destroying the works of the devil

Dan Phillips at Team Pyro raises an interesting question in today's post, Question for discussion: Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, sooo.... The premise builds on 1 Jn 3.8, "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." Phillips challenges, "why are there so many genuine Christians who persist in the same patterns of sin, apparently without pangs of conscience, without struggle, without the movings of repentance, cheerfully and blithely and hard-heartedly?"

Is it as the Westminster Confession, 5.5 indicates?

The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave, for a season, His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.

No - I don't think so.

Is it as many of those that commented to Phillips' post suggest, i.e., that God is actually dealing with those but his day is like a thousand years to us? Again, no, I don't think so.

I think the answer is found in the personal struggle I've recently had with Team Pyro and their open attack on the Holy Spirit and His work in the Kingdom of God.

Paul wrote in 1 Co 11.19, "there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized." I'm not saying that Team Pyro exists so that I might be recognized as genuine by being better than them. Nothing of the sort! The answer is quite different than that.

Phillips states his question yet another way, "if you believe that at least some of these seeker-sensitive churches, these nuttily Charismatic churches, these Bible-lite churches, these Arminian churches, these man-centered churches, are led by people who are genuinely Christian, yet are genuinely displeasing to God (as we argue), then why does the Lord let that go on? Why does He not grant repentance to them (2 Timothy 2:25)? Surely He cares more about His church than we do."

To this I reply, so that those that are genuine can be recognized - not because they are right and the others are wrong. Rather they will be recognized by how they relate to each other. It's not about who has right doctrine (I did not say right doctrine does not matter) it is about who has right relationships. A cornerstone of right doctrine is right relationship. If we cannot manage community, then it is clear that we are not genuine regardless of doctrine.

We, the body of Christ, must demonstrate unity even in our differences. While we cannot ignore differences, the manner in which we handle them speaks volumes about how we see the body and who is at the head of it. When we argue outside the family - we fail. When we make ugly statements and false representations - we fail. Etc...

When we loving restore in the context of our local community such that those outside see unity, we demonstrate the power of the wisdom of God.

Do we need to address error? Absolutely - but there is a time, a place, and a way for doing so. Unfortunately many choose to not go that path and thereby demonstrate that while they have right doctrine, they are not genuine. It is an easy trap and it requires a changed life to avoid it. And I say that when a life is changed in a way that demonstrates godly love and honor in the face of differences, then it is clear that Christ has destroyed the work of the devil in that person.

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