The bible warns of people becoming self constituted censors and reprovers of others. Why are people so eager to teach and reprove when they will be met with a higher standard and with greater accountability and the MORE Condemnation.
If one is to teach, then know that you must have the authority from the Holy Spirit to teach. If you teach out of your flesh because you want to show off your knowledge and what you know, then one is teaching out of pride. How will one know if they have the authority to teach? The mark of authority on anyone is their anointing. The higher the anointing, the higher the authority. Have they been told by the Holy Spirit that he/she has been given authority to teach or preach?
It is easy to rally a crowd and point fingers of others' faults and shortcomings. It is easy to rally a crowd to point fingers claiming certain people are heretics or false prophets. Many rally more toward the negative than TRUTH. Just because one may be a child of God does not give one the authority to point who they think are false people or prophets. We do not have a general authority or the right to call people names and put salt on their wounds.
In Acts 13, Paul called Elymas a master of deception, son of the devil and much more. But you see, Paul didn't go around saying such to whoever that disagreed with him. Paul said it as he was filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. God was judging the person. It was not Paul who was judging the person.
Acts 13:8 But Elymas [a]the wise man--for that is the translation of his name [[b]which he had given himself]--opposed them, seeking to keep the proconsul from accepting the faith. 9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit, looked steadily at [Elymas] 10 And said, You master in every form of deception and recklessness, unscrupulousness, and wickedness, you son of the devil, you enemy of everything that is upright and good, will you never stop perverting and making crooked the straight paths of the Lord and plotting against His saving purposes?
It would be wise and prudent for most of His people not to participate in such reckless behavior of slandering people. If people are in error or being led astray, we are to preach and teach TRUTH to them in Love to snatch them out of such deception. Just by proclaiming they are following a false prophet will not lead others back out into the Light. Just by slandering those who they think are false teachers will not lead those are following them back into the Light. In fact, they will be bringing judgment on themselves if they are speaking out of their flesh and if they are usurping God's authority.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].2For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.3[They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.4[They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.5For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them.
What is described in 2 Timothy 3 verses 1 to 5 are not referring to the heathens or unbelievers. The verses are referring to the believers. In verse 5, it states, they hold a form of piety. Heathens and unbelievers are not holding a form of piety but religious believers are. The religious believers have in the last days become lovers of themselves and pleasure.
David did not go around speaking ill of King Saul even though God had rejected King Saul. Even though many people were still following King Saul, David did not try to go convince them otherwise. David was busy trying to obey God and it was the Lord who moved people's heart to come join David.
If we see someone corrupted, it still does not give us the authority or right to touch God's anointed. It would be best for most of us to stay away from such issues as it may not be your authority to pry your noses in such business. If we are to say anything against anyone, it better be that you are filled with the Holy Spirit and under His control to speaking His Words.
Pray for others. Pray for your brethren. Pray for yourselves.
Fire of God
Steve Yong Kim
April 4, 2012
Umm I'm aware of the sins of judging, criticising, complaining, partiality and evil-speaking plus lying. I try to be positive about everything but I somewhat feel guilty about some of the things I say...
ReplyDeleteLike if I don't like the taste of a box of calamari (too much pepper), can I say it out or would I be criticising? Because that box of calamari was delivered to my home. I was once conversing with my sis about the performance in my school for Literature and I said the people who failed mostly fail because they did not complete the assigned book - which I meant in a nice way but it did not come out as such. I was trying to say that they could've done it if they tried - something around those lines.
If someone asks me about a product, should I list down my thoughts about their pros and cons because sometimes I say "I think it's great" because I'm thinking 'we are lucky to have it' but I would feel guilty for not telling the other person about the flaws I know are in the product especially even more so after she goes and buys it! But when it comes to questions on my opinion of other people I can handle them well.
You can speak if things are not right but how you speak it is more important. Can you speak with kindness and respect? This is more important.
ReplyDeleteHey.thanks for this post
ReplyDeleteMy question is,can't a true genuine born again christian teach,without focusing on people by judging ,basing on the verse Jesus said that we are to preach the Word and teach to all people?
I see it that it's not bad if a true christian preaches the true word of God in line with The truth of Gods word,since it's our duty to do so,without judging people