Today's encouragement comes from 2 John, v. 10, where we read these words:
"If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him."These (above) are interesting words from the tender and sensitive "apostle of love," (John). Are not sweet and kind Christian people supposed to listen to anyone? Are we not to be open to everyone's opinion on God and “truth"? Ac-tually, the answer, is, “no." Authentic love rejects error—and it does this, not just for the benefit of the true believer, but also for the sake of the proponent of heresy.
Does our spurning of heretics and heresies mean we do not try to reach these poor lost sinners bound-up in lethal error? No, it does not mean that. Here is the rule we should seek to live by: let us gently inform the proclaimers of works-righteousness that it will be *us*, and not them, that will do the evan-gelizing. If they are willing to hear us, may God graciously work in their hearts!
[Puritan quote of the day: "A great part of the pleasure and delight of the Christian life consists in the observations of Providence.” —John Flavel, in, "The Mystery of Providence"]
