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Protection
Like any good big brother, Paul was protective of his brothers and sisters in Christ and kept a watchful eye out for evil influences that could threaten the unity he had worked so hard to build and encourage. He knew that a little bit of evil could do a whole lot of damage (Galatians 5:9).
Sometimes, the threat came from the outside, and sometimes it came from within, where lazy Christians had allowed their thinking to be muddled by the Enemy and lost sight of their calling to preach and live truth and where fake Christians who had never truly surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ spewed lies and stirred dissension for their own gain.
Because no person can ever truly know the heart of another, Paul encouraged his brothers and sisters to discern what ruled a person’s heart by their behavior, the only clue we humans have to go by in spiritual matters. He encouraged them to associate only with those who were intent on preaching and living truth so they would not stumble themselves and so outsiders would not be confused by their hanging around people who claimed to be Christians, but did not illustrate the Gospel with their lives.
Of course, there’s a big difference between someone who is trying to follow Jesus, but still makes mistakes in spite of their best efforts and someone who is not even trying. Paul warned his brothers and sisters to stay away from those who weren’t trying, not from those who were trying, but still made mistakes. He did not want to exclude people from God’s family, but to protect those who already belonged to God’s family from those who had no interest in loving them by living truth (1 John 5:2).
How about you? Do you hold everything presented as truth up against the truth of God’s Word, or do you blindly accept any statement that sounds good and/or churchy?
Do you protect your brothers and sisters against imposters who preach and practice lies, or do you leave them vulnerable to corruption by remaining silent when you should speak up?
Do you foster an every-man-for-himself or family atmosphere in your local church body?
What, if anything, needs to change? What would that look like?
About this Plan
Of all the apostles, Paul’s conversion/calling story was arguably the most notable and miraculous, his assignment to take the Gospel to the Gentiles the most unique, and the tangible results of his obedience the most impressive by human standards. Even so, Paul did not operate as a lone wolf, set apart from the pack and self-sufficient. On the contrary, this hero of the Christian faith understood the essential role his brothers and sisters played in his life and stayed connected to them even when his assignment to preach and live truth called him away for long stretches of time.
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