Never Cry Wolf
Wanted: Compliant Church Goers – No Discernment Required
Years ago a drug-using career criminal uttered the phrase “Why can’t we all just get along?”, and now the church has seemed to make this their theme. Don’t try to be theologically correct, never disagree publicly over Biblical truth, never notice or warn about sin – just fall in line and be nice.
I attempted this at the church my husband and I attended for 21 years, after falling into line and being nice for years. I was charged with being a slanderer and a gossip. I even got called a Pharisee. If you haven’t been branded a Pharisee yet, you just aren’t trying.
The funniest part of being called a Pharisee for an expressed adherence to the Bible is that Pharisees imposed extra-Biblical rules on everything. That’s what they were known for – so if someone calls you a Pharisee for following the Word, you know they are confused.
Living out the stain of Biblical accuracy will also bring out the following:
- You have a ‘religious spirit’
- You are being ‘judgy’
- You have a critical spirit
- You always have to be right
I recently read an article on disagreeing on doctrine vs personal offense. Essentially this means that if you disagree publicly with a public message and your pastor is offended, church discipline is inappropriately applied. I was disfellowshipped, not for being in sin, but for standing up for the Word.
The Apostle Paul warned in the book of Acts, chapter 20, about savage wolves coming in among the church “not sparing the flock.” It would seem the worst attack on Believers is not from the obvious evil out in the world, but it’s an attack from within. Not only are unaware sheep being savaged, but the sheep who recognize the danger are being silenced. In my experience, a pastor with sound doctrine was defending false doctrine for the sake of unity. I never thought I’d see the day that wolves were being used as Border collies to herd the sheep but here we are.
Whenever I hear “you don’t always have to be right”, it only makes me wonder why not. Why strive to be wrong some of the time? It’s not my accuracy I’m standing up for and it’s not as if we don’t have a way to measure any given opinion.
Is it too much to ask, that we find our unity on the common ground of irrefutable truth? If my experience is anything to go by, tragically, the answer is a resounding YES.
