The Danger of Mixture in the Church

The following is an excerpt from my book Abiding in the Vine that explains the need to guard against and uproot mixture from the church.

As we have seen, there are two sources of supernatural knowledge and power, God and Satan. This means that supernatural activity must not be automatically rejected or accepted but must be tested to see whether it is from God or not. Though we need to welcome the Holy Spirit in all of His supernatural gifts, we must not automatically accept every supernatural manifestation as from God.

First John 4:1 says “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.”  The Bible also tells us to “test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). With these clear admonitions, it is apparent that discernment is needed. I have been in meetings where it seemed that everyone was expected to simply accept every manifestation without question. A meeting (or a movement) should not object to manifestations being questioned or tested. In some circles, anyone who questions a manifestation is deemed “religious.” I am certainly against the religious spirit, but we need not blindly accept everything without proper testing.

The Danger of Mixture

You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled. You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together. (Deuteronomy 22:9-11)

One of the most dangerous things that can happen in the church is mixture: mixing worldly philosophy with the Word of God, mixing fleshly demonstrations with the genuine power of God, and mixing false teaching with true. Mixture creates confusion. It muddies the waters and makes it harder to determine the source of a teaching, ministry, or movement. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were constantly getting in trouble by mixing with pagan philosophies and idols. They tried to worship the Lord and worship idols as well. They wanted to mix the rituals and practices of other nations with their own worship. This always brought the judgment of God.

Today, the same thing is happening in the church. Some are teaching self-help methods along with biblical principles. Some are espousing New Age practices along with genuine gifts of the Spirit. Some are allowing for demonic counterfeits along with the genuine manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The result of this mixture is seen in the passage quoted above: “lest the yield of the seed you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled.”

We need to separate the “precious from the vile” (see Jeremiah 15:19). Let us pray for the discernment to recognize the true from the false and uproot the mixture that is among us. We need the cleansing fire of the Word of God to wash us from all defilement that has come through mixture.

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Abiding in the Vine is a collection of 40 devotional writings that are meant to feed your spirit and draw you closer to God. Rich with the Word of God and insights into the Spirit-filled life, each reflection will bring understanding and encouragement, as well as challenge you to go deeper in your walk with Christ.