Pastoral Pings ~ The Counterfeit Pendulum-Response to Counterfeits

          The pendulum-response refers to the way some churchgoers react to things in an extreme that convinces them that they are ultra-correct, when they are only ultra-right, or ultra-left, whichever it may be.

          This is in contrast to those who use the plumbline-response to everything, which means going immediately to the word of God to test all things.[1] Plumb-line Christians are more concerned about being like Jesus than being different from anyone else. They trust that their growing likeness to Jesus Christ, being transformed into his image “from one degree of glory to another”,[2] will make it obvious who bears the same family resemblance, and who is different.

          With that in mind, here is what is wrong with the pendulum-response to counterfeits, and encouragement to live by the plumbline of God and his word.

          First, the best counterfeits have done everything they can to appear as close as possible to the real thing, the plumbline.

          Second, this means that the real thing, the plumbline, will actually appear to be extremely close to the best counterfeits.

          Third, the pendulum-response believes that the best way to avoid the best counterfeits is to get as far away from them as possible.

          Fourth, in swinging as far away from the best counterfeits as possible, the pendulum approach is also moving too far from the plumbline of the real thing, creating a counterfeit of its own.

          Fifth, from the far reaches of the pendulum extreme, the pendulum approach looks back at how close the plumbline people are to the counterfeiters and declare that they, too, must be counterfeit.

          Sixth, from the plumbline position, the people of the real thing praise God that they have genuine life in the Son of God that outshines even the best of the facsimiles. And they bear with the reproach of the pendulum swingers who will have nothing to do with them because their real-life looks so similar to the counterfeiters’ corpses.

          Seventh, while Paul condemned divisions in the church, he also presented this divinely inspired proviso to clarify how to look at the distinctions that sadly exist among God’s people. He wrote, “for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized”.[3] For Paul, that meant continuing to live to the fullest his life as a true apostle, even while that made him appear somewhat similar to those claiming the status of super apostle.[4] There were distinctions between the two for anyone willing to test all things by the plumbline of God’s word.

          Conclusion in the negative: do not let the counterfeiters of God and his word drive you to be so different from them that you move away from the plumbline of God and his truth.

          Conclusion in the positive: seek to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God[5] so that, no matter how much people mistake you for a counterfeit (as they did with Jesus), and no matter how many deceived pendulum-swinging counterfeiters reject you for it, you will be a true worshiper who worships the true God in spirit and in truth,[6] speaking the truth in love[7] to anyone who has ears to hear what the Spirit is still saying to the churches.[8]

          Stand with the Word. Live by his word. Let everyone else think and do as they please. On the day that Jesus comes, he will know who you are.

© 2014 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)

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[1] To clarify, I differentiate between going to the word itself, and going to our positions, interpretations, denominational distinctives, etc. Sometimes, the people who cry the loudest that they are truest at going to the word, are really using the Pendulum-response instead of the Plumbline-response.

[2] II Corinthians 3:18

[3] I Corinthians 11:19

[4] This comes out very clearly in II Corinthians where Paul’s defense of his ministry shows how his apostolic ministry was according to the plumbline of God and his word, while the super apostles presented a counterfeit, evident to anyone who shared the Plumbline mindset.

[5] Matthew 4:4; Acts 20:26-27

[6] John 4:23-24

[7] Ephesians 4:15

[8] Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22