Our son was in a small Christian school for kindergarten and first grade. We had to take him out of that school because his first grade teacher appeared to have a less than loving attitude toward him. When she learned that we were pulling him out of the Christian school and putting him in a public school, she told him he would no longer be a Christian, but he would be a publican for going to a public school and he would go to hell. He was so concerned about being a publican and going to hell, my wife had to go to the public school with him and ask his new second grade teacher (in his presence) if he could attend a public school and be a Christian. Thank God the public school teacher was a Christian with a good heart and conducted herself as such.
This may seem like a small thing, but consider this, every day there are countless number of Christians who think and behave like the Christian school teacher did — they speak of things they don’t understand, and, at times, do so with judgmental, and “holier than thou” attitudes. Consider also all the false doctrines going around now, doctrines people have concocted without restraint of any kind, leaving others believing they speak for God. For instance,
decree something and God will make it happen (this came about by people using their own understanding and taking a verse of scripture completely out of context);
claim the promises of God (this began as a man-made tool to try to overcome a lack of faith);
create things by the words you speak (this came from the word of faith movement started by some wolves in sheep’s clothing seeking to devour the masses for monetary purposes by giving them what they want to hear).
There are many, many more false beliefs being preached, all equally harmful, and sworn to be true, by preacher after preacher, and layman after layman.
Those who teach these and other fallacies are on a collision course to be judged by their words, and it won’t be pleasant for them. God is not mocked. “For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life,” Galatians 6:8. We must always be careful when we speak to others about the things of God. We must never give advice to another unless we know our advice is born of the Spirit. Only then will it help someone. If we give advice that comes from the flesh, and not the Spirit, it will most likely do harm. We may then find ourselves on a slippery slope in our own Christian life for having harmed someone by speaking of spiritual things from our fleshly minds. Many continually go through struggle after struggle simply because they speak of spiritual things from their fleshly minds.
“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment,” James 3:1. James continues explaining how hard it is to tame the tongue. This is something Christians should concern themselves with, for we will be judged by our words, and those who teach will receive a stricter judgment than all the others. If more Christians took James 3:1 to heart, there would be far less arguing over scriptures, and far less false doctrines floating around. We must be quick to hear and slow to speak. This is essential in the Christian walk.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
P.S. Please weigh everything I say on the scales of the Word of God before you discard them. May the Lord bless you.
jondavidbanks.com 