Some years ago, I was sitting at the dinner table with a group of Christians, who were telling about a special evangelistic program they had promoted in their congregation. They had engaged in a concentrated effort to encourage their non-member friends to attend church and many people accepted the invitation. The preacher thought these people might never have another opportunity to hear the truth. He exposed common errors held by the people who were in attendance. The folks at the dinner table were rather proud of the way things turned out. They said, "Our friends will never attend another church service with us, but I'll tell you one thing. They heard one sermon." Actually, I question that, because some of those people may have tuned the preacher out when they heard him attack their cherished beliefs. Sometimes fools walk in where angels dare to tread. I decided to wade into that conversation. I said something about "speaking the truth in love." One dear sister looked me right in the eye and said, "Brother Bales, I ain't no soft-soaper." Perhaps we fear going soft we speak the truth in love. To be sure that danger exists, but the danger does not eliminate our responsibility to walk in love.

At the other end of the spectrum, we can make the mistake of emphasizing love at the expense of truth. Some time ago I read an interview with a man who had struggled with this very issue. He and the church he served had made a conscious decision to turn away from legalism. They were tired of the judging, branding, accusing and polarizing that goes on in some churches. They rejected harshness and judgmentalism. For awhile, they opened their doors to everyone. There was no doctrinal test of fellowship. If you wanted to teach a Sunday School class, the only qualification was willingness. But he said it didn't work. He said that the first thing you know, you'll have New Agers teaching your Sunday School class. You'll have Satan worshippers leading the church. There is such a thing as doctrinal error and while extremists would declare everyone in error who disagrees with them, the fact remains that we must have a concern for both truth and love.

Don't worry about getting knocked in the head by the swinging pendulum. It may be a sign that you're on target.

DECEIVERS

In a perfect world, everyone we meet would be like Apollos. Apollos was well educated and quite well versed in Scripture, but there were some gaps in his knowledge. According to Acts 18:26, "When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately." His open-minded reception to their instruction paved the way for him to become an outstanding for spokesman for Christ. Apollos responded positively because he was a truth seeker.

That can't be said of everyone we meet. John went on to describe some other kind of tactics.

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. (7-8).

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