Concerning being an idol worshiper.
Many years ago while in a seminary class we were discussing the growing eccumenical movement in the church, the trend of churches setting aside their doctrinal differences and embracing one another as family in Christ and working together for the good of their communities, something I find wonderfully refreshing. I was fortunate to be attending an interdenominational seminary and had in that class family from many different denominations. One of the brothers though was having an extremely difficult time with the subject and said, almost screemed:
“I just want to know one thing! Where do you draw the line doctrinally when deciding who to consider as a brother in Christ or not a brother in Christ. For example, look at the Catholics! They pray to Mary! They worship Idols! They baptize babies! Where dow one draw the line?!!!”
I immediately heard the Spirit reply, but being new to “prophecying” in such a context, I didn’t say anything. The class was quiet for a few minutes and no one replied to the man’s passionate outburst, not even the professor. The class continued on and eventually changed, but the question and what I heard the Spirit stayed with me. The class was on a Monday and would reconvene on Wednesday. For the next two days, the word from the Spirit kept ringing in my ears; it was a “fire shut up in my bones” as has been said. So I determined I’d share what I believed I heard the Spirit say durning the next class period, Wednesday. Class began, I raised my hands and said:
“Everyone likely recalls during the last class period a question was asked concerning where one draws the line doctrinally in considering someone a brother in Christ, and the question was unanswered. Well, in response to that question, I heard the Spirit say: ‘1st I look on the heart! and 2ndly you All have idols in your heart!’”
For me, this answered the question profoundly. It’s not a matter of doctrine, it’s a matter of one’s heart. Is it loving God and loving people. If it is then the doctrine will work itself out eventually. I mean, Jesus didn’t say that in order to be considered one of his disciples one must profess a certain set of doctrines. Rather, He said to the fisherman, tax collector, theif, and pious alike, “Come follow me.” They argued, they fussed, they jockeyed for position, they… And yet the Lord did not reject or exclude a one. So who do we think we are to exclude others because they misunderstand God differently than we misunderstand God!
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Chris