dead orthodoxy. But love covers a multitude of sins, and none of us are always right. We all have our pet peeves, but that should not stop us loving and praying for our brethren. I, for example, cannot imagine how a Christian can call himself "reverend", or even "most reverend", it is neither scriptural nor humble. But there you are, should I therefore have nothing to do with any church or groups headed by a "reverend"? The word "Pastor" appears only once in Scripture, and then only in the plural form. There is nothing in the Bible that supports a church being led by a single individual with the title of Pastor. Should I therefore not have anything to do with any church or fellowship headed by a Pastor? It may sound sily, but it is just the kind of thing that makes us crazy.
Perhaps the most serious division developing in the body of Christ today has little or nothing to do with denominations or titles. It is between those who believe in a coming end-times revival that will spread throughout the world (Latter-Rain, the River, the Harvest, etc.), and those who believe Scripture teaches that the majority of believers will actually fall away in the last days, "the love of most will grow cold". This is a very real difference of approach to our times, leading to diverging attitudes towards leadership in the church, ministry, servants versus warriors, etc. Now, I don't want to be superficial or flippant, but I must ask: will this issue really matter in the end? One day (the sooner the better!) Jesus will call us home, and we will rise up to meet with him and be raptured out of here. I consider there is good scriptural grounds for believing this. How it happens, when it happens, I don't particularly care. I like to think there are grounds for believing it will be before any serious Tribulation. What is important, though, is whether I will be raptured, not when or how. I know my Lord and Saviour lives, and that he loves me deeply. I will be going home one day.
When that Day comes, will it matter whether I am expecting it, or whether I have been looking for something totally different? If I have been expecting a worldwide revival, instead of a pre-Tribulation Rapture, will that make a difference? In other words, does my status before God depend on my doctrine, or the fact that I was born again of the Holy Spirit? As long as I believe the "basics", will it matter about the rest? That is a serious question, and I think we need to think about it.
Traditionally, Christians have believed that justification by faith alone is the only thing necessary for salvation, and I fully endorse that view. It is Scripture. But Jesus also warned that some people would find themselves locked out on that Day, when they thought they were saved. Some will hear the words: "Go away, I never knew you". Who are they? Who are the foolish virgins who ran out of oil and were locked out of the wedding feast? I think there are at least two groups of people who may fit that description.
There are certain leaders in the church, people with high-profile ministries, television ministries, conference speakers and writers of books, who have left the path and are following pride and arrogance. They have put themselves at the centre of the work, usually calling their ministry after themselves, taking all the glory and praise that belongs to God. Whether deliberately or not, they have taken steps to keep the ministry going, keep the drama high and the crowds thrilled, steps not in keeping with the purity of the gospel. Perhaps they started in the power of the Spirit, but at some point the Spirit stopped moving so powerfully in their meetings. So they started to use music, advertising, self-promotion and any other hype they could to keep things humming along. They have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. They have claimed to be under the anointing of God, when they were moving in a completely different spirit indeed: pride, ambition, status. They are like the Pharisees, liking the praise of men more than the approbation of God. Enjoying the fame and the respect that comes from being "a Man of God". They will face a dreadful disillusionment on that day.
What of the men and women who have followed their ministry? No-one will be able to excuse themselves by saying that someone else led them astray. We are each of us responsible to "test the spirits", and we are all given what we need by God to discern truth. But we too often lay aside that responsibility in favour of feeling good. We like what's happening around us, we want it to be real and to be of God. We enjoy the emotions and the fellowship, so we don't look too closely at the scriptural basis for it all. Christians are commanded to love the Lord their God with their minds as well as their hearts. We have to learn to think, to consider what we hear and see, and to judge accordingly. It doesn't matter how famous a preacher or a prophet may be; how long he has been in ministry, nor how much God has used him in the past. No-one is infallible: we can all miss the anointing of God at times, and come out with the most amazing nonsense.
The tragedy is when the leader cannot acknowledge his mistake. When he feels that he has to carry on along the line he has chosen, even when it is not supported by the Word of God. Because, not only is he unnecessarily remaining in sin and rebellion against God, he is also leading others out of the Way and tempting them to follow against the leading of the Spirit.
When we put our feelings before Scripture, we grieve the Spirit. When we refuse to accept that our prophecies and visions are not supported by Scripture, but hold on to them as a "new thing" God is doing, we grieve the Spirit. When we allow someone to lead us along those lines, without testing the spirits, because we are enjoying the ride and the promise of future glory, we are grieving the Spirit. And those who continue in this way, end by blaspheming against the Spirit of God. And that, said Jesus, is unforgivable.
So, what is the role of those who see this taking place? Preach the truth, preach the Word of God in all its fulness. Don't be negative and condemn those going astray, as you see it. Pray for them and for the Body of Christ that the Lord will speak to them in time and turn them from their ways. I often think that, if most Christians are going to fall away in these days, it will not be because they are attracted by the world, though that is a serious problem in itself. But many will fall because they will want the thrill, the emotional high, of building the Kingdom of God on Earth, of preparing themselves to be rulers and authorities over this planet. There is a genuine emotion in loving and serving God. There is a real high in worship and praise. But it is directed outwards, to Him who sits upon the throne, and for that reason it is not affected by our moods or attitudes. Because he never changes, he is always worthy, whether we feel like it or not. But instead of asking what we can get out of it all, instead of seeking to be thrilled and carried along by the emotions, we should be asking the most important question: what does the Lord require of me? Whatever side of the current divide you find yourself, the answer is clear and cuts straight to the heart of the matter, the heart of worship: to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.