I found something very interesting in the Word of God today, which made me sit up and take notice. I have read it before, in fact I have it highlighted in my Bible. But today it truly hit home for me. This is what I read:
2 John 1:9-11 (Amp.) (9)Anyone who runs on ahead [of God] and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [who is not content with what He taught] does not have God; but he who continues to live in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ [does have God], he has both the Father and the Son. (10)If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine [is disloyal to what Jesus Christ taught], do not receive him [do not accept him, do not welcome or admit him] into [your] house or bid him Godspeed or give him any encouragement. (11)For he who wishes him success [who encourages him, wishing him Godspeed] is a partaker in his evil doings.
I had to examine myself to see if this is something I have done. I am an encourager and I strive to encourage and accept almost everyone that has come into my life. As I began my self examination, I had to admit that I have indeed been guilty of encouraging and accepting those who are disloyal to Christ and what He has taught. I have even welcomed them into my house. It hit me like a ton of bricks that because I have done this, I have been a partaker in the evil doings of such people. After all my thinking was that I must love and accept others.
As I continued in my prayer and study, I was brought back to the beginning of the chapter of (2 John) "loving one another" was right there, and it explained what it meant and what it consisted of. I have misinterpreted what loving others truly means:
According to the (Amp). (5)And now I beg you, lady (Cyria), not as if I were issuing a new charge (injunction or command), but [simply recalling to your mind] the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. (6) And what this love consists in is this: that we live and walk in accordance with and guided by His commandments (His orders, ordinances, precepts, teaching). This is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you continue to walk in love [guided by it and following it]. (7)For many imposters (seducers, deceivers, and false leaders) have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge (confess, admit) the coming of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) in bodily form. Such a one is the imposter (the seducer, the deceiver, the false leader, the antagonist of Christ) and the antichrist.
My conclusion: Anyone who is disloyal to the teachings of Christ Jesus is not of God. He has not God nor the Son (vs. 9). And love/loving others stands under the banner of "loyalties to Christ Jesus and what He taught" (vs.6). So anyone who teaches anything other than what Christ Jesus taught does not walk in love but is a seducer, deceiver, false leader, he is an imposter and the antagonist of Christ (7). And according to the Word of God if we receive, accept, admit, welcome, encourage and say God bless you to such a one, we have now become partakers in his evil doings (11).
I have realized that while I thought I was doing well in accepting them (because I must show them love) I have misunderstood "true love" and what it really means, thus I have sinned and done wrong. My love for such people was not love at all but tolerance. And because of my tolerance I became a partaker of their evil doings.
Where do I go from here? I have repented of my wrong-doing. I have learned, now I move forward. I was deceived, and because of this I have probably brought some unnecessary heartache and tribulation my way. But in order to learn, it sometimes takes going through some storms before we can see the blue skies and sunshine again. I know without doubt that my God is merciful and gracious, and when we acknowledge our short-comings He's faithful and just to forgive us. Not only does God forgive, but He rejoices over us when we learn and move forward in Him and with Him. In so doing we are receiving His gift of love and grace into our lives. There is no greater pleasure for our Father in Heaven than to give His children His grace and mercy, and in turn have His children receive this from Him.
I would like to leave this question with my readers. The same question I had to ask myself:
Are you walking in love or are you walking in tolerance?
34 comments:
To be honest, I believe I have been walking in tolerance and being deceived. That was a very timely word Tam. Thank you for being obedient. This really spoke to me today. ;)
That's a good question, Tammy, and worth serious consideration and prayer. Thank you for your post.
Thank you Tracy for visiting and commenting. Good to hear that it was a timely word it was for me also :)
Thank you Connie :)
Praise God for giving you a hearing and obedient heart!!! This message is crucial for our time! I believe it is key to revival,and having oil in our lamps. Thank you!
Yes.. I understand exactly what you are saying Kathy about the oil. Many are pouring out of themselves their precious oil and giving it to the foolish ones and in so doing they are placing themselves in the foolish category as well, thus partaking in their evils and keeping themselves unprepared. I also think of the scripture that says to be careful to not throw your pearls before the swine for they will only trample them and then turn on you. Thank you for your comments. What you have said is very wise.
Tamela
Saturating ourselves with the love of our Lord and his precious Word will always lead us closer to Him and His will for our lives. To be conformed to the image of Jesus.
'My conclusion: Anyone who disloyal to the teachings of Christ Jesus is not of God. He has not God nor the Son (vs. 9). And love/loving others stands under the banner of "loyalties to Christ Jesus and what He taught" (vs.6). So anyone who teaches anything other than what Christ Jesus taught does not walk in love but is a seducer, deciever, false leader, he is an imposter and the antagonist of Christ (7).'
There are different types of error.
One can believe in the essentials of Christian faith and philosophy.
One can have some error, perhaps major.
One can be saved.
One can reject the Bible as authority.
One can reject the Biblical nature of God.
One can reject Biblical salvation.
One is not saved.
