After God through Moses led the people of Israel out of the land of
Egypt, he told Moses, "My presence will go with you and I will give you
rest. And he said to him, 'If your presence will not go, do not carry us
up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your
sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall
be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the
earth.' " (Ex. 33:14-16) God's presence implies God's approval,
blessings, and protection. It is when God's presence is with his people
that they are distinct. Moses said, "In this way we shall be distinct."
In what way? When God's presence, that is, when God himself is with
his people in all their righteous endeavors.
The New Testament teaches that spiritual Israel is a unique nation,
a people of God's own possession. (1 Pet. 2:4-5) God wants spiritual
Israel to be "distinct...from every people on the face of the earth."
Everything about those who are Christians is distinct; the lives they live,
the cause they plead, the worship they offer, and the mission they have.
There are some among the Lord's people who are doing all they can
to blur the line of distinction between the body of Christ and the
religious world at large.
Instead of , "book, chapter, and verse" preaching that was so
prevalent a couple of generations ago (2 Tim. 4:1-5), they want
"look, palaver, and nurse" preaching. "Look" at but don't act
against religious error, somebody might be offended. "Palaver"
because anything with substance might make people think. "Nurse"
because the current ecumenical spirit wants doctrinal differences
simply "patched up," not corrected.
There are those among the Lord's people who are pleading for
a kinder and gentler approach. Why? Most of the time it is because
their friends and family are in religious error and they do not want
their feelings hurt. They care more about their feelings than they do
about their souls. Whenever the Lord's people turn from the militancy
that once characterized them they cease growing. I recognize that
softer preaching and teaching will often make it appear that we are
growing. Actually, it is not growth. It's called swelling. Honey will
get the bees in, but when you have to add a little vinegar to the mix
the bees take flight. We will never be able to improve on the way
the apostles went about the work of preaching and teaching the
gospel.
God's prophets called the nation of Israel back to the "ancient
paths." (Jer. 6:16) The Lord's apostles called people back to the
"standard of sound teaching." (2 Tim. 1:13; NRSV) Love for God
and respect for the authority of his word are the bases of our
motivation to be distinct from all religious groups around us. We do
not seek to be distinct from denominations in doctrine and practice
merely for the sake of being different. We seek to be distinct because
we want to be right with God. We want God to be with us in all that
we believe and practice. No journey is worth the effort if God's
presence is not with those traveling on the road of life. Though they
seek and find many points of departure; the result is they go
nowhere! With God we do not lose, without God we do not win.
RD
Copyright 2011
Egypt, he told Moses, "My presence will go with you and I will give you
rest. And he said to him, 'If your presence will not go, do not carry us
up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your
sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall
be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the
earth.' " (Ex. 33:14-16) God's presence implies God's approval,
blessings, and protection. It is when God's presence is with his people
that they are distinct. Moses said, "In this way we shall be distinct."
In what way? When God's presence, that is, when God himself is with
his people in all their righteous endeavors.
The New Testament teaches that spiritual Israel is a unique nation,
a people of God's own possession. (1 Pet. 2:4-5) God wants spiritual
Israel to be "distinct...from every people on the face of the earth."
Everything about those who are Christians is distinct; the lives they live,
the cause they plead, the worship they offer, and the mission they have.
There are some among the Lord's people who are doing all they can
to blur the line of distinction between the body of Christ and the
religious world at large.
Instead of , "book, chapter, and verse" preaching that was so
prevalent a couple of generations ago (2 Tim. 4:1-5), they want
"look, palaver, and nurse" preaching. "Look" at but don't act
against religious error, somebody might be offended. "Palaver"
because anything with substance might make people think. "Nurse"
because the current ecumenical spirit wants doctrinal differences
simply "patched up," not corrected.
There are those among the Lord's people who are pleading for
a kinder and gentler approach. Why? Most of the time it is because
their friends and family are in religious error and they do not want
their feelings hurt. They care more about their feelings than they do
about their souls. Whenever the Lord's people turn from the militancy
that once characterized them they cease growing. I recognize that
softer preaching and teaching will often make it appear that we are
growing. Actually, it is not growth. It's called swelling. Honey will
get the bees in, but when you have to add a little vinegar to the mix
the bees take flight. We will never be able to improve on the way
the apostles went about the work of preaching and teaching the
gospel.
God's prophets called the nation of Israel back to the "ancient
paths." (Jer. 6:16) The Lord's apostles called people back to the
"standard of sound teaching." (2 Tim. 1:13; NRSV) Love for God
and respect for the authority of his word are the bases of our
motivation to be distinct from all religious groups around us. We do
not seek to be distinct from denominations in doctrine and practice
merely for the sake of being different. We seek to be distinct because
we want to be right with God. We want God to be with us in all that
we believe and practice. No journey is worth the effort if God's
presence is not with those traveling on the road of life. Though they
seek and find many points of departure; the result is they go
nowhere! With God we do not lose, without God we do not win.
RD
Copyright 2011
Great article - much needed message!
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