The days where Nadab and Abihu were held up as examples of what might happen to you if you disobey God are long gone. Long gone too is the notion that a person should fear God under any circumstances short of heinous crimes; no matter what their standing before God.
It is no secret that sermons on hellfire have been assigned to the dustbin of history. Thus, it is little wonder that even once conscientious Christians now throw caution to the wind as they re-join the world in its excesses.
When Judgement Day arrives, the Sheep will be separated from the Goats, despite our opinions on the matter. In fact, if our opinions have helped someone into hell, for that we will be judged too. We cannot walk around as if Jesus’ words on sin, righteousness, and judgement apply only when we deem them appropriate. We can be very good at telling people to stop treating our friends as children, but when it comes to accountability for sin, we immediately infantilise them.
None of us have the right to exclude any who are saved from the Brotherhood, and none of us have the right to include any who are not saved into the Brotherhood. But before we concentrate too much on others, we do well to take Paul’s advice to heart when he says:
“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
There is no doubt about it, the Brotherhood has its fair share of Weeds among the Wheat. But given our propensity to let our facts follow our feelings, we don’t always make ideal Wheat and Weed Inspectors.
I’ll let Paul have the final word on all this:
Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness” (2 Timothy 2:19).
John Staiger
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