It is easy to become a rabble, label the "heretic" and then burn him on the pyre.
The rabble can become a group of loosely associated people who know what they want to achieve.
And the motivation is to be able to push someone so they look so bad they are removed from the community.
We know this is what goes on, the question is, is the behaviour that which the Lord calls us to?
Unfortunately religious groups are very easy to push in this way.
It is why christians are dying round the world, often at the hands of muslims.
So is the Holy Spirit moving, or just the repeat of the way the world works and manipulation dominates?
Yes!
We should stick together and be in accord...
even if we disagree on a doctrine.
This is why I say Protestantism is in trouble..
we're too divided...too many different churches because one little, tiny, teaching is different...so a charismatic person will leave the main church...go make his own...and take followers with him.
This is not what Jesus meant to happen. He said. My church, not My churches.
(with a small c).
This is very upsetting to me...I don't mind saying.
I left a church that was very united because I didn't agree with the doctrine...
And within the last 40 to 50 years some doctrine has crept into protestantism that DID NOT EXIST BEFORE.
What are we to do?
Just accept it? Sit back and accept man-made doctrine and no the Lord's?
Or should we do as the early church did and insist on not accepting heresies.
Yes,,,heresies. After all what does heresy mean?
Any teaching that is not in accord with mainline beliefs.
Are heresies going to become mainline because they sound good to man?
I pray not.
In Genesis 2:15 God takes the man and put him in the Garden to cultivate it and keep it.
This might be called work by some. I call it God's plan for man...Ephesians 2:10
In Genesis 2:16-17 God gave Adam a commandment: From this tree you will not eat.
WILL NOT does not mean that God will not cause the man to do some action or other...
It means that God does NOT WANT man to do that action.
So God demands obedience from the beginning of our time...
Adam failed, as do we all. And for this he and Eve were kicked out of the Garden.
God demands obedience all the way through Revelation.
And yet I hearsay that it is no longer necessary...
God does it all.
No. God did HIS part...now we do ours.
Or Christanity has been changed forever.
And God does not change.....