I think that there is much humility we need and wisdom to be gained as we proclaim the gospel and engage people in abolitionist discussions.

Here is a brief outline of some thoughts about mockery and sharp rebukes and the use of these things on the street and online.

TLDR; Here are 3 summary statements for consideration. These are the thoughts I think are most appropriate for us to meditate upon and pray for wisdom about.

  • Both things can be true: A person may deserve a sharp rebuke or their idea may warrant mockery AND we may fail to honor Christ as we ought.
  • It is possible when mocking/rebuking to commit the SAME SIN of hatred of image bearers and dehumanization if we fail to employ mockery biblically. This is really the key. We are trying to teach people not to hate and dehumanize; we must not do it ourselves!
  • Knowing when to mock or give sharp rebukes is a wisdom issue that comes from experience and listening to others. Part of our Christian growth will be making errors in this area and then correcting them through humbly seeking God and through the admonishment of the brethren. And we may err on BOTH sides, not speaking sharply against evil or being ungodly in how we do it. May God help us.

Details

  1. We should mock ideas and false gods, rather than individuals.

    • What if those were your parents who were calling cops on some other evangelists?
      Would you be pleased with how that couple was treated in person?
      Would you be pleased with how they were portrayed on YT with the additional commentary/mocking?
      If they found it, do you think the video would lead them to repentance and shows care for their souls?

    • What if the person who you are mocking became a Christian, would they maintain that attribute?
      If so, then that’s likely not an attribute to mock.
      Would that mockery also insult some fellow believers?
      Basically, is what you are mocking sin or a lofty idea raised again the knowledge of Christ?
      Or are you just mocking something like a person’s apparent intelligence, weight, facial features or voice, e.g.?

    • Our mockery ought to come from a desire to expose darkness and proclaim truth.
      You must search your own heart and ask God to reveal if there is any false way in you. Psalm 139:22-24
      Does the mockery unnecessarily push people away from Christ or abolition?
      Does it appeal to that which is carnal in you as a creator?

    • Does your mockery appeal to that which is carnal in the viewer?
      That is, even if you can justify it, does or can it tend to appeal to those who are in the flesh?
      Some people will go “Rah Rah” for a video that mocks or derides people just because they are malicious.
      It doesn’t matter who is rebelling against what; some folks are just rebels and love the fight. We do not want to feed that unnecessarily.
      We are either committing the same sin or we may be causing others to commit the same sin of hatred and dehumanization if we fail to employ mockery biblically.

  2. Sharp rebukes are similar categorically but have some distinctions.
    • Like mockery there are biblical examples. In the case of sharp rebukes, it is often commanded.
      That is to say, I do not believe we are ever required to mock (although it’s modeled and its allowable).
      I believe there are times that godly men ought to give a sharp rebuke and to fail to do so is sin.
    • Sharp rebukes can feed a carnal lust.
      They can be rooted in pride, malice, sinful anger, a desire for power, and a lack of meekness.
      Sharp rebukes can come from a position of wanting to fight back, especially if we are offended, rather than because God was offended.
      Sharp rebukes can also be done in holiness.
      Onlookers won’t always know the difference. But we should be humble and seek the Lord.
      • We may be affirmed in our behavior by people committing the same sin in their hearts as we are. Just because people say “It’s OK,” doesn’t mean we were right.
      • We may also be affirmed in our behavior by people who are righteous. A multitude of counselors helps!
      • We should seek the Lord and trust that he will increase our meekness if we ask.
      • Just because someone deserves a sharp rebuke doesn’t mean we did it in a godly way.
      • Both things can be true: That they deserved it AND we failed to honor Christ as we ought.
      • We may be affirmed in our behavior by people committing the same sin in their hearts as we are. Just because people say “It’s OK,” doesn’t mean we were right.
      • We may also be affirmed in our behavior by people who are righteous. A multitude of counselors helps!
      • We should seek the Lord and trust that he will increase our meekness if we ask.
      • Just because someone deserves a sharp rebuke doesn’t mean we did it in a godly way.
      • Both things can be true: That they deserved it AND we failed to honor Christ as we ought.
  3. Extra consideration needs to be given to context.
    • Tiktok and YT are contexts where all of the governing rules of biblical wisdom and precepts still apply.
    • But the way you portray things may differ from how you would talk to someone individually by nature of the medium.
      At some point, we must accept some level of “clickbaity” titles and thumbnails (as long as not explicitly sinful) are necessary to get the message across.
      We also need to remember that the people that we are interacting with are, indeed, human beings. And, like the unborn, are deserving of the respect God commands us to give to them.
      Videos also only reveal moments in time and can be replayed. A seemingly angry tone in a video, isolated from other events (like in a short), can come across as “wrong,” but may have been entirely appropriate given the whole context. We need to trust that God can deal with people who watch parts of longer conversations and judge without all the information.
    • We should be cautious to ask ourselves why we are using certain terms or memes, etc.
      We do not want to sacrifice godly character to get clicks. At the same time, I think it’s ok to have a little fun and to mock that which God hates.
    • If we do something for clicks…are we contradicting our beliefs? That is, are we appealing to the flesh in order to proclaim that which is spiritual? This is NOT ok.
    • We say we believe in God’s providence as an abolitionist tenet. This means that we think we should always do things the Bible’s way and not “pragmatically.”
      • If so, then we also need to trust God with the YT algorithm enough to say, we don’t need to cross a line to get clicks.
      • But we also use wisdom to spread the Word. Not all attempts to appeal to YT algorithms are wrong.
        Because people identify so intensely with their sins, mocking certain sins COMES ACROSS as mocking people.
      • We can’t be controlled by that.
      • Even professing Christians will accuse us of mocking people when we simply mock an idea if they are not on the same page.
      • Our evaluation must be based on God’s Holy Word and the testimony of the church, not simply a reaction to a few complainers (or supporters).
    • Not every video or even street conversation will have a full gospel presentation. That is understandable and OK.