Zeal for Truth?
This article series shares a post Pastor Erik’s Twitter account as articles for anyone to read, whether you have access to Twitter or not. You can find Erik's original Twitter thread here.
Many professing believers think they are being zealous for the truth, but actually unsay with their lives what they officially say with their mouths.
Zeal for the truth is great. The church would do well today to have more of it. But there is a huge difference between being John the Baptist and being the Pharisees.
John the Baptist was a voice crying out in the wilderness. He had no problem speaking the truth. In fact, speaking the truth got him thrown in jail and his head head cut off. So he wasn’t squishy or soft when it came to truth.
But an entire group of Pharisees show up ready to condemn him in Matthew 3 because they think their Jewishness keeps them from needing to submit to his baptism. They are proud. They are right. The result? They are condemned by Jesus throughout the Gospels.
The people who thought they were the most theologically correct in all of Israel were condemned by Jesus (Matthew 23) because they were awful. The converts they made became even worse than them.
Here’s the irony…no individual or group ever thinks they’re the Pharisees. Ever. But you will know them by their fruits. Not even a John the Baptist who walks in the truth can walk up to their standards. And they’ll readily cast their condemnations.
Don’t be a Pharisee. Don’t attempt to reason with a Pharisee because theirs is a heart issue, not a knowledge issue. Be a voice in the wilderness, and speak truth with zeal as John did, but realize for some even that won’t be sufficient.
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Erik is the Pastor of The Journey Church in Lebanon. He also founded Knowing Jesus Ministries, an organization which exists to proclaim timeless truth for everyday life. He is married to Katrina, and has three children: Kaleb (who went to be with the Lord), Kaleigh Grace, and Kyra Piper.
TOPICS
- The Bible (or “Scripture”), The Church