Weekly Devotional 10-21-13 Religious Tolerance Has Limits
2 John 1:1-11 (NKJV) “1The Elder,To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, 2because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:3Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.4I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6This is love, that we walk according to His command-ments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
7For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. “9Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”
In the early church there were many preachers and evangelists traveling from city to city preaching and teaching young Christians in the way of the Lord. Among these preachers and teachers were those who were not truly representatives of Christ. They were false teachers who denied that Jesus was truly God, asserting that God had not truly taken upon Himself human flesh. They taught that the Deity of Christ came upon the man Jesus for a period of time, but John knew and testified that Jesus was in truth continually God in flesh. He warned his readers to beware of these false teachers and to not receive them into their midst, not even extend to them the hand of greeting; a strong warning for sure, but a warning with reason. False teaching, then and now, poses many threats even to the most mature in Christ.
We who are born again Christians should not give license or platform to anyone who denies that Jesus was God in the flesh, or who will not accept the doctrine of Christ. It was Christ, who among other things, said that a person must be born again (must be born from above) in order to see (understand) or enter the kingdom of heaven (John 3:1-8). Jesus’ doctrine was understood by the Apostle Paul that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone and that such faith was God’s gift to those who would believe (Ephesians 2:1-8). All other doctrine or those who would espouse such doctrine(s) should be rejected. John said emphatically that they were (are) antichrist, that is, against Christ.
Jesus Himself said, “15Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:15-23 (NKJV).
Many there are today who will not accept the clear teaching of Scripture and subtly make statements or teach things that are contrary to its clear teaching. We are called to love them in Christ, but we are also admonished to not support them in any way. There must be a limit to our tolerance of such practices.
The words of our Lord and John the Apostle were not suggestions, but were (are) commands.
Submitted in love
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man