There is nothing wrong with debating those who express doubts. However, it is a complete waste of time to continue to cast pearls before swine. Who is this? These are those in unbelief. We must give them the truth, the Gospel, but when they reject it, it is time to move on. Did our Lord do this?

20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” Matthew 11:20-24 (NASB) 

Compromise and tolerance in our day are seen as ultimate virtues. While our flesh-bound reason agrees with this, there is the problem of our Lord’s own words from Sacred Scripture which say the very opposite. In the 21st Century, the mindset seems to be that we must never take a stand if it can be criticized by anyone. Several years ago I was writing some doctrinal things on this blog which caused many to no longer read or comment here. One of the comments I received at that time caused me to pause and reflect on my motives for doing what I was doing. The comment went something like this, “If you take stands in your articles, like you are doing now, in which you say this or that is the truth then you are opening up yourself to criticism.” Now, what was this person really saying?

It would be so easy to simply write sweet and/or challenging devotions here to be positive and tolerant of everyone, even those who deny the deity of Christ. Yes, it would be much easier, but would I be obedient in that to the calling God has given to some of us to stand in the gap and proclaim what is true even to those who demand compromise and tolerance at all costs? It can be quite discouraging to strike the anvil a full blow, but find a heart that is harder than steel.

Unbelief is a product of both a hard heart and deception. The person in this horrible state has been deceived with idolatry and has incurred a form of spiritual blindness that can only be broken through by God. These folks can be quite religious and appear to be Christians, but they are really all about serving their idols instead of God. For instance the idols of the emergents, the Neo-Evangelicals, and the Woke are people. The alternate form of the Gospel that serves this idolatrous form of Christianity is the Social Gospel or the positive, feel good Gospel. It is the man-loving Gospel that makes it all about people instead of God and His glory. It is Christianity on one’s own terms.

Debating these folks is quite an experience. They demand that we stop exposing their doctrinal errors. They call those who won’t stop doing this“hypocrites” by taking Jesus’ command to Judge Not out of context. I saw an article on a friends blog once in which someone blasted him for warning his readers about a false teacher. What was the argument the commenter used? She said, “You are a hypocrite, after all you are not perfect so how can you judge this person?” Well none of us are perfect, but we must judge because our Lord tells us too. We are not to judge hypocritically, but it is commanded that we discern what is true and what is false. We are to shun those who preach what is false and we are to warn our brethren as well. The Word of God gives us the standards of what is true and what is false and all genuine believers have the Holy Spirit.

What creates a lot of this contention is the false view that all professing Christians should just try to get along despite huge doctrinal differences. Unity is the cry. However, this is a call to unify what is true with what is false. My brethren, we cannot do this. We must not do this. Jesus warned us of what would happen when we preach and teach the truth as the truth.

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