Can it be loving to be critical?
“How can you criticise the genuine beliefs of other Christians? Aren’t you being a bigot?’
The dictionary definition of a ‘bigot’ is “a person who is obstinately or unreasonably attached to a belief, opinion, or faction, especially one who is prejudiced against or antagonistic towards a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular group.” The problem is that people often take criticism of their ideas or beliefs to be criticism of them. Surely we must be tolerant to all people whatever their background or beliefs but keep on seeking and following the truth.
Jesus
Was Jesus a bigot when he so strongly criticised the strongly held doctrines of the Pharisees? In Matthew 23 Jesus was critical of their teachings because they were not what the Scriptures taught and had damaging and divisive consequences. Jesus said,
“They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulder.” Matthew 23:4
“Everything you do is for men to see.” Matthew 23:5
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled.” Matthew 23:12
“You hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of God in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying o.” Matthew 23:13
“Woe to you, blind guides.” Matthew 23:16
“You have neglected more important matters of the law – justice mercy and faithfulness.” Matthew 23:23
“You are like whitewashed tombs.” Matthew 23:27
“You are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.” Matthew 23:31
Jesus didn’t stop there:
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell. Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.” Matthew 23:33
Was Jesus’ belief unreasonable or was it true? His reaction was primarily against the doctrine of the Pharisees but they took it very personally and hated Jesus for this reason. Jesus was exposing what the faith of Abraham and Moses had deteriorated into because this had become so harmful to people?
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is a vital right in any society. Without it, rogues in authority can suppress any dissent to their views. Has such suppression not been seen in Stalin’s Russia, in Mao Tse Tung’s China, in Pol Pot’s Cambodia and now in many contemporary societies? How can false teaching be defined? A false belief is often based on false beginnings, advocate separatist goals and demonstrate immoral practices to achieve its goals.
Clearly there must be checks on what people say. It must be true and necessary, we must think carefully before we say something:
T – is it true?
H – is it helpful?
I – is it important? “Long after people forget your words they will remember how you made them feel.”
N – is it necessary?
K – is it kind? Sometimes the kindness is to those being harmed by wrong ideas
Saul was a bigot against the early Christians. He persecuted them and was even involved in the death of some. He was a Pharisee and he demonstrated aggressive murderous intent – the very opposite of Jesus. The behaviour of Jesus and the apostles demonstrated an integrity that should be seen in those following the truth. However Saul then met the risen Jesus when embarking on a vicious crusade against Christians in Damascus and his whole life was turned round. He recognised that Jesus was the only Son of God and in him the whole world can be united. Paul became christlike in both his behaviour and his mission.
Paul
Saul was renamed Paul, which means ‘small’. He had previously been a significant force in Judaism but now he was a servant of Jesus, he recognised how small he was in God’s eyes. He also was very concerned about the false teaching that was entering the church and spoke out very strongly. He was even willing to publicly criticise Peter, the leading apostle because his views were not in accord with what Jesus taught. This conflict is described in detail in Galatians 2:11-21. Truth mattered to Paul. He was willing to upset even influential leaders in order that the truth should be clear. Open discussion is the best way to discover the truth, control of the debate restricts progress.
Who is Spirit-filled?
It is surely no coincidence that the next subject Paul addresses in his letter to the Galatians is the question of what makes a Spirit-filled Christian. This was been a problem then and remains a problem today.
Are there different spiritual stages in a Christian life? I committed my life to Jesus during my first year at university and enthusiastically embarked on this new life. I asked to be confirmed so that I could be a full member of my church. At the confirmation service the then Bishop of Ely gave a sermon in which he told us that we, the candidates, were about the receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of his hands. I nearly walked out, knowing that I had already been given the Holy Spirit and this was apparent by my wanting to live a Christ-like life and having a desire to share the gospel with others. In fact I remained in the service as I did want to be confirmed. This teaching of a second blessing of the Holy Spirit at confirmation is still taught in many Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic churches. One Roman Catholic website states:
“The gift of the Holy Spirit in confirmation completes the sacraments of initiation and equips a person to live one’s faith as an adult.”
Pentecostalism is usually defined as a movement in Christianity that thinks of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a second experience, usually after conversion, marked by speaking in tongues. Most hold that a person receives the Spirit when they become Christians but that there is a second experience of ‘baptism in the Spirit’ available that empowers Christians.
