The Kingdom of God

Too many people today are looking far too closely at others in the kingdom of God, to find reasons to disqualify them from being true brethren. I've seen so much of this and I have to tell you that it's really a dangerous thing. The danger of it is that those who do this are going to be what they think they are seeing the others being. Jesus said the same thing this way: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (Mat. 7:1,2). If we misjudge our brothers and sisters in Christ we are setting ourselves up to be the very thing that we think they are. Like every other evil thing, it's as old as the hills really. David saw this taking place in his day, and he knew the result of that kind of thing as well: "They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded" (Psm. 64:6,7). Isaiah made note of this spiritual disease as well, and cited the same judgment from God for it as did David: "For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off: That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought" (Isa. 29:20,21). The reason people are prone to this kind of behavior is simply because they are afraid of being deceived by someone. The reason they are afraid of that is because they are under the mistaken impression that themselves and those of their own little circle of believers are the only ones who have everything in order; and if someone is apart from that order at all then they can't be real.

The main objective for people in this condition is to not be deceived by anyone, and if we're worried about someone deceiving us then we can't be getting anyone else free from much of anything. The simple translation is that the devil wins that battle. The remedy to the problem is that people need to "keep [their] heart with all diligence" so that fear has no place with them (Prov. 4:23). Also Jesus told us, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn. 8:31,32). One thing that the true knowledge of God will free us from is the fear of being deceived by someone. When what we know about God has been taught to our spirit by God's Spirit, it is in effect a solid rock which we can anchor our faith to (Jn. 14:26; Jn. 16:13; I Jn. 2:27). That is the same rock that Jesus said he would build his people upon, and the gates of hell would not be able to prevail against them (Mat. 16:15-18). When someone's 'truth' is causing them to measure everyone else by their own standard, and they are constantly finding fault with their brethren; then it is certain that their 'truth' is not the same truth that Jesus spoke of. When the truth of God makes us free, it makes us free to be able to love our brethren without hindrance, including when they may be off base somewhat. God's love dwelling in us does not make us afraid of being deceived by everyone else, but rather it casts fear out of our hearts (I Jn. 4:18). We would all be wise to give one another a little more latitude, and not be so quick to say that someone else is a 'tare.' The unfortunate result of that kind of thinking could very well be that we become the 'tare' that we are condemning someone else to be. I don't know about you, but that is just not my objective at all. Amen.