More Tell-Tale Signs That You're Dealing with a Neo-Gnostic
"'[He] frequently finds more bones than meat, and is seasoned with much of an angry and self-important spirit." - John Newton
Here are some more tell-tale signs you're dealing with a neo-gnostic...
- Facebook posts like, "Martin Luther promoted a false gospel," and nothing else being added to it is seen as edifying. Celebration of such posts are part and parcel of staying within good graces of the neo-gnostic circles.
- Won't attend church services, or conferences. Won't reach out to nearby believers for fellowship. They lock themselves inside all day and every day, sitting on their computers making videos or posting on forums or social media just attacking others.
- Postive Gospel preaching is not seen as edifying, but something to critique.
- Attacking old teachers of the past, refusing to look for good in anything they may have taught, and refusing to even consider that maybe some people grow in grace and knowledge of the truth over the course of a lifetime. An errant doctrine taught by a younger, less wise and less illuminated teacher will forever condemn that person in the eyes of the neo-gnostic. Martin Luther wasn't ALWAYS an unbeliever.
- Posting nothing on facebook except your favorite quotes by one or two or three particular people. If you're a leader in the neo-gnostic community, most of the quotes are your own or for others to widely disseminate on facebook on a daily and semi-hourly basis.
- Some neo-gnostics are good at creating videos attacking their heretic of the day. The majority of their videos are those attacking others.
- Constantly posting about the self-righteousness of others while being accutely unaware of their own self-righteousness and their proud, haughty, and angry spirit on display.
- Treating the Gospel like it's a formula. Salvation is not a formula!
- Boasting in knowledge.
- A lack of love.
- A lack of humility.
- Most material produced is about pointing out error in others. Positive Gospel preaching without antithesis is nowhere to be found.
- A self-promoter.
Here is my original list:
- An insistence on the exact articulation of the Gospel in all of its fullness and having the ability to recognize all of its implications is necessary in order to be "saved." A simple child-like faith is not permissable in their scheme. Toplady's words, "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling" would need to be amended signficantly!
- Constantly referring to individuals as either "saved" or "lost". In the gnostic scheme, those are only the two possible states of an indivual. If you're not "saved", you're "lost." Ironically, they are still very arminian in their thinking, not recognizing that being "lost" is actually a good thing as Christ came for the lost sheep of Israel (Mat. 15:24).
- An emphatic denial of justification from eternity. They would say God does not impute righteousness to an individual until they have true faith. They of course would deny that this righteousness is based on this faith. Some have even gone so far as to insist that belief in any eternal aspect of justification proves one is "lost." - See my article the Four Aspects of Justification.
- A belief in common wrath. Common wrath is the teaching that all people are under the wrath of God, even the elect. God's wrath stops abiding on the elect person when they believe and righteousness is imputed.
- An insistence that the logical implications of an error are the actual propositions one believes. This insistence applies even to one's associations with people. If one defends or even "speaks peace" to one who is in error, then one has indeed adopted their error as their own and hence proven to all their "lost" status. (See my article on Tolerant Calvinists.)
- A lack of gentleness and kindness (Titus 3:2).
- A lack of desire to be assembled with the saints in any capacity (Heb. 10:25).
- A confrontational and combative attitude (1 Timothy 6:4).
- Focusing all of their efforts on pointing out error instead of building up and edifying others.
- Glorying in their ability to point out error with internet memes, signs, and attire. They literally will wear their religion on their sleeve.
- Some will even argue against love and joy, insisting that these things are not necessary consequences to belief in the Gospel (Gal. 5:22-23). They will even mock those who insist that Christ produces fruit in His people as "navel gazers."
- Acquisition and apprehension of knowledge is incorrectly considered to be saving faith. True assent is downplayed or outright ignored. Cognition alone is the predicate of entrance into the kingdom of God.
- An insistence on concurrence with all their logical leaps is necessary to be considered as one of their own.
Brandan, a software developer by trade, was raised in the Missouri Ozarks town of Potosi and started the Pristine Grace website around 2001. Brandan and his family live in Ashland Kentucky where they attend as members of Thirteenth Street Baptist Church.
Published: Apr, 30 2021 Updated: Aug, 6 2021
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