Out Of The Abundance Of The Heart The Mouth Speaks--An Answer To Those Who Hate Reproof.

There were fourteen folks around the three folding tables. Five of them had styrofoam cups at various levels of "full" with coffee. Some were still visibly sleepy, others raring to go. The teacher was doing his thing, when Tom spoke out in Sunday School about a particular sin in the church. It was obvious to everyone there that Sunday morning that Tom was really angry and disturbed about it. Chad spoke up from the other end of the table to say that he agreed with Tom, but gently reminded Tom that if he was angry, instead of loving, Tom would persuade no one.

How many thousands of times does this sort of scenario play itself out in churches across America? If you've been a Christian for any amount of time, you've witnessed this, maybe dozens of times. Tom is bad. Chad is good. Tom is unloving. Chad is loving. Tom is new in the faith. Chad is mature. Right?

NO! Chad's heart is evil, he is disobedient to Scripture, he blasphemes against God, he is a modern legalist, and he is unable to tell the truth.

I recently had that sort of interaction with an "Anonymous" on the comment thread here. The sin I was dealing with was the infestation of the church with the agenda of the feminists and homosexuals and the mistranslations currently flooding the church that censor masculinity, such as the Message, the NRSV, and the TNIV. Please read what I said to "Anonymous." You are likely to think I was out of line and simply spouting out of anger.

I wasn't. What I had to say was well thought out and biblical. To see why, let's go back to the fictional account of Chad and Tom.

I made five specific claims about Chad.

First, I condemned his heart as being evil. Why? What right do I have to judge another's heart? Jesus put it this way: "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil." Matthew 12:33-35.

Chad's heart and the heart of Anonymous are evil and we can know that because of what they said. Jesus said that what we say is whatever fills our heart. The point of Anonymous and Chad was that we could embarrass ourselves by being too adamant in our disapproval of sin. Do you understand? That which often fills our heart is the selfish desire to be liked, and we know that opposing sin is never popular. We don't want to be seen as closed minded. Someone might furrow their brow at us or call us fundies or something horrible like that.

Another black spot of rot in the heart of those who hate reproof is evident in the fact that they do not hate sin in the church. How do I know? Chad was quick to admonish Tom and Anonymous was quick to correct me. They said nothing about the sin that motivated the reprover to harden his face as God's face is hard against sin. The hearts of Anonymous and our fictional "Chad" are cold to God and His righteousness. Their words prove it. If you reprove the man reproving sin, your heart is evil. You need to repent. Your heart is black. You are cold to God, warm to your own reputation, and in need of repentance.

Second, I also claimed that Chad and Anonymous are disobedient to Scripture. They follow in the footsteps of the Pharisees. They do not walk with the God of Abraham. Paul said, "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following." I Timothy 4:1-6.

Anonymous and Chad refused to bring attention to the falsehood brought into the church. Scripture asks us to do so. We started this discussion with the question, "What right do I have to judge another's heart?" Now I ask this question: "What right do you have to grant approval to that which God hates?" When we allow sins to flourish among the brethren, we oppose God. I'll ask another question: "What right do you have to judge the heart of a man who expresses hatred for that which God hates?"

Third, Chad and Anonymous blaspheme against the name and reputation of God and His servants throughout history.

How? Simple. They claim their silence and apathy toward sin is right. Ergo John the Baptist was wrong. And Hosea was wrong. And Moses was wrong. And Ezekiel was wrong. And Jesus was wrong. And Spurgeon was wrong. And Edwards was wrong.

And God is wrong. Why? Because He hates sin. And He proclaims it constantly. Out loud.

Fourth, anyone who reproves the reprover is a legalist. Ironically, while those who hate the hatred of sin intend to be open minded and generous, in point of fact, they accuse the man hating sin of doing something sinful. (Which, of course, they hate.) Where in the Bible are we told not to hate evil? Or not to express hatred of evil? Or not to express it too much? Are not these purveyors of spiritual mediocrity making up rules not in Scripture? These days the Scripture often quoted is one like Colosians 4: 5-6, where Paul the Apostle said, "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." We are told, "seasoned with salt" means nice, polite, inoffensive. However, in the context of the life of the author, either the apostle did not follow his own admonition or "seasoned with salt" must include the reproof of sin and the rebuke of the sinner, in or out of the church. Perhaps, the "salt" of the apostle stung the wounds of the soul, as well as provide a savor for the tongue. Does not grace always precede its application to a soul with the conviction of sin so that soul can repent and receive grace?

Fifth and last, whoever hates reproof is unable to say the truth. Again, Jesus said in Matthew 12, "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." By their spoken hatred of reproof we know their hearts are evil. And because their hearts are evil, they are unable to speak anything but the lies they speak. They can't help it. It's in them just like the gospel is in the righteous man and he has to speak the truth. Neither man can keep what is in his heart silent for anything but the shortest time. It must burst forth like the angels that praise God and the vile man who cannot contain his profanity.

The issue is not the mouth. It is not what is said. Words only prove what is in the heart. The alarming fact is that if you hate reproof, you hate God. You are likely to be unregenerate.

Take warning from the Spirit of God. Call to Jesus.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.