I
have said in (K025) that Jesus told us to bless, and not to curse and
also in (K026) that Jesus wants us to know and expose the false prophets
too. But honestly I am still struggling between the need to love them,
and the need to expose them. I have actually gone around and talked to
different individuals privately and discreetly on this issue. Some said
it bluntly, "Why not? The false prophets are the wolves. They must be
'stoned'." But some reasoned with me and said, "The false prophets are
people too. They are like the adulterous woman who should not be stoned
or judged (Joh 8:11). Didn't you preach the wrong things before? If God
has given you grace, don't you need to give them grace too? Why don't
you love them and pray for them?"
Ok. I think I don't have to
elaborate it because I know that many of us have encountered the similar
situation too, and will give many different responses to it. I used to
say to others, "It's easier said than done." and then pretended that it
was not my problem. However, I think, after much consideration, My
answer is now 'Yes' and 'No', if we are asked whether we should love
them and pray for them.
1. It could be 'Yes'. We still love and pray
for them because the general 'rule' still applies. It is God's
commandment to love. I agree that we should love them because God is
gracious and He would be gracious to all men too.
2. It could be
'No'. We must oppose them and think of how to deal with them constantly,
especially if we are the party most affected by their deception and
evil, for example, if our loved ones or church members will be drawn
away by them. I would be a hypocrite if I boast that we can love
everyone including any rapist who violated or deceived our children. No,
we will love one and hate the other. This is a law of Christ too:
Mat 6:24 KJV No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Luk 14:26-27 KJV If any man come to me, and hate
not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and
sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (27)
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my
disciple.
Joh 14:15 KJV If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Of
course, we don't hate money, hate our parents, or hate the false
prophets who oppose God, to the extend of we becoming a hater of
everything too. We 'hate' in the sense that we would never join them or
do like them. However, if the false prophets or their followers
challenge us and ask, "Don't you love us and pray for us?" I will tell
them, Yes, we do pray, but we will pray, "Get thee behind, Satan", and
tell you to repent and be saved like Peter:
Mat 16:23-24 KJV But he
turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an
offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but
those that be of men. (24) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
However, I wonder how many will humbly ask for prayer like Simon when they know that they are false prophets:
Act
8:24 KJV Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me,
that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
::
No comments:
Post a Comment