Hey Russ,
Don't know if you read my whole post or not but it was about those who are loyal to the teachings of Christ to separate themselves from those who teach an antagonist Christ doctrine and have nothing to do with them (as far as encouraging them or welcoming them or receiving them). They must be warned, and if they do not turn from their false teachings we are supposed to separate ourselves from them.. My post wasn't about whether that kind of person is saved or not (which a deceiver, seducer, imposter an antagonist of Christ would not be imo), but that the saved (those loyal to the teachings of Christ) should not accept and receive such a one. If they do they become partakers in their evil according to the scriptures that I used..
Tamela
Amen Jody!
A love for Jesus/the Word will always propel us to walk in accordance to His Word and become like Him:)
Hey Russ,
'Don't know if you read my whole post or not but it was about those who are loyal to the teachings of Christ to separate themselves from those who teach an antagonist Christ doctrine and have nothing to do with them (as far as encouraging them or welcoming them or receiving them).'
Hi Tammy, I just caught your reply on my Blackberry while in Vancouver after church. I read the article and got your point.
'They must be warned, and if they do not turn from their false teachings we are supposed to separate ourselves from them.. My post wasn't about whether that kind of person is saved or not (which a deceiver, seducer, imposter an antagonist of Christ would not be imo), but that the saved (those loyal to the teachings of Christ) should not accept and receive such a one. If they do they become partakers in their evil according to the scriptures that I used..'
I know, I was pointing out what kind of persons these could be.
Thanks,
Blessings, Tammy;)
Hi Tammy,
Looking up the text again and looking up Orr in commentary, 2 John 7-9 in context is talking about false teachers. They are of the antichrist, and therefore are not believers. But, we know in general terms as my comments alluded to there are also deceivers that proclaim some essential doctrines that also have heresy (disloyal to the truth). That is why I gave the two examples in general terms. I was not stating that the text is discussing Christians but that in general terms there are likely believers and non-believers that deceive within the Church.
Hope this clarifies. I was responding more specifically to your point on disloyalty to Christ's teachings. In the passage the disloyal are non-believers, but I reason there can also be disloyalty and error among some believers that have poor theology.
It is error on a different level.
Russ:)
Hi Russ,
Thank you for clarifying, I too believe that it is "possible" that there are believers within the Church that are walking in deception thus teaching it. But the scriptures I was referencing I do not believe are those people. They are antagonist of Jesus Christ and their purpose and goal is to draw people away from the teachings that Christ Jesus taught. I still believe though, that according to the scriptures a person who is walking in deception and teaching a deceptive doctrine (whether a so-called believer or not) should be warned, and if they continue and do not repent "we must" according to God's Word not receive them and wish them Godspeed or else we become partakers in their evil.
Tamela :)
Tamela,
This is an important and oft overlooked biblical text. I'm glad you addressed it and shared your personal experience with it.
This is a sensitive text. We either ignore it or, if we read it, wonder if you we have given aid and encouragement to a false teacher. Sometimes believers wonder if their fellowship with someone from another denomination who worships differently, who understands some steps in salvation differently (e.g. does baptism cleanse or confirm?) or who understands points of theology differently (e.g. pre-trib, post-trib or a-trib) is wrong and is giving comfort to a false teacher. I think we can fellowship with believers who affirm that Jesus is the heaven-sent Son of God who was manifest in a physical body, was crucified, resurrected, ascended and will come again even if we have some of these other differences.
The false teachers and deceivers are those who deny these key points, and esp. for John the bodily nature of Jesus.
All of the key religions in the world today, except for true Christianity, deny either the physical or divine nature of Jesus, and thus are false. We can not give comfort or encouragement to them.
Good post.
Hi Warren,
Thank you for commenting. You are right about what you have stated. My husband and I accepted some Mormons into our home as well as some Jehovah witnesses at one time. We had a 13 week session with the Mormons but of course they never persuaded us. When they finally went their way, we said, may God bless you and we did the same with the Jehovah witnesses. I am now learning that was wrong for us to do. We accepted them into our home and wished them Godspeed because we thought that this was a good thing to do (as I stated in my post: after all we must accept and show our love this way to all, so we thought). As far as others who call themselves Christian, some of them may casually say that they believe the basics of the Gospel/Jesus and who He is. Even so, I believe we must still be careful, for there are many who will profess this (as to deceive) but their heart says otherwise and their actions can speak otherwise. I believe that being vigilant and alert in the power of the Holy Spirit and having the Word of God hidden in our heart is key to discerning the difference between the false teachers and the real genuine ones.
Tamela:)
T.,
Remember this Love One Another?
Come on T. I've been pushing this message on you for over a year. Almost two years.
James asks, "How can we say we love God and we hate our brother?" The two go together. God created man to be his family and thus we must look like the familiy of God.
Enough preaching. Sorry. I thought you were reading my blog post.
lol! Jim,
Yeah i realize that loving one another is a message close to your heart.
