Listen to these observations from A. W. Tozer, probably written 30 years or so ago. I think his illustration applies to a number of things we have done through the years -- determining our "faith" by knee-jerking to that of others. I pray that we might base what we believe and practice on the Word of God and not as a reaction against something else.
The Holy Spirit: Wild-eyed Fanatics
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. --1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
This is a crude illustration, but let me tell you what we did after planting a field of corn when I was a young fellow in Pennsylvania. To save the field of corn from the crows, we would shoot an old crow and hang him by his heels in the middle of the field. This was supposed to scare off all of the crows for miles around. The crows would hold a conference and say, "Look, there is a field of corn but don't go near it. I saw a dead crow over there!"
That's the kind of conference that Satan calls, and that is exactly what he has done. He has taken some fanatical, weird, wild-eyed Christians who do things that they shouldn't, and he has stationed them in the middle of God's cornfield, and warns, "Now, don't you go near that doctrine about the Holy Spirit because if you do, you will act just like these wild-eyed fanatics." The Counselor, 63.
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1 comment:
One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.
Here's to hope that the focus of what people see in Christians is their love and their faith in action.
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