One More Step--A Warning

In the last post we mentioned the Facebook group TrueBelievers who sincerely believe Jesus is coming back for The Church on May 21, 2011. Color me skeptical. I have no problem whatsoever being wrong on this one. If that turns out to be the actual date I will not be here on May 22nd either. (I say "either" giving that group the benefit of the doubt.)

When I posted my comments to that group, I witnessed their vitriol toward anyone who would disagree with any point of their questionable doctrine. I did receive a couple comments from people who seemed to sincerely want to help me understand the errors of my ways and my theology. There was even one young man (much younger than I anyway) who started trying to gently persuade me that Jesus is the thief of John 10:10 only in a reverse sort of way. His position is that Jesus is the thief because He comes to steal back what Satan has stolen from Him and to kill and destroy His enemies. I trust you can see how close that position is to the truth, with the one, minor exception that everything belongs to Jesus, and always has so it is His to take back and to do with as He pleases. He will not be stealing anything. I mention that to say, the chain of messages ended with him accusing me of following a gospel that required my good works to obtain salvation. When pressed as to how he received his salvation, he said he had done "nothing to obtain salvation" and sent me a link where I could find out how I can be sure I am born-again. Well, I did also tell him that if he did not know how he had received salvation, he might not have it. I do not need a link to assure me I have been born-again.

Tommy Walker, wrote and sings one of my all-time, favorite songs, "We Will Remember." The last verse says, "I still remember the day you saved me, the day I heard you call out my name." I still remember the day Jesus did that for me. As I said, I do not need a link or anyone else's confirmation. Having now completed the introduction let us get to the main point.

As wrong-headed, and possibly wrong-spirited as their doctrine might be, the members of TrueBelievers are sincere and passionate about what they believe. I think they are probably wrong, and based on what I heard from that one young man, I might even have cause to question who their god actually is. The problem with that is, my God, the God of the Bible, of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob does not take kindly to me trying to make those determinations. Other people's business is not my business. In fact my God sent His only Son, Jesus, to literally demonstrate love and not judgement. (John 3:17)

Jesus had a very clear concept of what He was on earth to do. Besides His statement in John 3:17, He said variously that He came to, testify to the truth (John 18:37), to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10), and to be the light of the world (John 9:5) among others.

Is it not interesting that when someone comes along who knows what they are doing, our human tendency is to begin to question them? First the Hebrews, then Pharaoh, questioned Moses. The religious leaders questioned Jesus. The church questioned Martin Luther. If I go any further along that line, I will begin to offend people. We could certainly make a list of historical figures up to the current day who have been or are misunderstood, questioned, or rejected by The Church for their beliefs. History has proven some of those same people to be right.

The Church loses any time we decide who stays and who goes, who is received and who is rejected, based on concepts or standards of acceptability to the established norms of conduct, behavior, appearance or for whatever other reason. The gospel is the good news of inclusivity. Everyone is included. Whosoever will is accepted by God and should be accepted by The Church. Where is the understanding? Where is the discernment? On what basis do we exclude anyone?

I guess today is my day for music. The contemporary Christian musical group, Casting Crowns has an album, perhaps their first, that is titled simply "Casting Crowns." I was given a copy years ago. (I very rarely buy music for myself.) I popped it into the car stereo a short time ago and I must be allergic to something they sang. My eyes started watering and my nose started running as I listened to words like, "what if His people prayed" and "the voice of truth tells me a different story" and "if we are The Church, why aren't His arms reaching" and "Jesus paid much to high a price for us to pick and choose who should come." It was a good thing the freeway was not particularly busy that day.

The Holy Spirit gave me the title for this post a month or so ago, well before I knew there were TrueBelievers on Facebook. In re-reading, I wonder if I have made the point He wanted to make. We are on the edge, as The Church, staring into the precipice of self-righteousness, denying by our actions, what Jesus came to do whenever we reject anyone for any reason. Brethren, these things ought not be so. The next step in that direction could lead to a very great fall. Back away from the edge.