Worship While It’s Warm

I often get the impression that some of my fellow believers think I am too strict about doctrinal orthodoxy, that my line dividing correct understanding vs incorrect understanding is too rigidly drawn.  My stance usually comes to the surface in conversations about particular teachers or churches and my disdain for some teachings. I have heard people say concerning popular teachers today who draw sizable crowds, that even though some of their doctrine may be off, they do have some good things to say and we can pick out the parts that we deem correct.  My response is that these teachers should be avoided.  False doctrine should be exposed.

So yes, I admit that my line is thick, the line that represents an understanding of the triune God, His movement through time, His works, His salvation, His love.  It is not a line that is arbitrary or that has been filled in with popular or populist ideas about Christianity or with sentiments that should have a soothing appeal to all my senses.  But the line has been shaped and structured through a careful and deliberate consideration of the whole counsel of scriptures, the desire to understand scripture in their historical, grammatical and cultural context, and the examination of doctrinal development since the resurrection of Christ.  Obviously, I’m still learning and would never consider myself to have arrived.  And there’s so much more to learn, which is why I am in seminary.  The learning will never stop.  But the learning has been prompted to understand God on His terms, salvation as He has chosen to provide it, and His expectations for my life here on earth.

Life is what we doing here.  I think that what my softer brothers and sisters don’t quite get yet, is the reason behind my lines, the reason my reaction is to spur those who would distort in any way, the God-breathed written communication about Himself.   Because what we believe about God, how He operates in His trinity, His revelation, our salvation will make all the difference in the world regarding our expectations about Him and how He will move on our behalf.  This will play out how we live this life here. If we are instructed that God is at our beck and call and will respond according our words, then we will expect Him to do that.  If we taught that God moves in ways similar to methods He used prior to the first Advent, then we will expect that.  If we believe that health, wealth and prosperity are divine appointed rights of the believer, we will expect that in our lives. If we believe that God requires us to keep elements of the Mosaic law juxtaposed to grace to preserve and enhance our sanctification, then we will expect God to be pleased with the impositions of legalism.  The list goes on but these are a few.

Recently, a tragic situation has developed close to me.  My sister-in-law had a brain aneurysm last Sunday.  Mary and her husband Steve (my late husband’s oldest brother) were also my pastors for 5 years (2001-2006)and so as this week has unfolded, I have been in contact with those that I had once fellowshipped with.  A dear sister with whom I served on the worship team during my time there, and who I believe is influenced by some popular, but distorted teachings, expressed to me her anger with God about the situation.  She said “I thought she was supposed to get right up”.  And while this sister is wanting to trust that God will have His way, she is being confronted with expectations that have been formed by doctrinal distortion.  (I am believing with them for a full recovery btw)

This is but a small example of why we have to expose any teaching that would contradict a sound understanding of how God has revealed Himself in scripture.  Paul instructed Timothy to do the same

As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which may give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.  (1 Timothy 3-4)

And after indicating to Timothy in chapter 4, that the in the latter times will be a falling away from the faith produced by paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (vs. 1), he says in vs 6

In pointing out these things to the brethern, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.

I don’t think this means that we go ballistic or become heresy hunters.  But I also consider that our love for the body should encourage us to expose distortions and not cozy up to teachers just because they might have something nice to say.  There is a spiritual war in play that wants to overthrow as many unsuspecting and poorly taught saints as possible.  Because maybe if expectations can be built on false hope, then then chaos, confusion and disallusionment can result rendering the saint ineffective for the kingdom and destroying their love for God.  But my love for the body for whom Christ died will not allow me to soft-pedal distortions but to expose them and the ill-conceived expectations they produce.