TEACHING

Daryl Wood

(Daryl is a teaching gift to the body of Christ.  He resides in Southern Ohio.)

THE DEVIL’S BEST ADVOCATES

Football pundits have a cliché for once-in-a-decade, vicious hits.  Often these are officially “career-ending,” but even when they aren’t, they might as well be.  It is said, regarding the recipient of such, that the deliverer of this devastating shot “. . . stole his heart.”

Transfer the analogy to the spiritual realm, only this time imagine the crushing tackle being administered by one who is lined up on the same side of the line of scrimmage and wearing the same helmet logo and uniform colors as the victim.  You now have a tragic picture of something that occurs in the body of Christ with more frequency than any would care to admit.

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.  By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber (2 Pet. 2: 1-3, NKJV).

But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime.  They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, beguiling unstable souls.  They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children (vs. 12-14, NKJV).

As in the days of the early church, so it is in our day.  The culprits are generally free to move on to their next “prey” (which may be individual or corporate) with unchallenged impunity.  Unfortunately, because the damage they cause is spiritual instead of physical, it tends to be invisible to those who walk more by sight than by faith.  Therefore, this same basic scenario plays out repeatedly in every setting imaginable.  From denominational to non-denominational circles and from mega-churches to home churches, the identical pattern is commonplace, and it continues, for the most part, unchecked.   Why?  In this article I will develop the central reasons why this cycle of abuse is permitted, and why it is so rampant in the family of God.

Passive denial on the part of church leaders as to the existence of “wolves”

Warnings to the early church regarding the dangers of false brethren began to be more pronounced and more frequent as the original church fathers approached the end of their lives.  One clear attestation to this fact was the increased emphasis on this issue in the latter epistles.  Since this problem accelerated even more after the church entered its second generation, it should come as little surprise that some of the final counsel afforded by the first apostles would be admonishment to all, and particularly to leaders, regarding this peril.  In his final address to the elders of Ephesus, Paul remarked:

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.  Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears (Acts 20: 28-31, NKJV).”

The words of Jesus Christ to two of the seven churches in Asia carried strong rebukes, because they allowed false brethren to gain a foothold of influence within their midst.  While the overseers were not mentioned specifically in these two addresses, their ineffective leadership was implicit.  Of course, the absence of action on their part did not excuse other saints within the local assemblies from responding decisively in opposing these counterfeit ministers.  Still, when leaders fail to lead an unhealthy influence is sure to fill the vacuum.  That was notably the case in Pergamos and Thyatira:  

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:

I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.  And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.   But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.  Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.  Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth (Rev. 2: 12--16; NKJV).’”

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:

I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as to your works, the last are more than the first.  Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and beguile My servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.  And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.  Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.  And I will kill her children with death.  And all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts.  And I will give to each one of you according to your works.  But to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they call them, I will put on you no other burden.  But hold fast what you have till I come (vs. 18-25, NKJV).”

The leavening influence of false ministers within a local body of believers is certain to propagate when left unchecked.  Jezebel begets children, and as the number of her offspring grows, so does God’s judgment on His house if she resides there.  It is incumbent on all saints, especially leaders, to stand with all boldness in opposing those who would bring destruction on many through continually feigning faith and love as they minister out of another spirit besides the Spirit of Christ.  Failing to oppose that which He opposes incurs His wrath.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter (Is. 5: 20, NKJV)!

You who love the LORD, hate evil (Ps. 97:10a, NKJV)!

A number of months ago I was told of a talented minister of music in a small, rural community whose adulterous relationship with a choir member had been discovered and secretly “forgiven” by the rest of his church leadership.  Sometime later he was caught taking indecent liberties with a teen in this same church.  The matter was again hushed by the leaders, though this time he was quietly dismissed from his post.  The pervert was quickly hired as the music minister for another church group across town, and before long he was repeating a similar cycle of immorality.  The grievous fact is that incidents like this and worse are not isolated.  They are epidemic.

“Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean . . . so that I am profaned among them (Ez.22:26 in part, NKJV).”     

