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Is It Time To Move On? By David McKee From time to time during this discussion, word has come that it is “time to move on.” Brethren who have offered little to no help or encouragement offer “sound advice” by informing those involved that is it time to let the issue rest. Gospel preachers, who are not certain where they stand on this issue, are not certain which side is truth, are not certain if they want to risk involvement in such a discussion, are certain that it is time to move on. I’m sure those of Noah’s day thought it was time for him to move on, not wanting to hear what that preacher of righteousness had to say. Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, and there prophesy. But never again prophesy at Bethel” (Amos 7:12-13a). In other words, Amos, it’s time to move on. Those of Jeremiah’s day made it clear in a number of ways that they thought it was time for him to move on. They wanted to hear, “‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace” (Jeremiah 8:11). Brethren are being influenced to embrace a doctrine of error that damns souls to hell and many are encouraging those who would fight against it to leave the battlefield while the enemy continues virtually unchecked. It was thought that the efforts behind this website would help to call attention to the error and those teaching it, and that having done so, good brethren all over would stand up against such a perversion of our Lord’s simple teaching. It has been sad to see how many have chosen to remain silent and uninvolved. Influential papers and preachers reasoned that they had too much to lose and friendships were too dear to draw further attention to the issue. By remaining silent, it was hoped that the issue would die down. But Satan has taken advantage of their silence and those in error have grown bolder. When such efforts continued to be countered with the simple truth of God’s word, the voices of some began to emerge with the disheartening plea to “move on.” They want peace when there is no peace. In 2nd Kings 9:22, Joram asked Jehu, “Is it peace, Jehu?” To which Jehu replied, “What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many.” Paul would ask the Galatians, “Who has bewitched that you should not obey the truth” (Galatians 3:1). False doctrine does just as much to bewitch as anything Jezebel attempted. And like many false teachers today, she stood relatively unopposed. If one does not want to hear about the discussion and feels bothered by the updates sent out, that is easily remedied by asking to be removed from the mail-out list. But what becomes apparent is that some are not satisfied with no longer hearing it themselves; they want the message silenced so that no one hears it. Men who could not speak up, to stand for truth, now speak up to say, “move on.” In their eyes, this stand against error and stand for the truth has become a “troubler of Israel” (1st Kings 18:17), that they would rather see go away. I’m sure that some of those involved in this issue have felt like moving on, but there is still work to be done. Who is willing to do this work? Ask yourself that question. Has your voice been heard to say something other than “move on”? Realizing the tragic nature of the error before us, has your voice been one of encouragement? Realizing that influential brethren are moving among us, virtually unchecked, as they continue to teach a doctrine that permits adulterous marriages, are your sentiments that of “move on”? Or is it “Be stedfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1st Corinthians 15:58)? |
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