by Dennis W. Costella
Clever “one-liners” and biblical phrases lifted out of context are heard on every hand today. More often than not, they tend to encourage what God has forbidden or discourage what God’s Word has commanded. As Bible believers, we must exercise great care when we speak to an issue. Our response must be with the correct application of truth and not with a commonly used expression that unwarily pops into the mind and rolls easily off the tongue. Let us notice a few that are especially deceptive.
“Touch not the Lord’s anointed!”
Time and again we hear this cry parroted as a counter to those who attempt to alert the unsuspecting of the dangerous, unbiblical teachings of particular Christian leaders. Since their ministries influence millions, key religious figures supposedly fall into a category that is safe from scriptural examination. As “God’s anointed,” you dare not “touch” them!
If you give a warning concerning doctrinal inconsistencies within the programs and ministries led by prominent evangelicals or even fundamentalists, you can be sure that in the estimation of many, the moment the word of caution was uttered, you became guilty of “touching the Lord’s anointed.” This indictment sounds ominous to say the least, but the question that arises is: What does God’s Word have to say about this? That is the only consideration that really matters.
A look at the actual context from which this phrase is lifted provides clear-cut proof that scriptural reproof and rebuke does not constitute “touching God’s anointed” at all. In fact, God made sure that Saul was forced to face up to his compromise! The ministry of the king of Israel was judged according to the Lord’s commandments, and no man today is exempt from this same kind of biblical scrutiny.
David refused to slay King Saul with the sword, even though in so doing he would have rid himself of his archenemy and cleared the way for his own ascent to the throne of Israel (1 Sam. 24:1-15). The Lord, not David, would remove Saul in His time and in His way (1 Sam. 26:8-10). But some claim a “secondary application” is in this text that bars any negative comments about another’s far-reaching ministry, for this, too, would constitute “speaking against” one of God’s servants and is, in essence, “touching God’s anointed.” Is this a viable, secondary application? Absolutely not!
Samuel certainly “touched God’s anointed” if by that one means speaking out against Saul’s disobedience. God told Saul to “smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not…” (1 Sam. 15:3). But under the pretext of pious intention, he “spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord…” (1 Sam. 15:15). Partial obedience, Samuel said, was tantamount to witchcraft and idolatry. To obey is better than sacrifice. It is not “unloving” to speak out against error as our Lord requires.
King Saul had a public, visible testimony that affected all of God’s people. When Saul failed to minister according to the absolute standard, the Lord commanded His faithful prophet to cry out against the error. Take his life—no; rebuke his sins—yes! Let us understand in this account what the Bible forbids as well as what it demands. Scriptural reproof of a disobedient brother who is leading others astray is not “touching God’s anointed”; it is compliance with God’s order to warn the unwary.
“Judge not that ye be not judged.”
This is another example of a frequently misapplied Scripture. It is invariably quoted as a response to any attempt at exercising spiritual discernment in situations involving doctrinal error or compromise. But when the rest of Matthew 7, from which the phrase is taken, is considered, clearly hypocritical judgment is what is being disallowed, not the act of judging itself. On the contrary, the text actually requires spiritual judgment (Matt. 7:1-23). If judgment is forbidden, then how can one “see clearly to cast out the mote,” discern what is the broad way “that leadeth to destruction,” be wary of false prophets who are wolves “in sheep’s clothing,” and determine whether or not a supposed religious worker is doing the will of God or is, in fact, a worker of “iniquity” (Matt. 7:5, 13, 15, 21-23)? We are to “judge righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24; Heb. 5:13-14). But, again, the Word must be the Standard by which we judge all things, and we must apply it to ourselves first before we criticize others.
True, much “judging” today by Christians is displeasing to the Lord, for it is carried out in a censorious, critical spirit bent on causing injury rather than edification; it is set on character assassination rather than doctrinal clarification. That is wrong, and the Bible warns about such fleshly behavior. Furthermore, in personal matters of conviction wherein sound doctrine is not diminished or where a person’s motives are being questioned, God’s Word tells us to leave it alone (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 4:1-5; 10:23-33; Col. 2:16-17). But in no way does this preclude the believer’s responsibility to judge, or discern, what is acceptable to an all-holy God as revealed in His Holy Word. A circumspect walk requires the identification of those teachings and practices to be avoided; one simply cannot do this without judging.
“We will either stand together, or we will hang separately.”
Many new evangelicals as well as some supposed fundamentalists advance this cliché in an effort to justify their compromised fellowships. They join in common cause not only with disobedient brethren but also with liberals and even outright cultists in order to fight immorality, abortion, or other social evils. But has God suspended His guidelines for separation from whatever is contrary to doctrinal purity for the sake of political or theological clout? No!
The fact remains—God will bless the testimony of a separated witness and will perform His will in and through it; He never condones an alliance built upon compromise. The notion that a visible unity wields more influence with the powers of this world is humanistic reasoning, not divine revelation. Stand true! Stand alone if need be! You will never “hang separately” as long as God is on your side. Let your sole confidence be in Him and not in the strategies and plans of men.
The Bible still declares that the source of power in opposing the evil of our day comes from absolute dependence on the arm of God, not on the concerted efforts of men. The Lord has prescribed the biblical doctrine of separation because His holiness does not allow for the union of that which is true to the Word with that which is contrary to the Word, regardless of how righteous or needful the common cause might appear to be. The end does not justify the means in Christian ministry.
“The Christian army is the only one that shoots its wounded.”
This last statement has become very popular in recent years. What is usually implied by this phrase is that a Christian should never speak in a negative way about any other brother, even if he is biblically in error. While covering major evangelical, charismatic, and ecumenical meetings through the years, we have heard this slogan used time and again in an effort to stem any criticism. A contrived effort to silence scriptural rebuke arises whenever a forced unity is put ahead of doctrinal purity.
It is sad when biblical exhortation is equated to taking “potshots” at another. God’s Word tells the faithful servant to “reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2); with respect to the disobedient brother, we are to “note that man, and have no company with him … yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thess. 3:6, 14-15). This is not “shooting the wounded”; it is employing God’s methodology for healing the breach caused when one strays from the Word. The most loving and caring thing any believer can do for an errant brother is to speak the truth, not as to an enemy, but “admonish[ing] him as a brother.” The most edifying thing a faithful servant of Christ could ever do for another believer who is being taken in by false teaching is to sound a faithful warning. The attitude and the objective of the admonition is of utmost importance. Speak the truth “in love” for the purpose of restoring the errant so fellowship can be renewed (Eph. 4:14-16).
Let us earnestly endeavor, by God’s grace and through the light of His Word, to answer all that concerns our walk and witness with truth correctly interpreted and applied. Satan is the master deceiver, and his desire to waylay the servant of the Lord from pursuing a course of godliness and fruitfulness is greatly enhanced when he convinces the believer that he is doing what is right when all along it is contrary to revealed truth. Clever sayings make for easy retorts, but if the responses themselves are unbiblical, then we must be wary of self-deception through the careless handling of God’s inerrant Word. Misrepresentations of truth are difficult to dispel and, most sobering of all, incur the displeasure of the One we profess to serve (1 Thess. 2:13; 4:1-2).
— Dennis Costella served as the director of the Fundamental Evangelistic Association from 1997 – 2011.
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