And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 ESV

Taking the log out of my own eye has been a humbling experience, especially when the log dealt with error in prophecy, prayer, deliverance, and other related areas. Over the past year or so, I have discussed different topics of interest and concern, and I have also reviewed some books and such with the intent of encouraging others to test things against Scripture and to use critical thinking while growing in spiritual maturity and in fellowship with God through His Word, prayer, and attending a sound Biblical church.

During that time, I have engaged in conversations with those expressing gratitude for discussing a particular issue or those who respectfully disagree and are willing to dialogue without ad hominem attacks and heated rebuttals. I praise God for using the content to minister to others and to point back to Jesus Christ. The dissenting dialogues are helpful in continuing to understand the importance of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19) while keeping love for God and for others at the forefront. Truthfully, it can be challenging at times because as believers we understand by the Word and by the Holy Spirit that love is not simply an emotion, but a fruit cultivated from a branch abiding in Christ. We need His Spirit to help us and His Word to remind us of walking in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ and thank the good Lord He is faithful to forgive us when we stumble.

There have been some conversations which have not been so fruitful in the moment. At times, the great concern for others and the love of the truth of the Word of God outweighs the negativity. Truthfully, none of us want to be wrong, let alone wrong twice when it comes to spiritual matters. Particular topics seem to disturb the hornets’ nest, and when this happens, ensuing comments are left without response but not without a sting. Charges of jealousy, legalism, an indwelling demon, and divisiveness leave a trail down the comment section to the infamous title of Pharisee.

I have been told by professing believers in Christ I am void of the Spirit and not even saved because of concern and rebuttal shared surrounding doctrine on beliefs such as the current deliverance ministry. This is a first world problem, I realize that. A few cutting comments on social media pales in comparison to those who have lost their lives for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not me having an “Elijah moment” thinking I am the only one remaining to stand. I am not Elijah, and many others before me have faced much harsher criticism. What I do hope comes out of this is a solidification for the love of the truth both for those who do some sort of discernment work and for those who disagree with said work.

Live and Learn

Over this relatively short period of time, I have learned that no matter how gentle a tone may be when addressing a concern in doctrine, there will be pushback and even offense. These past few years have driven me back to the Word and to repentance more times than I can count. When faced with charges of bringing division, Romans 16:17,18 comes to mind in reference to false teachers bringing division. I think on the letter of Jude and also about the other twenty-five books of the New Testament that warn about false teachers and false prophets in some way. I think about Jesus saying He would bring division. His division separates believers from unbelievers, and it brings unity based on the truth of His Word and not for unity’s sake (Matthew 10:34).

When people say I need to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and a video in question has been sharing Scripture pertaining to the gospel of Jesus Christ, it brings pause for concern. The concern is especially there when the view of signs and wonders explicitly being the gospel is stated. Scripture is so beautiful in its message, and it brings such clarity. Romans 1:16,17 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 comes to mind when thinking of a beautiful summary of the gospel.

This leads me to meditate on thoughts I asked myself when convicted by my own error and sin: why is the Word of God not sufficient? Why crave a fresh word from God when not even knowing what His holy written Word says first? Why be tolerant of misappropriated Scripture and angered by Scripture applied in context? Why is it acceptable to call fellow believers with concerns Pharisees and issuing a judgment while echoing the sentiment “do not judge”? I hope these questions are heard in love and without condemnation. These questions and others are for us all to consider.

Obey God’s Word

What do we do when faced with such comments and pushback to our pushback? How are we to conduct ourselves when discussing dissenting views?

We examine our motives, and we ask God to search our hearts. We pray that we would win our brothers and sisters back to the saving faith of Jesus Christ if they have wandered into error, and we proclaim the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ to all who will hear. We ask the Lord to lead us into all truth according to His Word and to correct us in ways we need correcting. We remember humility is not a character flaw or a sign of weakness. Rather, it testifies to Whom we belong.

We follow the instructions of Matthew 7 in taking the log out of our own eye before trying to remove the speck out of our brother or sister’s eye, and yes, we are able to remove the speck because when we have had the log removed from our own eye and we are not judging with hypocrisy, then we can do so in order to love others. We remember to be long suffering with others and that sometimes, saying nothing in response is best. Proverbs 19:11 says, “A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.” Obey the Lord Jesus in praying for others, regardless of what is said or done.

We do as Ephesians 4:15 says, speaking the truth in love. We follow 2 Timothy 2:24-25. We judge not in a condemning way, but we judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24). We ask God to search us and to test all our ways (Psalm 139:23). We love God’s Word more than the praises of man. We choose our battles thoughtfully, always desiring to glorify God in our speech and in our conduct. We thank the Lord for His mercies that are new daily and for His grace and love, which is lavishly bestowed upon us even in our moments of being not so loving. May the Lord continue to refine us as His children in conforming us to the image of Christ by His Spirit.

Listen to the latest episode from The Lovesick Scribe podcast here for a more in-depth discussion on this topic: When Responding to Criticism of Criticism – The Lovesick Scribe Podcast | Podcast on Spotify