Chocolate or Strawberry ? GospelPedlar
I've observed a situation which seems to crop up from time to time in our churches. I'm writing about it to encourage new believers that they are not alone in their experience, and to warn the conscience of church leaders to be aware of how we influence the flock. I've chosen to use "flavors" as a metaphor for the theological and sometimes personal differences we experience from pulpit to pulpit, church to church.
Typically, a new believer is wonderfully struck with the beauty of scripture. The message of Christ, His salvation and the Christian life jump out at him with welcomed boldness. By the grace of God the young sheep gradually becomes familiar with the flavor of God's Word. The Vanilla of Christianity is learned with eagerness.
As time goes on he learns that Christianity always seems to have more than one scoop, vanilla for its base, then another flavor on top of it, chocolate, strawberry, etc. (the flavor of denominationalism, sectarianism, or some version of an "ism" or "ology" -- looking at scripture through a particular worldview -- dispensationalism or covenantalism).
This discovery usually comes about through meeting an older believer. There is nothing more convincing than to listen to a person who is certain of which flavor should be on top of the vanilla. Convinced men attract followers. Especially if these men have nice personalities and seem to be genuinely mature believers. With many years experience under their belts, they "enlighten" young men eagerly. How they love to get a disciple. The trouble is that sometimes all these old warriors see is strawberry, nothing but strawberry. Everything is seen through strawberry glasses - so much so that the strawberry begins to take precedent over the vanilla. Or, you cannot taste vanilla at all. The young believer is taught strawberry inside and out, over and over, again and again.
Sometimes these young men, who've become enthused over these newly-learned "deeper" doctrines, is that they begin to vigorously propagate them. He must now enlighten everyone he meets. And, that invariably attracts disputations. Convinced of his "correctness", he concludes that anyone who will not listen to him is simply "unteachable". By his attitude and tone of voice he causes arguments. He may come off as arrogant and not even realize it. Though he's sincere, he does not have the spiritual wisdom that comes with maturity. After repeated confrontations the joyful, enthusiastic, smiling, calm warmness that came with the vanilla gradually leaves and a firm, anticipative, defensive hardness begins to replace it. Mix this attitude with, "our flavor is the only flavor", and you have the beginning of a first class religious turnoff who drives most sheep away in favor of those few who are attracted by this flavor. Some pastors have a whole church full of them. They become "angry at heresy": there can be absolutely no fellowship with any but our flavor. The thought of fellowshipping around the vanilla with other believers, without forcefully defending their chocolate and strawberry is considered a sign of weakness and impiety. They can be tough on outsiders; unforgiving and censuring among themselves. The "church militant" becomes a misguided battle cry.
The effects of this kind of group on young believers is devastating. Yes, we must "be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict", but it is our method of accomplishing it that which gets us into trouble. Verses like this, along with others like it, are often overquoted out-of-context in support of a personal form of "defending the faith". Unfortunately, too many of these "soldiers" seem unaware of how their defense is perceived by others.
The authors of scripture were always balanced in their theology. We would do well to remember verses such as:
II Timothy 2:24-25 "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition".
Ephesians 4:14&15 - "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."
And sometimes it is just best to keep quiet and let the "heresy" be ignored.
Looking for a fight or "defending the faith" ?!
If one is looking for a fight in America today there are many to choose from:
·Black verses White
·Male verses Female
·Homosexual verses Heterosexual
·Democrat verses Republican
·Pro Life verses Pro Choice
·Conservative verses Liberal
·Microsoft Windows vs Macintosh Windows
·Foreign Car verses American Car
·etc., etc., etc.
In the realm of Christianity there are just as many differences to choose from... or more. Christ's amazing verse in Matthew 10:34, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."; or Paul's in 2 Timothy 4:2, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."; seem to have been taken to heart by some who make it the linchpin of their entire ministry to be against a certain position. More amazingly, the position some strong conservatives rail against may be a strong conservative position held by fellow strong conservative believers. It may even be a position they held in the past, but now have switched and feel they must continually pound their past comrades. One wonders: if two positions are held by conservative, orthodox believers, why spend an excessive amount of time beating each over the head.
If you do feel called to defend the faith, why not spend your time defending the faith against unbelief in its many forms: cults, false religions, true heresy, etc. If the position you are against has, down through the years, been the position of many godly men and women, why treat it like it was "the faith's greatest enemy". Is it because crowds gather around this kind of "ministry"?
What happens when we get into this mode is that we become alienated. We eventually take on a negative cast about most everything in life and end up running many good believers off, gathering a small crowd of negative folk to cheer us on. My friend, on to what?! Further alienation and criticalness. We'll quickly reach the stage where there is something wrong with everyone else, and never with ourselves. Is it any wonder why such bodies never grow much (numerically and spiritually)?
Defending the faith does include the minor points of doctrine - but not making the minors the majors and expending all of our energies fighting those who really are as conservative (and, believe it or not, just as spiritual) as we are.
I'm sure there are times to start wars, if essential truths are at stake, and "let the chips fall". But, some people seem to be always looking for a fight over a pistachio. Supporting the vanilla of Christianity AND our strawberry without being a religious turnoff is a spiritual balancing act that only mature believers can handle. This "spiritual balancing act of maturity" comes with time as our Lord works in each individual believer's life. It would be nice if there were a few more mature believers out there who could pass on this "spiritual balancing act of maturity" to the younger believers. Instead of training them for inner-church war, Christians should be trained not only in sound doctrine and the defense of it, but also in how to be loving examples to the flock -- living that doctrine in the midst of God's people.
1Pe 5:3 - "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock"
1Ti 4:12 -"but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity"
1Co 11:1 - "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ"
Tit 2:10 - "that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things"
It does seem quite impossible to not put some flavor on top of the vanilla. After all, we have strong feelings about our flavors; we feel God has taught them to us and we certainly don't want to appear as though we are not sure what the truth of some minor point is -- even though there are times we should. Some do not even want to admit that there is such a thing as a "minor" doctrine.
Still, the history of Christian doctrine teaches us that, invariably, Christian men and women agree on the majors (essentials of the faith) and come to different conclusions on other minor points (non-essentials). Devoted saints have done this in every century since Apostolic times. That should tell us something.
As we grow in grace and the knowledge of God's word, along with studying the history of Christian doctrine, we will have a tendency to agree with one side of some "monk's quarrel" -- but do not ISOLATE A MONKS QUARREL (and I admit, some of them are very important) AND MAKE IT YOUR WHOLE LIFE'S EMPHASIS! When you do, you harm yourself and others. Many Christian men cannot bring themselves to admit that their denomination or group is only part of the True Church -- one of the flavors. Perhaps at the root of the problem is "the TRUTH God wants us to have and the QUESTIONS he has left unanswered".
the TRUTH god wants us to have and the QUESTIONS HE has left unanswered.
All the major biblical truths become apparent to God's Spirit-taught children, in Gods own time. When going deeper into these truths there are often questions which are sometimes left unanswered. Only the Lord knows the answer to such questions and He may not reveal them fully in Scripture. We may act as though we know, but we may come up with two or three conflicting opinions. We then divide up into two or three camps, each deciding that the other camps opinions are wrong.
Actually, all three camps have exactly the TRUTH God wants them to have AND the QUESTIONS He has left unanswered.
Luke 9:49 Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us." But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."