4. The Idea of Having One Heart with “the Servant”
Finishing the last post, I figured there would probably be some more verses and questions coming to mind if you are from Good News Mission. One of them being 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (NKJV).
So, this verse is used in relation to the idea that Ock Soo Park is the “spiritual Moses of our time” , which I have already gone over in that there is no Biblical substantiating proof for this idea.
You may have had this idea of having “one heart with Pastor”. There is this idea that the closer you have “one heart” with your pastor, the closer your heart is to God…and this generally seems to predicate your “pastor” or “minister” having a heart closer to Ock Soo Park who is supposedly closest to God in that system. Again, this just sounds very Roman Catholic in terms of needing a mediator, ignoring the fact that we have one mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5), who tore the veil (Matthew 27:51), so that we have direct access by faith in Him to the Father, through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). While the church, pastors and teachers have been given (Ephesians 4:11-14), in God’s good providence, basically GNM takes this too far in acting, in particular, basically as if their leaders were prophets and infallible in teaching. Proper teaching, proper discernment must be used…as GNM will even say, hence they often discourage those in Good News Mission to not listen to outside sources, lest one be “influenced”.
Secondly, I would ask then, if we really look at 1 Corinthians 11:1, it doesn’t say to simply imitate (Paul in this case speaking in the verse), but only so far as Christ is imitated. You are not to follow the man, but to discern how a person is Biblically living out a life properly imaging God in Christ. I would say this is most easily expressed in the fruit of the Spirit;
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-25)
Which then Colossians 2:20-23 come to mind:
“20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
That is also to say that there are no specific things in life, that a pastor or minister has a right to control; they as the shepherd can confront you in sin, but if something is lawful (as defined by God’s law), they have no authority to tell you what not to do, nor claim in a definitive fashion that God does not want this or that for you, and that you are simply being arrogant and following your flesh. While Jeremiah 17:9 is indeed true, these men (nor their wives) can see the intent of your heart, made new in Christ. While one could have deceptive motives, they cannot know, ultimately only God does (1 Corinthians 4:3-4).
This also is coupled with the idea that you need “the servants” to be able to properly understand the Bible; Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch are used as an example of this (Acts 8:30-31). In this scripture cited specifically, it is a Gospel proclamation being given. Indeed,
“14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14-15,NKJV).
Yet again, these men do not have “special knowledge” nor are they infallible, nor is Ock Soo Park infallible. We are all to be discerning of what is taught, even Paul went and confirmed the Gospel that he preached (Galatians 2:1-2). I’ll also add, if you go back and ask your pastors or ministers questions about these things, notice the logic that is used, back to not trusting yourself and doubting basic God given reason as an image bearer and more so now a born again, justified believer in Christ.
Even when I was in Good News Mission, I asked one time, “But how do I know if Pastor ___ is correct or if I’m being deceived?”. The answer given to me, and what I have heard others say also is that basically, “If you are led astray, then it is God’s will for you to be led astray”. I could not accept that at the time, nor do I now. I’m not sure what verses they use exactly to back this up, but I know part of it might be regarding Jacob and Rebekah (Genesis 27:13). A separate post will be linked here, if/when I touch on that Biblical story and understanding of it. The idea though seems to be, follow “the servant” and have one heart with him and God will be pleased but if “the servant” misleads you, God will deal with him…which, is true, God will deal with that person and each person individually. We individually have a responsibility to act in wisdom, by God’s word (Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12).
God didn’t let Adam and Eve off in blaming another. The serpent was also culpable, but so were they as individuals. God can and does enable us, by His grace, His Spirit, to choose rightly, through proper, Godly knowledge and wisdom. Of which shall be the topic of the next post.
2 Peter 1:2-9
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.