Donkeys, Elephants, and Needful DISAGREEMENT

Bill Bryant

Despite animal selection, donkeys and elephants, my thrust here is NOT political, although application could easily be made to political arena. Some with bumper sticker Superiority Complex no doubt think their kids/dogs smarter than mine (though I actually have neither). Yet, higher than we ought to think conclusions, often more the result of irrational processing than rational deduction. Those looking downward from their own or group nose apexes, can readily jump from assessment inanimate, “dumber than dirt” to animate analogy, oh, let’s pick one like “less smart than a donkey”. In their donkey illustration they even point out that donkeys can differentiate the pile, passing up the briers eating the hay. But, what if we tweak the far from slam dunk illustration, merely going from solid to liquid. Now, in the liquid soup we come to learn of healthful, pristine, organic ingredients along with a pinch or two of a lethal, deadly poison. Now with knowledge, what is the only choice of vitality in light of deadly ricin in the soup, to ingest or to refuse? Gullible gulp or resolute refusal? Always good to ask who is holding the brush when word pictures, illustrations are presented as “amens”.

Now, is the church house exempt from apex nose slope assessment, from resentment, and worse? The pastor, rebuking a fellow pastor for his solid separatism, resorted to the oft-used elephant three blind men illustration. One blind man examining only the side said the elephant is like a wall. The second examining only the tail said the elephant like a rope. The third only assessing the huge legs of the animal said like a tree of sorts. So, the on a rescue mission pastor moved from leaky illustration to less than conclusive comparison, “So we are all talking about the same thing in this matter of Christianity, we are just looking at it from different angles.” The under fire separated pastor responded saying, “There are just two things wrong with our illustration. Salvation is not an elephant and God’s people are not blind.”

The novelties of fancy, inventive and logical to natural persons, and accredited by some favorite name, readily pass for adherence to the revelation of God. Too many too often are ready to drink any cup presented to them, like children, who think everything good that is sweet. Errors, NEVER SOLITARY, are built upon some partial, insulated, or perverted truth . . . carefully ponder WHAT we hear as well as WHOM we hear/follow. Sift the most plausible pretensions (I. Thes. 5:21; I John 4:1). NEVER SET A GREAT NAME AGAINST THE DIVINE TESTIMONY.

Admit only one standard, the infallible one. Like the noble Bereans, who would not believe even an Apostle’s words except as confirmed by the written testimony (Acts 17:11). Clearly stated in inspired writing, the inevitability of “heresies among you”, but prevalent truth shall also, as the LORD sees fit, have its witnesses “that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” Beware, “among you” in the negative may so prevail in our day that “speckled-bird saints” must needs resort to dead men and that with Berean diligence, but do not our hearts burn within us as we rejoice in the truth with love of the truth, yea even in 2017? He who will not read is no better than he who cannot read. Come, LORD JESUS.

 

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