Three incidents recently have led me to write this post. First, I was accused of being “self-righteous” for exposing David Jeremiah’s support of false teachers. Secondly, I was told I lacked compassion when I pointed out a problem with Hillsong’s “Oceans.” Thirdly, I was told that it is charging “guilt by association” to point out a teacher’s error of promoting false teachers.
Let me make this perfectly clear: It is not lacking compassion, nor is it self-righteousness, nor is it “heresy hunting,” etc, to expose false teachings and false teachers. It is what every single Christian should be doing. It’s called DISCERNMENT.
No matter how minor the false teaching may be, it must not be glossed over. We cannot tolerate even the most minor false teaching because “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” A glass of lemonade with a couple drops of cyanide may taste sweet, but it is deadly nevertheless. Tolerating false teaching ends up hurting people spiritually as well as emotionally, and leads them astray deeper into even worse false teaching.
I’ve been told, “That’s just your opinion” when perspicuous truth is proven from Scripture; No, it’s not my opinion! I’ve been told that “God is compassion” or “God is Love” but they forget that God is also TRUTH.
I’ve been told that emotion-driving songs from Hillsong, Bethel Redding, Elevation Church, et al, give the person comfort. I’m sorry, but there is absolutely NO excuse for not seeking comfort from the Lord and His WORD rather than from emotion-driving songs full of false teaching from places rife with heresy.
Let me give an example of what is NOT claiming guilt by association: Matt Chandler. Chandler has praised false teacher Ann Voskamp. His church has promoted LEFTIST, Femi-nazi, pro-abortion Karen Swallow Prior. He has also praised false teacher Beth Moore. Promoting such teachers is going against the Christian faith, and until he recants his support for these people, he should not be given an audience.
Let me give another example of what is not claiming guilt by association: David Jeremiah. He has promoted the contemplative movement, and he has favorably cited false teachers Phillip Yancey, Watchman nee, Henri Nouwen, Beth Moore, Eugene Peterson, Sarah Young and Erwin McManus, and he regularly promotes Word of Faith heretic Paul Crouch. (He is also guilty of association with by consistently appearing with many Word of Faith heretics, which is indeed promotion of them.) He promotes way more false teachers than does Matt Chandler and, again, he should not be given any sort of audience until he repents and recants promoting false teachers.
Do you think Jesus, or Paul, or any apostle would have countenanced even minor errors without rebuking and correcting them? Absolutely not.
So don’t shoot the messenger; listen to the truth the messenger brings and act on it.
3 comments:
Hi Glenn,
You've identified a core issue in today's Christianity, spoken of by application (if not directly) in 2 Thessalonians 2.9-10:
"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
It doesn't matter what someone calls himself or herself, Christian, Christ-follower, believer, born-again, saved, etc, etc. If the person does not have a "love of the truth", it is not possible for them to be redeemed.
Those who are faithful to call out false teachers WILL be persecuted. Don't let it get to you. As long as you're letters the Lord check your motives, you needn't trouble yourself over what your critics say.
Debbie,
I don't let it get to me. I just need to remind the complainers about what is really at stake.
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