Sunday, March 12, 2017

Watch Out For Bandwagon Crusades

Yesterday I posted the lyrics to the song Witch Hunt by Petra. Sadly, this song is representative of a great majority of Christians, whether genuine or false converts. They are distracted by so many things that keep their eyes off of Jesus when they should only be looking unto Him continuously. There are people and groups who waste vast amounts of their time trying to find 666 in everything: the Coca-Cola insignia, the Monster energy drink symbol, etc., etc., etc. Their imagination knows no bounds. Also, like the post I made regarding the Apocrypha, there are people like John Lawton Jeffcoat III who are so focused on whether the Apocrypha should or should not be part of the Bible that they never look to Jesus. The same is likewise true of the KJV-Onlyists, who have never studied the issue themselves but continue to blindly argue points that hold absolutely no water.

The fact is, every time you turn around there is going to be another bandwagon parading around that wants people to jump on. Defending these bandwagons becomes a full-time task and takes your eyes off of Christ Jesus, where your eyes should be looking at all times. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. That is what it is all about, and that is all that matters. Yes, there are biblical truths and moral standards that we need to uphold and defend, but not to the point where they consume all of our time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears. Look unto Jesus. He will handle everything else.

Bandwagons carry every wind of doctrine around with them. When you jump on board a particular bandwagon, you are being sidetracked from what really matters. How can you learn more about Jesus, how can you grow in Him, how can you become more like Him, if your eyes are always focused on ridiculous issues that do not have any bearing on salvation or the faith of the saints? There are primary, secondary, and tertiary issues pertaining to theology and doctrine, but there are also non-issues. The primary issues are very serious and require immediate separation from heretics, apostates, and wolves in sheep's clothing.

Whether or not someone uses the KJV is of little consequence as the Apostles never used the KJV and the Apostles never penned the KJV. The KJV was not God-breathed. It is a translation. It is only inspired in as much as it remains true to the original languages in its translation. But like all translations, it contains errors and flaws. Whether or not the Apocrypha is included in or excluded from the Bible is of little consequence as it neither adds to nor removes from Christian theology and doctrine. Historically it is agreed upon that a difference is to be made between the 66 books of the Bible and the books of the Apocrypha, regardless of whether they are retained or removed.

If you are defending an issue that demands defending, something that actually matters, if the person you are defending it against just will not listen to reason and logic, quit casting your pearls before swine. Trying to convince them of the truth and of reality can quickly become a bandwagon crusade in and of itself. Defend it for a time to a person, and if they will not be reasoned with, move on. Do not let it consume your time and your life. You have better things you can be doing, especially where your eyes are focused solely and entirely on Jesus. Look to Him in every circumstance. Let Him be your answer to everything.