4) Demonize anyone who would exercise righteous judgment - lastly, we must realize that most of these false teachings can be easily discerned and rebuked. As such, there is routinely built into these sermons stern words about judging others. Wilson again sounds so pious when he states that he does not have the time to judge others because his job is just to follow Jesus. While this sounds all spiritual it is of course wildly unbiblical. We are our brother's keeper. We are to judge righteously. We are to help our brother with the speck in his eye. The purposed driven, seeker friendly model does not care if part of the body is diseased. Paul taught the opposite:
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. - 1Corinthians 5: 1-2 (ESV)
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you." 1Corinthians 5: 11-13 (ESV)
This is Paul instructing the church at Corinth to expel a brother who refused to repent of a sin he was committing by sleeping with his father's wife. It says we are not associate with anyone who calls themselves our brother yet is an idolater, reviler, drunkard or swindler. I can hear the falsely taught already - Judge not! I guess Paul was just devoid of the true love a Christian should have. No beloved. The truth is simpler. Love is to point out the sin we see in our brother. Gently but towards restoration. It is not love to hold someone's hand while they are driving off a cliff and tell them everything is going to be OK. When I see people sitting under such gross deception my fear is for their eternal life. For their salvation. People who sit under this type of deception think they can lease Jesus. Just make your monthly tithe payment and they have bought their way into heaven. Unfortunately the Bible says they have not.
I know. The Bible is for legalists who don't have the love of God in them. Except the funny thing is God wrote the Bible and He is love. Wilson at one point actually said that nowhere in the New Testament does Jesus say that spiritual maturity or growth is about knowledge. This is often a tact used by preachers such as this. To claim the absence of something indicates a doctrinal position that does not exist. Except the key verses show that knowledge is intricately intertwined with maturity and growth and Jesus wrote the entire Bible. To trade in sound biblical understanding for some carnal false love paradigm may be seeker friendly. It may drive you to a purpose. It will not save you though and isn't that what this is supposed to be all about?
Reverend Anthony Wade - August 29, 2015
