Believing God, Beth
Moore, pages 81-83
…we
are wise to avoid giving in to two temptations: judging and arguing.
Whatever we do, we must avoid judging someone else for a weaker or
lesser faith. I have enough fear
of God in me to know that I will likely be tested on the very things I’ve
judged about others (Rom. 2:1)
I’ve experienced exactly this kind of repercussion in the past, and my
failure to pass some of those tests helps cure me from the habit.
If we want to experience
God’s blessing, we don’t want to judge those of lesser faith. On the other hand, neither do we want
to be negatively influenced by those of lesser faith. Mark 9 records an interesting interchange between Christ and
His disciples after some of them were unable to cast a demon from a tormented
child. Keep in mind that Jesus had
empowered His disciples to perform this very act, yet they were unable to do so
in the circumstance. Mark 9:14
says, “When [Jesus and a few of His disciples] came to the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with
them.” The inability of the disciples
was reported to Jesus, but before He reprimanded His chosen appointees for
their unbelief, He asked them a critical question, “What are you arguing with
[the teachers of the law] about?” (v. 16).
I am convinced that the
argument the disciples had with the educated, dignified teachers of the law
diminished their faith so drastically that they were unable to do one of the
very things they had been empowered to do. If you want to be full of faith, don’t argue with a
legalist! Love them. Serve side by
side with them if God wills. Don’t
judge them. And don’t argue with
them! Unbelief is highly
contagious. Frivolous arguments
can dilute spiritual truths into human logic. Nothing is logical about miracles. To the degree that we debate matters of faith, we could find
ourselves drained of it. We are
not called to debate faith but to do it.
To be nouns turned into verbs.
Presently. Actively.
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