In contrast to such teachings the Bible is clear that a person receives and is baptised in the Holy Spirit when they first believe. This is what Paul says critically about the teaching that people in the churches of Galatia were accepting. They were being told,
“It is great that you have recognised Jesus as the Messiah but to be really spiritual you do need to do this and do that.”
Paul’s response is unambiguous:
“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” Galatians 3:1
This reminds me of Captain Mannering in ‘Dad’s Army’ who often said to Pike, ‘You stupid boy!’ In modern parlance this could be translated ‘You idiots’. Pau’ is really concerned for these young Christians and longs that they should understand the immensity of what God has done in their lives – they are all equal Christians to himself. Unfortunately some influential Christians has infiltrated their midst and were trying to draw them back to Jewish religious practices and a strict asceticism.
Many religious groups are like this. They teach that they are superior because their members accept the rules of their denomination, such as going to confession and receiving the wafers at the Mass regularly, or they only go to church on the Sabbath and not Sundays and don’t eat certain foods, or they have had an experience and have ‘spoken in tongues’.
Paul is addressing all Christians here, not just the leaders. We all have to work out what the Bible teaches, we must not be foolish and follow unquestioningly what others say. Some think that to ask questions about what we are told is divisive and unloving. Clearly neither Jesus, Paul, Peter or John would agree. God’s truth really does matter as erroneous teaching has long-lasting consequences. What Paul longs for is for people to start with Jesus and not their experiences.
“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” Galatians 3:1
Paul opened this letter with this same thought:
“Paul, an apostle – sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him form the dead – and all the brothers with me.To the churches of Galatia. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins . . .” Galatians 1:1-3
What a wonderful way to begin. The gospel always starts with the fact that we are sinners but that the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, entered this world to die for our sin so that we, his followers, could become joint heirs in God’s kingdom.
We must shun any teachers who emphasise experiences. Today many mega-churches are centred around the personality of the preacher. They can literally bewitch congregations by their charisma, yet too often the message is not centred on Jesus and how he has died for us. Jesus must be central and remain so. It is especially a problem today because it is so easy for these people to enter our homes via satellite television. People can be so easily beguiled by great oratory.
Have you ever heard people say to you,
“You can experience God in your life in a new way. You need the Holy Spirit in your life. You can be baptised in the Spirit, and so receive God’s power and your life will then move in a new dimension.”
Paul clearly answers such a view by asking the question ‘When does a person receive the Spirit of God?”,
“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?” Galatians 3:2
We receive the Spirit when we first turn to Christ and put our trust in him. We will all have subsequent experiences of God, you do not need to go to Toronto or special meetings for these blessings. A Christian can never have more of God that when we first turn to Christ. The Holy Spirit cannot be divided, we cannot have a bit of him, we cannot return to be ‘topped up again’ with the Spirit! Our experiences are not the same as the promise of God. Experiences of God can come and go. We can shut God away in a back cupboard of our lives and have little experience of his presence but if we are Christians we will soon come to our senses and enjoy his presence and rule again.
These false teachers in Galatia were saying that to experience the full blessings of God, Christian people needed to move to another stage in their Christian lives. In contrast the Bible teaches that when we believe in christ there is nothing any of us can do to gain more of God. Our christian lives begin when the Spirit of God enters our lives. Paul continues:
“Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” Galatians 3:3
Another translation says, “Are you trying to attain your goal by human effort?” The Spirit is a gift of God for all who turn to Christ, there is nothing we can do to alter that. Paul continues:
“So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?” Galatians 3:5
This is the consistent teaching of the rest of the New Testament,
“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 1:21
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour,” Titus 3:5-6
Paul repeats this vital lesson later this section in the letter to the Galatians,
“Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.” Galatians 4:6
If a person has no desire to live in a way that pleases Jesus then it is right for them to ask if they are Christians. Paul writes elsewhere,
“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9
In Paul’s day the traditionalists were saying that if you want to really experience God and be accepted by the church you need to follow these rules. Today there are many churches that heap on new Christians their obligations saying that only in this way can they ensure their salvation.
I well remember speaking at a conference in Poland. One afternoon a young lady Christian doctor showed me round the town where the conference was being held. When we entered the town church she immediately went to the holy water by the door, dipped her hand in this and crossed herself. She then went and genuflected in the aisle of the church for a few seconds. I asked her why she did this and was astonished by her reply,
“This is how we are saved!”
