The Heresy Police

Heresy Police
When we leave mainstream Christianity we are often called heretics and cultists. This language does not invite anyone to want to see your point of view at all. The history of this language is one of murder, so please take stock of your words and thoughts. But to be blunt, you do not have the power to call someone a heretic. All judgment has been given to Yeshua the Messiah, not you. While we have to make judgments about doctrines to believe and where to worship, when you start condemning people, you have gone way too far. God has a purpose for all His children and we must trust He is in control. The word “cult” has been so overused that it lacks meaning. Using this word for people who keep the Torah while simultaneously using it properly for people who have set up literal cult compounds is not helpful.
Independence Day – the competing denominations had to get along to defeat the British and then make a county. These are people whose not so distant ancestors were either persecuted or were the persecutors back in the old world not that long prior. If they were able to get over their doctrinal differences and see the bigger picture, we can, too.
Brief history lesson: The Geneva Bible was the bible of the reformation. It was made in 1560 and it’s footnotes and such are very antagonistic of the Catholic Church. The KJV was made as an answer to that so the Church of England would have their own “middle of the road” bible. England went from Catholic to COE and they wanted a compromise bible that wasn’t so hard on Catholicism. So, in 1611 the Authorized Version of the Church of England came to be. The period of time between 1517 and the early 1700s was quite volatile for religious liberty in Europe. I speak in general terms, of course. That drove many people wanting to worship freely to come to this continent. They were tired of the heresy police and were not going to have any more state religions. The sins of the king of England piled up so that the people on this continent had to band together to liberate themselves from that treachery. Not only was this continent a place of religious liberty, people of different religious persuasions had to come together and take up arms against their oppressor. That solidarity led to the birth of the most powerful and free country yet to exist on this planet.
Today, we have common enemies that are spiritual. Our nation, once so united that we freed Europe and the far east from totalitarian dictators simultaneously, had become so fragmented that we are falling apart from the inside out. The carnality of our nation has made Christianity an afterthought. Brothers and sisters, we can’t fight back against the principalities if we are hollering epithets at each other. And who would want to be part of that?
Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, was crucified for challenging the doctrines of the intelligentsia of His day. They spent years trying to find something wrong with Him or His doctrine so they could pigeon hole Him and diminish His ministry. Yet He went to his death as a lamb, silent.
We have an even bigger example of this with the Apostle Paul. Paul was trained at the feet of Gamaliel. That means Paul was on track to become the chief Pharisee Rabbi of Judea. He had the highest education of his day and was a savant. In this capacity, he became the heresy police and persecuted the Church of God. For those of you who feel comfortable calling others heretics, do you think the converted Paul would approve of your actions? Do you think the risen Messiah would, either? Do you really think the New Testament outlines a faith that was meant to be enforced with our swords or is it an invitation to join the family of God and learn? Because calling people heretics meant you could kill them. We know that murder starts with evil thoughts, brothers and sisters. So we must take our thoughts captive to obedience to Christ, who surely does not want us condemning each other while our nation rots in plain sight.
The incredible insecurity to need to define your faith by condemning others. This is a fundamental difference. My path has been one that’s heavy on doctrines. But the mission is to spread the truth and contrast doctrines, not to condemn people. Granted, my sarcastic delivery probably sounds like that at times, but that’s not the heart of it. I have no desire to force anyone to believe like me. If you’ve been a Christian for any amount of time, you should realize that understanding takes a long time and you will change your mind about stuff as you mature. We really need to love our neighbors as ourselves in this regard. Disagree on the doctrine for sure, but condemning the people? That’s not authority we possess.
Friends, it takes years and years to get a handle on this stuff. If your doctrine is true, then why are you so dead set on forcing people to believe it on your terms and timeline? Do you understand what is meant to come to the faith as a child?
If was for freedom that Christ set us free. He and Yahweh allowed this country to be birthed over centuries. Each person coming over here having a purpose. Our ancestries are not accidents and neither are our present day lives. God used that violence in Europe to motivate the people he wanted to be over here to come here. God is in complete control of this world and judgment day will come. Using language against each other that is associated with the murder of Christians is simply not helpful. Our freedom is at the biggest risk it has ever been right now. Satan and his minions have been chipping away at this country for a very long time. Sins that used to cause people immense shame are more than commonplace now. Believers showing public vitriol for each other is not going to invite people into the family of God. Our military might cannot fight us out of the decay were are in right now. Actually loving our neighbors while extoling the virtues of Christianity might.