Prevailing misconceptions about what typifies Christian love

A distorted and highly feminized picture of Jesus Christ and what constitutes maturity in Him has permeated the church world, especially in Western culture.  This has resulted in a neutering of Christian character in both men and women, effectively cancelling all virtue that could be considered masculine in nature.  (Examples include virtues such as courage, boldness, confrontation of evil, frankness, truthfulness, and the endurance of hardship, to name just a few.  For more on this subject, see Dr. Stephen Crosby’s book titled, Silent Killers of Faith, pages 38-42.)  Love, being the greatest of these, has suffered this debilitating fate.  It has been pasteurized, homogenized, and further processed by American society to the end that it no longer resembles the true and living Jesus Christ as portrayed in the Scriptures.  Unfortunately, the god that many church-goers know and serve is way too weak and tolerant to chase the merchants out of the temple with a self-styled whip.  Fashioning an idol after their own image, the personalized version of Jesus held by so many pew-sitters has never grown beyond the rosy-cheeked baby that they see depicted in manger scenes.  Hence, their concept of love also remains infantile, at best.

If one believes that “hurting someone’s feelings” is categorically “unloving” he will never take the relational risks necessary to speak the truth in love, and follow through with further action when appropriate.  As a result, evil will dominate and prevail, often masked behind great sweetness of soul.  This brand of “love” promotes peace at all cost.  It rarely, if ever, would dare to label someone or something “wicked,” since to do so would be considered a “judgmental” act.  The ensuing environment makes a perfect hothouse in which toxic tares can thrive.  Again, Christian leaders bear a heavy responsibility for the entrenchment of this prevalent mindset within the church.  Its impact is further compounded by a quelling of those who would voice any genuine discernment, inevitably resulting in the next condition.

Lack of discernment within the body

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.  For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.  For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.  For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged (1 Cor. 11: 28-31, NKJV).

A failure to properly discern the Lord’s body has left many of the members weak and sickly.  For some, it has even led to premature death.  Contrary to some misguided teaching on this subject, any issue involving the consumption of wafers and thimbles full of grape juice is only incidental to the much larger matter at hand.  The real crisis here is a widespread breakdown on the part of the members to properly relate to one another.  Unfortunately, the commonplace avoidance of any real relational problem-solving is not only tolerated, but, all too often, actually encouraged!  Hence, no one should wonder why there is so much sickness and disease in the church—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Whenever a particular gift is not utilized—in this case, discernment—it will ultimately atrophy until it is completely ineffectual.  When accurate spiritual judgments are not honored and the reasonable corrective actions that they require resisted, the true prophets are driven from the house.  The natural consequence is both unavoidable and systemic. Discernment is deplorably lacking in a vast number of local expressions of Jesus’ body, not to mention trans-local ministries. 

This condition has become both the product and the cause, generating a downward spiral into spiritual dullness.  The following passages are quite apropos for much of the American church today:

. . . it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil (Heb. 5:11b-14, NASB).

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to  you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.  For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness, and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 3, 4, NKJV). 

Perpetual infancy is guaranteed when the practice of discernment is not permitted.  While many of our brethren around the world face severe persecution from without as one of their greatest challenges (and, incidentally, one of their greatest catalysts for growth), American saints are, and have been, most seriously threatened spiritually by opposition from within.  As previously noted, it is my estimation that we have generally not handled this test very well.  As with our predecessors in Pergamos and Thyatira, we have been quick to roll out the welcome mat for Jezebel, Balaam, and any other false brother of sister, especially if he or she is a dynamic speaker or one possessing strong personal charisma.  It may require the hot flames of overt, physical persecution to open the eyes of the Western church and raise her awareness level with regard to this deficiency, as well as to further mature her in Christ.  Whatever the path He chooses for us, we desperately need for Him to change us through fulfilling His good Word in us.

Then you shall again discern

Between the righteous and the wicked,

Between the one who serves God

And one who does not serve Him (Mal. 3:18, NKJV).

Not everyone who dresses the part is on the team.  Fortunately, however, even saints who are not strongly endowed with discernment can follow Jesus’ simple and clear warning regarding false prophets:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them (Matt. 7:15-20, KJV).”

I recently told an extraordinarily loving friend, who goes the extra mile and beyond in his efforts to win some false brothers to the obedience of faith, “Tim, those folks are out to suck the life out of you.  They would take your very heart of your chest if they could!”     

Jesus said it this way:

“Behold, I come quickly!  Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown (Rev. 3:11, NKJV).”