That is not true – we are saved because we belong to and follow Jesus.. Traditions such as these may help people remember the Lord Jesus who has saved them but what we do, our works, can never contribute to our salvation. This is why these issues are so important today. Different groups of committed Christians are saying, ‘Join us, follow our traditions and in this way you will be fully accepted both by God and ourselves!’
There is however much we can do to change our experience of God’s presence and our effectiveness for him. Peter wrote:
“ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.” 2 Peter 1:5-9
Lukewarm churches
We have all experienced churches where the leadership and members do not seem to be on fire for Christ. The vibrancy of people asking hard questions and talking about new ways of doing things is lacking. Churches where such questioning is discouraged by the leadership do not grow. It is so easy to say that such static people need to be ‘baptised in the Holy Spirit’. Certainly a new understanding and to be open to God’s leading is needed, but that is different to saying that they are not yet Christians although for some that may be true. When John wrote about the smug self-satisfied church in Laodicea, the remedy that Jesus required was for them to allow him into their lives:
“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. . . . So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.”. Revelation 3:16-21
This is always the solution when our spiritual lives become stale – come back to Christ and allow him to take or retake control. It may be that some in our churches have never surrendered to the rule of Christ and never allowed his Holy Spirit to take over – the remedy is the same, return to living for Jesus Christ. Obviously the physical Jesus cannot enter into our bodies because he is in heaven now, but His Spirit and a Spirit-filled life is freely available.
A poor man had wanted to go on a cruise all his life. As a youngster he had seen an advertisement for a luxury cruise, and ever since, he had dreamed of spending a week on a large ocean liner enjoying fresh sea air and relaxing in a luxurious environment. He saved money for years, carefully counting his pennies, often sacrificing personal needs so he could stretch his resources a little further.
Finally he had enough to purchase a cruise ticket. He went to a travel agent, looked over the cruise brochures, picked out one that was especially attractive, and bought a ticket with the money he had saved so long. He was hardly able to believe he was about to realize his childhood dream.
Knowing he could not afford the kind of elegant food pictured in the brochure, the man planned to bring his own provisions for the week. Accustomed to moderation after years of frugal living, and with his entire savings going to pay for the cruise ticket, the man decided to bring along a week's supply of bread and peanut butter. That was all he could afford.
The first few days of the cruise were thrilling. The man ate peanut butter sandwiches alone in his room each morning and spent the rest of his time relaxing in the sunlight and fresh air, delighted to be aboard ship.
By midweek, however, the man was beginning to notice that he was the only person on board who was not eating luxurious meals. It seemed that every time he sat on the deck or rested in the lounge or stepped outside his cabin, a porter would walk by with a huge meal for someone who had ordered room service.
By the fifth day of the cruise, the man could take it no longer. The peanut butter sandwiches seemed stale and tasteless, he was desperately hungry, and even the fresh air and sunshine had lost their appeal. Finally, he stopped a porter and exclaimed, "Tell me how I might get one of those meals! I'm dying for some decent food, and I'll do anything you say to earn it!"
"Why, sir, don't you have a ticket for this cruise?" the porter asked.
"Certainly," said the man. "But I spent everything I had for that ticket. I have nothing left with which to buy food."
"But sir," said the porter, "didn't you realize? Meals are included in your passage. You may eat as much as you like!"
As ridiculous as it may seem, we believers in Jesus Christ generally do exactly the same thing as the man in that parable. We live as if we are in spiritual poverty, when actually we already possess infinite resources through union with Christ.
In the book of Ephesians, God's Word insists that:
“The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3
It insists that in union with Christ:
“. . . you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22
The apostle's inspired prayer is that God:
“May strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Ephesians 3:16-17
“When the Holy Spirit united you to Christ, you “put off your old self” and “put on the new self.” Ephesians 4:22-24
Therefore, "you are light in the Lord" (Ephesians 5:8). The Lord calls us to act out of, and in accord with, our new life in Christ.
Against that backdrop Paul urges us to live by the Spirit, to have our lives filled with him, to walk closely with him, in our day to day experience:
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-20
What a relief it is to know that belonging to Christ gives us all we need for a deeply satisfying God-centred life. God has given us the status of being ‘righteous’, of being ‘children of God’, his ‘chosen people’ Our role is now to stay close to him every day, living for him in obedience.
BVP
