Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then
make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one
another, and working together with one mind and purpose. (Philippians 2:1,2 NLT)
Error, false teaching, and heresy have always been a major means by which the
Devil has sought to destroy "the testimony of Jesus," but when he brought in the
weapon of what is known as "Modernism," or "Higher Criticism," he used a double-barreled
gun. One barrel he aimed directly at the great fundamental truths of the Person
of Christ, the work of Christ, and the authority of the Bible. He has thus
wrought great havoc, but one wonders whether even that is comparable to the
mischief of his second and closely related barrel. By it he has poured out
volumes and clouds of suspicion, fear, mistrust, apprehension, and all the
grievous effects of these among true Christians. There is not a single person
today who is quite safe in this "Christian" world and atmosphere. Some of the
most outstanding and erstwhile evangelical stalwarts have at length fallen under
its awful miasma, and died of a broken heart because of it – and all so untrue!
The enemy stops short at no point short of dividing the last two Christians, and
if he cannot find true ground for doing it by spreading suspicion and mistrust –
"evil report" – he will make it by giving a twist to anything that is capable of
being twisted....
We beg to appeal to all those to whose eyes this message may come, that they
will ask the Lord, if need be, to completely convert their mentality in this
matter. Would it not be more according to the Spirit of the Master, who said,
"Let him that is without sin cast the first stone," and "He that is not against
us is for us," if, as our instant reaction to every "report," "rumor,"
criticism, judgment, insinuation, innuendo, or whisper, we instantly asked the
question, "Is it true? Did the speaker – or writer – really mean that? Is there
not another meaning to be given to it? Is it not – perhaps – an unfortunate way
of putting it, but not necessarily pernicious?" Should we not, before accepting
it, find out whether our interpretation is the right one, or whether we may be
mistaken? The enemy is engaged more than ever upon a campaign of sabotage within
the Church for its internal disintegration, and it is for us to resist him by
seeking all the positive ground
of fellowship possible, not looking for all the negative ground, either really
or imaginatively existent.