Tamela:)
I don't think that we should be running ahead of God,becuase we kind of mess up his plan.He has a plan and a purpose for us in our live.Great Post Tamela
Hello Michael,
Thanks for visiting and commenting.. I agree God's plans are much better for us then our own. So not running ahead of Him would be a wise decision :)
Tamela
Hi Tamela, I loved your most recent blog post (Are you being deceived?). Sorry it took me this long to get to it! Yes, when looking at scripture I can clearly see I was definitely being deceived! Like you, I thought I was loving others by being tolerant and always saying God bless you at the end of a conversation-whether they would accept the truth or not. But when I think of people in the Bible, even Jesus himself... the way they would walk away from someone who wouldn't accept the truth, I understand that scripture better. We should separate ourselves from unbelievers. But then, I think about the Great Commission-how is anyone going to be won over for Christ if we don't invite them into our homes; invite them into our world, showing them godly influences?
Wow, this post is really thought provoking. And I admit, this stumps me. Also I think about our unsaved relatives. Is John saying not to invite them into our homes? But then again, Jesus says our true family are the ones that obey God. What are some more of your thoughts? Very curious.
Blessings,
Lori
Hi Lori,
Thank you for your thoughts.. These are good!.. This is to those who subvert the Word/Truth, who claim to be of the household of faith but teach heresy. Great questions :)
Tamela
Hi, Tamela! Finally got around to reading your post! :) Excellent points, especially when you point out that there are differences between tolerance and love.
I can definitely identify with the challenges you've had. We live close to a Mormon church, and they send "elders" to our neighborhood at least twice a year. At first, we tried to persuade them (in love and kindness), but the are so indoctrinated and so focused on converting US, that it's nearly impossible to get through. I gave up and actually asked them to stop coming. I probably sounded rude, but a line must be drawn at some time.
I think there's also a difference between inviting heretics into your home and actually fellowshipping with them. As one commented, how are we to witness to them, if we ignore them. It's a fine line.
Hi Greg,
I hope you and your family are doing well. Thank you for your comment. I agree, there is a fine line between ignoring but desiring to be a witness. I believe the Holy Spirit will give us discernment in those situations.
Please tell Farrah hello for me, you both are truly a blessing!
Tamela
Hi, Tamela! I see you've been taking a little break from blogging, too! :) I wanted you to know that I have some new posts, as well as a new sister blog, focusing on prayer. Stop on by, when you have a moment.
Hi Greg,
I am taking a break from the computer as a whole. But i will swing by and visit with you:)
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we would slow down as we read the Word of God and just take Him at His word.
I actually looked into the doctrines of the Salvation Army...now I can no longer drop money in the red bucket. Absolutely no baptism and no Lord's Supper = false doctrine.
I'll understand if you don't want to publish this comment.
Covnitkepr1,
Thank you for visiting and commenting. I understand where you are coming from and it is truly a shame how many "churches" have come so far away and or have forgotten God's Word. Sadly many are consumed with practicing man's doctrine/their own, thus have become their own gods. God knows those that are truly His and He will try the heart of every man. For the heart of each individual will always reveal where they truly stand with God. To truly love Him is to truly love His Word and rejoice in doing all that it has laid out for us to do.
In Christ
Tamela
Hi Tamela!! Just wanted to stop by and say, "Hi!" :-) I'm still on my long blogging break, so I don't visit other blogs nearly as often.
We're doing well! I got my 4 wisdom teeth out a few weeks ago. That went great, and a week later I had water from a cup heated in the micro explode in my face! Praise God, my glasses protected my eyes, and the burns were just first degree. My face is nearly healed.
Been busy with homeschooling and about ready to start doing stuff around the house again, like cleaning! The tooth removal and burned face sort of slowed me down for a few weeks!
Hugs!
Farrah
Hi Tamela. I can see what you're getting at here. Christians can be so tolerant that they forget to discern what is of Christ and what is an imitation of it, with the potential to mislead. My wife and I sometimes feel impatient with the idea that you have to be nice to everybody all the time, when tough love can involve confronting them for their own good, or even avoiding them because they are wolves in sheep's clothing. But may I suggest you not be too hard on yourself if you've tried to be good to people rather than judgemental. It's a constant worry, trying to discern the spirits of those around us, even in the church. Blessings.
Tammy, I hope you are enjoying your break. Virtual break that is.:)
Thank you for your comment Andrew. What you say is so true, it can be very difficult at times trying to discern spirits around us. I believe the Lord has taught me some things about how to use a bit more Godly wisdom when testing the spirits though. Some of the experiences that I have had when learning this lesson have not been pleasant of course, but with the Holy Spirits help I don't plan on forgetting them. Thank you for your kind words.
In Christ Jesus
Tamela
Thank you Russ, I am indeed enjoying it. It was something I needed to do for awhile. I am not sure exactly when I will be making my rounds to visit blogs, but I want you to know that I haven't forgotten you. I hope you are doing well.
Tammy
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