Cognitive Dissonance in Believers

Do you ever just get sick of lying to yourself?  There are so many questions we have that are never answered because of the greater good or pragmatic traditional positions, not  to mention the much work being done 24/7 building the Kingdom of the Lord, socializing and reforming all society!  At what point is the body of Christ allowed to discuss our divisive matters openly?  When do men just get together to plod through the scriptures on a subject that comes up continually?  I don't care how long something has been happening or who says we should keep doing it.  

Paul laid down specifics on sound doctrine and church discipline (withdrawing) with the intention to establish truth and put down heresy and false gospels, not to just to cast the sinners out or the ignorant heretic. Heresies are a work of the flesh like anything else (Gal 5:20).  Heresies must be for the word of God to be established as the authority. You're approved by sticking to the Book, and those things left to the body of Christ, not by hanging around in the OT, the prophets, the gospels, and early Acts.

1 Cor 11:18-19 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

If there is division, there is heresy.  The body is meant to be unified. It's a work, and it  won't happen overnight. Dealing with false doctrine is how a church comes to a unified position, established in the faith.  The gospel being confirmed, and defended. When Paul talks of dealing with a man that is a heretic, it is an admonition (gentle reproof, counseling against a fault, instruction in duties, direction, to caution).  It is one thing if a man is openly subverting, seeking preeminence, drawing sheep away, but for a brother in Christ to bring valid arguments to some long-standing traditions, he is not attempting to teach heresy, he is attempting to understand the present conditions of things as they relate to the scriptures, more specifically for us living today, parts of the NT to keep himself from losing his marbles!

Who Watches the Watchmen? ~ an essay

For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. Isaiah 21:6

“Let him declare what he seeth…”

In the comic book genre, there is a group of anti-hero, super heroes.  In other words, they fought injustices and crime, but had gross moral corruption in some cases they themselves.  This group was called the Watchmen.  They were considered to be extremist vigilantes.  There enemies, the masses and criminal minds, would graffiti a slogan. “Who watches the Watchmen” for police sympathy.

Today, our ranks are very similar.  We expect our super heroes to be full of integrity and honesty.  We assume what they give us is exactly what we need.  We assume our pastors will give us the whole truth, no matter the outcome.  But this has proven not to be so today.  

This cannot be over stated, we cannot simply trust the man of God today.  I could care less how long you have known them or all they have done for God.  I remember telling a Christian once that a pastor lied.  The immediate response to that was, “He could not!”  That was alarming.  This Christian did not respond, “He would not!”, it was “He COULD not!”

I will take this moment to put us all on the same playing field.  Though there may be positions of leadership, there is no preeminence in the body!  There is no pastor that does not sin!  There is no missionary that cannot sin!  There is not one evangelist that is sinless.  There is no pastor who is above reproach or even needful correction.  The same flesh that tempts the wicked pew warmer is the same flesh that tempts the pious preachers. 

“You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.  You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else"