Charles Bradford sums it up succinctly and poetically:
To live above with the saints in love, For me that will be glory! But to live below with the saints I know, That’s another story!
Beware any disconnect between belief and behavior. The path is wide, and the trap is easy to assume that good goals justify either suspect means or mean suspects.
Curious as it may sound to orthodoxy- loving minds, Jesus bases judgment not on our doctrines but on our behavior toward Him and the least of His brothers. That’s right! While Jesus loves and upholds the truth—Himself being truth personified—He demands that truth be spoken in love. Should we fail this test, then any truth telling becomes merely clanging brass. Our worst behavior can occur at the very moment we mistakenly believe we are performing our best service. For example:
Abuse of platform. At last year’s General Conference Session some individuals, while standing at the microphones, railed as they urged evicting miscreants from membership for offenses ranging from tobacco usage to divorce.
Although the letter of law might permit such punishments, their opinions were recorded and published in such manner that brought more harm than good.
One individual, who had recently begun attending worship services in a distant location, read these “opinions” in the printed minutes and concluded that such harshness was the church’s official position, rather than just the free expression of a delegate with a bad attitude.
Of course, no harm was intended by the publishers of record, but clearly these diatribes, expressed with much less charity than Christ’s love demands, were more than a new believer was able to bear and discouraged a “little one” at the very moment he should have been protected and nurtured, not lambasted.
Jesus uses the strongest warnings possible against those who would discourage “little ones” or new believers (Luke 17:1, 2). In fact, on the very topic of tobacco usage as reason for church action, I’m reminded of good counsel on how to deal with errant members.
“The course pursued toward Doctor Osborn has been all wrong.
“Had this man been handled judiciously he would have been a blessing to the church. He has used tobacco to a greater or less degree, but this habit was not as offensive in the sight of God as the defects in the character of those who might judge him, for God weighs the motives . . .
“His human nature could not bear the unintelligent, unreasonable, unchristian, course pursued by men and women who had more zeal than knowledge. God has been displeased with, and dishonored by, them . . .
“Some have taken a position that those who use tobacco should be dealt with and turned out of the church. In all of our experience for many years not a case of this kind has thus been treated by us. We have borne with them and labored with and prayed with them for years, and if after a time, they did not reform they became lax in other things, and causes of a grievous character occurred which required an action on the part of the church. But then the responsibility was not assumed by merely the resident elder, the deacon, or any church member, but the church waited in patience for help, for wise counselors, and then moved with the greatest caution.
These hasty movements in such cases tend to ruin a church. It shows a self-sufficient, self-important, bigoted spirit which if indulged will ruin any church . . .
“Doctor Osborn has not pursued that meek and Christian course which the Bible requires, but those who have condemned him have pursued a course far more objectionable in the sight of God than that pursued by him, and they are answerable for their influence . . .
“I was shown that the same injudicious treatment has been exercised toward others. Some precious souls that could not justify the unchristian course pursued toward the doctor were crowded until they have separated from the church, and others have been cut off. Such a spirit has taken possession of those who have ever carried things by storm that Satan, instead of the Spirit of Christ, has triumphed. Some of those who have been deprived of the fellowship of the church have been more worthy of a place in the church than those by whom they were cut off. God calls upon these to repent, and learn of Christ in the spirit of meekness, of self-denial, and love.” (Ellen White Manuscript Releases, Vol. 12, pp. 285-287).
Of course, other examples abound of believers behaving badly that we will later discuss: abuse of knowledge, abuse of position, abuse of advantage, abuse of legality, and abuse of influence.
For the moment, however, let’s strive to live in peace with the saints below if we expect ever to live with them in love above.
