Donkeys, Elephants, and Needful DISAGREEMENT
Bill Bryant
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.