We need to watch OUR lives & doctrine carefully, not those whom we have no responsibility for or to.
If 'Jane christian' down the street speaks in tongues and I think that is a gift that has ceased, I can still love her & know her by the fruit of the Spirit in her life. The fruit of the Spirit isn't speaking OR not speaking in tongues. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, and faith. Hmmm....did I leave anything out?
If 'Born-again Susie' at Corner Post Independant Baptist believes that we should only use the King James Version and I think that's crazy, that also is an opportunity to love part of the body of Christ. Again, the evidence of the Spirit isn't using or not using the KJV only, it is love, joy,peace, etc.
If we think someone within our realm of responsibility or influence (within our 'church' or someone we're discipling or are friends with) has gotten into some wacky doctrine or some 'new' revelation that 'tickles listening ears', then I believe it is our responsibility to confront it as long as we can do so with scripture. But the wholesale 'flogging' of this group or that, is not befitting the body of Christ. i.e., I am not a Rick Warren groupie but I have seen people verbally burn him at the stake for being a heretic. I would venture a guess that most of the people I've seen do this haven't really read or listened to more than a sound bite or two of his stuff, if that. I don't agree with every word that comes out of his mouth, but I am certain that he believes in salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ alone. Rick Warren doesn't fellowship with me, nor is he part of the local expression of the body of Christ where I live. So why do I need to tear down his ministry? I think some of us will have a lot of 'splaining to do' when we stand before the Lord due to our treatment of other believers who didn't quite line up with our understanding of scripture.
We're not enemies. We serve the same Jesus.
I had the unfortunate displeasure of listening to a certain preacher at a certain campmeeting via the internet. His whole message was pretty much tearing down other believers. None of his complaints were biblically black and white things. He had a problem with:
1)Men who preached without a suit and tie. (definitely the apparel of the apostles, don't you think?)
2)Women who wore cullottes or pants -He said a skimpy bikini was better than pants because women wearing pants takes leadership away from the man in the home. Alrighty then. (Again, if you believe that God would only have you wear dresses, that is between you and the Father....but his argument for it was nowhere near biblical-he didn't even attempt a scripture and the skimpy bikini is pretty blatantly not modest apparel and my wearing of modest pants certainly hasn't taken away from my husband's authority in this home nor my father's in his)
3)People who read anything other than the KJV --He put the NIV in a group along with a sexually transmitted disease, mickey mouse, a lethal pesticide, and a few other things that I can't remember nor do I want to. (However you come down on the side of the KJV only argument---I'm not sure I'd want to stand before God having called a translation of His word the equivalent of a venerial disease.)
4)Preaching without a pulpit---Oh, Is THAT why they stoned Stephen?
5) Church not looking like a church--with carpet and a pulpit ---HUH? Last I checked, the church looked like a group of people, not a building with crosses and pulpits. I wonder if the persecuted church in China or Albania is deterred from worshipping by lack of a 'churchy' looking building. I have this feeling they're a little more concerned about intimacy with the Father or who is knocking on the door to arrest them than they are about having carpeting to worship on.
6) Christians who use projectors & screens instead of hymnals. (Wow is all I can say to that one)
So you see, he wasn't talking about defending the deity of Christ or preaching against someone saying we have to earn our way to heaven. He was angrily ranting about his preferences.
I don't give this gentleman's name or location because I don't want to tear him down publicly .....I only use this as an illustration. I have to be careful, too. When I first started blogging, there were people I wanted to go toe to toe with over a few issues but God spoke to me about that through many verses in Proverbs.
When we turn our guns on each other over preferences, we cease to show the fruit of the Spirit and start acting like......you got it!........ spiritual fruitcakes.
