Remember Hananiah (Jer 28) in the days of Jeremiah the prophet.

The reason I asked the question is because of the 2 ends of the spectrum we find ourselves, in my observation: either harshly criticizing and condemning with relish false teachers on the one hand, and accepting everyone with the name of Jesus on his lips as true, irregardless of his departure from the faith.

2 things come to mind that I see as so critical:
- self examination (motives and a right spirit)
- true humility (as opposed to self-depracation or false humility)

The second, easily representing the core of Christ’s character, seems to escape most of us (me included), as it did the Ephesian church.

I would also point out that one could actually test to see if one was an apostle, since you had to study under Jesus to be one. I would also note that, at this time, there was no codified “New Testament”, or even canonized gospels with which to refute false apostolic claims…

The tendency we have is to err on either side (become hyper-vigilant that we see everything critically and with a mote-hunting spirit or to translate love as tolerance and “everything goes”).

The thing that I get out of Revelation 2 & 3 is really how firm Jesus is, and how rarely these verses are taken into account when we discuss His nature and character, though these addresses might give us the clearest concept as to His righteous judgment.

We spend hours on the woman caught in adultery and other accounts, and well we should, but the balance in understanding the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God often escapes us. Just my 2 cents.

Following Jesus is not embracing a systematic theology like an idol.

Following Jesus is not trolling the secular news in search of something to criticize.

Following Jesus is not pronouncing ordained men as apostate carelessly.

Following Jesus is not speaking to the hungry without providing food.

Following Jesus is not teaching that the “attack life” is the “abundant life”.

Following Jesus is not straining at doctrinal gnats while swallowing the camels marching in your own life.

Following Jesus is not thanking God you are not like the current culture.

Following Jesus is not loving a sinner’s soul while hating his guts.

Following Jesus is not consistantly reporting your own valiant stand for God’s Word while you ignore your open defiance of much of the same Word.

*****

Following Jesus must be a constant journey of humility born of grace. A true followship must never have others in our windshield, we must be looking unto Him. No credit must be taken, and an open admission of our daily frailties and sins must temper our verbiage concerning others. A true follower of Jesus must re-evaluate his tone, especially when he feels led to correct.

A faithful follower must carry his cross, not just his bullhorn. A faithful follower must draw attention to Christ, and never himself. A faithful follower meditates, thinks, dwells, and assesses God’s truth through the Scriptures and expresses them through a humble and contrite spirit.

A true and faithful follower of Jesus must see the gap between where he is and where Christ calls him to, as widening with each and every revelation of the Risen Christ. Any believer who sees himself closing in on His Savior has deceived himself and will attack others with little regard for their well being.

A true and faithful follower of Jesus must die…whatever that truly means and however that can be revealed in our earthly lives. I sometimes believe that kind of death is a pursuit rather than a pronounciation.

That is my answer to “criteria”. Let me know when you arrive.

How do you envision this and by what criteria do you think they rendered judgment? Is there a practical application to this discernment today?

Well, I think within the context of that whole section, it may be not the best compliment. In many ways it does remind me of segments of the American church. There are people who are very passionate about doctrine and “discernment”, but yet they seem to exhibit so little in the way love – exactly what the church in Ephesus is being chastised for.

The problem with seeing everything critically is that is simply easy to become nothing more than a critic. It can prevent a person from really experiencing and exhibiting the love of Christ if they aren’t careful. Jesus said we are to be as wise as serpents but as gentle as doves. So, like many things it needs to be a both/and situation, not an either/or.

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.

How do you envision this and by what criteria do you think they rendered judgment? Is there a practical application to this discernment today?

Pagitt’s facebook status recently took issue with the cries of “o-bam-a”, he said it sounds too much like something in a dictatorship (i.e. personality cult). He said people need to “watch that”…

yep, those unreflective emergent idolaters…

regardless of party and/or policies regarding abortion.