I just heard a word I had never known about before, that word is "mimetic", which means "imitation" within a culture.
We are a culture that mimics one another to such a degree that individuals cannot think for themselves anymore, they are merely mimicking what others are saying and doing while being convinced it is right because everyone else is doing it.
Groupthink is not only common now but so elevated to the level of a god, that anyone who does not think like the group cannot be tolerated.
In Christian groups these outliers, that is people who think for themselves and question everything, will be excluded in much more subtle ways. They will be ignored and left out of the group gathering. They may even be invited to the group only to be ignored while in it.
Group thinkers and mimics within a church group gathering are all about appearances, they want to be seen as kind people so they invite the one who thinks for themselves but their goal is to make sure that outlier sees them being ignored. The group wants their presence to feel the pressure from the others that they will never fit in unless they become like the group.
James 3:14-16
"But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice."
Galatians 4:16-17 "…16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them."
However, once someone has become the scapegoated outlier there is no chance of them ever being let in equal to the others even if they change their way and become like everyone else in the group.
Once the determination has been made that an outlier is not one of them the group will see the change to become like them as foolish. The group never ever accepts the one who was initially different from the group, they don't trust the one who changes to be like them, or perhaps the group saw the strength of the outlier secretly admiring it but jealous of it and resents the outliers attempt to become one of them viewing it as hypocrisy.
These groups are extremely and demonstratively superficial despising anyone who desires a profoundly deeper walk with Christ.
Jesus Christ was the ultimate scapegoat rejected by the priests in His day because He was claiming to be God. The Pharisees were terrified of His influence in the culture and had to make an example of Him, even lying to cause distrust in the people for Him.
Those who treat scapegoats with contempt are the biggest hypocrites. They elevate themselves when they do not measure up to their own idea of themselves while lying against the scapegoat who thinks for themselves.
It is alarming to the hypocrites when they meet someone who knows what they believe and is willing to be different than the culture to follow Christ. Sadly we see this in almost all church gatherings today, more clique than truth sits in the pews as false doctrine and schmooze talk emanate from the pulpit.
I have even heard pastors say they "protect THEIR pulpit" as they were taught in seminary so the people in the pews will follow them and believe everything they say, while the scapegoat who dares to think with the mind of Christ depends on the Holy Spirit, is demonized and rejected as "rebellious" by those who love their cultural Christianity and idolize their leaders.
Those who follow Christ will see all the problems in the apostate church and will be maligned, repudiated and mocked. The Holy Spirit-led believer cannot remain where the leaders and the leader's followers will only believe the man in the pulpit.
In these places, the Holy Spirit is nearly completely ignored, if He is present at all, while the man in the pulpit gets the glory.
1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Philippians 2:9-11
"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
When we see Who Jesus Christ really is we can never elevate any man or praise them for being special. Christ is Perfect Holiness, no man can live up to that and no man is worthy of special treatment.
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
Psalm 72:19
"Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!"
Whenever a man is elevated to the level of special in anyone's eyes, the person who does it is not looking to Christ or every man would look the same, that is needing the Savior, Jesus Christ, nothing special and without merit except for Christ Who lives in those who have been born again, so it is not the man but Christ.
We love our brothers and sisters in Christ but many do not love Christ and claim to be Christians because they punish those of us who see every man for what they are, devastatingly evil except for Christ. No one gets a special position or award for their own accomplishments, in ministry as they see it.
Giving an award to a pastor is the same as devaluing the Holy Spirit giving credit to the man what belongs to the Holy Spirit, if the award had anything to do with good works.
We enjoy our brothers and sisters in Christ very much, but none of us need an award for following Christ.
John 12:42-44 "42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God. 44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me.…"
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
1 Corinthians 2:5
"So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
John 13:35
"35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”
There are no "cliques" among God's people who live through the Holy Spirit. There is no groupthink but there is Holy Spirit as we live in the mind of Christ.
Hallelujah!
No comments:
Post a Comment