It is time to expose the ERROR in a long-standing quote…a quote which many love to use regarding Christian doctrine. Here is the quote:
“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
Many have heralded that quote as a banner under which we can all UNITE. Yet…that very thought is the OPEN DOOR to the ALLOWANCE of FALSE TEACHING/FALSE DOCTRINE to be ushered into the Church!
This erroneous thought creates a set of CORE DOCTRINES…stating that these are ESSENTIALS. And…true, there are ESSENTIALS which MUST underlie our BELIEFS.
The SERIOUS flaw in this thought lies in the “LIBERTY” section and the concluding statement.
Why is it wrong, you ask?
Throughout God’s Word…New Testament and Old Testament…God speaks VOLUMES on the issue of FALSE PROPHETS and FALSE DOCTRINE. In most cases, the issue was UNITING God’s TRUTH with teachings which were NOT directed by God. In other words…God consistently RENOUNCES any MIXING of TRUTH with LIES.
This is just ONE example of something…in this case, a quote attributed to Augustine…which may SOUND wise and correct, but…when evaluated…is actually FOOLISH theology!
When a Christian denomination and its ministers believe that it can UNITE around a CORE set of doctrines WITHOUT restricting and governing the doctrines which will be taught ALONG SIDE that CORE…then that group of leaders has been terribly DECIEVED!
It makes me want to ask “What Bible have they been reading?!?”
It is NOT for me to decide why Jesus and Peter and Paul and John were so INSISTENT on warning the Church about false doctrine…although it is CLEAR and PLAIN in the Word of God. But it is OBVIOUS that God Almighty is DETERMINED to keep the message pure…and that FALSE DOCTRINE has NO PLACE in ANY pulpit of a Church which calls itself CHRISTIAN!
Far from being harmless, even the most SILLY false teaching can lead to SERIOUS error and cause a focus on teachings that are SATANIC. Even SATAN’S fall from heaven seemed to start with what some would call “harmless error”.
Satan became ARROGANT…HAUGHTY…PRIDEFUL. (Sounds a bit like SEVERAL ministers that I know! And that is not being rude….I am being HONEST!) Oh how we love to ignore those “immature” qualities…never realizing that God NEVER intended for the ministry to become so CHILDISH and so INSECURE!
Anyway….
Consider this thought: Does the Bible not CONDEMN any and all “ADDING TO” Scripture…whatever shape and form in which that is done? Yes…it does! Can you see just what this dangerous thought can lead to? Think…discern…follow:
Once the CORE DOCTRINES have been established…what can be ADDED TO those doctrines? Where does the ADDING TO (non-essentials) begin…and where does it end? And…as long as someone continues to preach the ESSENTIALS…then can they be considered in ERROR on the NON-ESSENTIALS?
Face it…defining the NON-ESSENTIALS actually becomes IMPOSSIBLE. Why? Because if “liberty” is to be allowed…then it would be IMPOSSIBLE to declare that what someone is teaching is FALSE DOCTRINE. As long as the ESSENTIALS are included….ANYTHING can be attached to the ESSENTIALS and the package presented could still be labeled by the PROPHET/TEACHER as “TRUTH”.
Of course…the problem lies in the fact that MUCH of what is being “ADDED TO” the “ESSENTIALS” falls under the category of “FALSE TEACHING” or “FALSE PROPHECY” or “FALSE DOCTRINE”.
Church…Christians…hear me on this:
Everything taught under the banner of “God spoke this to me.” or “Thus saith the Lord.” or “God told me to preach this today.” or “This is revelation from God.”…in other words…ANYTHING TAUGHT BY ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE HEARING FROM GOD AND SPEAKING FOR GOD…EVERYTHING spoken from a pulpit of ANY KIND….MUST be absent of ANY and ALL falsehood! There can be NO ERROR…NO DECEPTION…NO GREED…NO SEDUCTIVE AND ENTICING INTENTIONS…involved in any form or fashion.
The message which comes from God IS pure…and it must REMAIN pure!
When will the Church learn that it is the VARIATIONS…the “non-essentials”…given the liberty which is declared by such a statement as made by Augustine (if it was actually he who made that statement)….that have led to RAMPANT preaching and teaching of FALSE DOCTRINE in pulpits across America and around the world!
There are THOUSANDS of things which can be taught from the Word of God: stories, lessons, truths. Yet, even when the teaching is on some aspect of simple LIVING…each and every premise and precept MUST BE found DIRECTLY in Scripture! Even on NON-ESSENTIAL issues (if that is even possible), there MUST be Biblical support and grounds for teaching that issue!
Here is a fact: TRUTH exists…whether we like it or not! And whether we AGREE with it or not! Regardless of our OPINIONS…EVEN on “non-essentials”…there is an actual TRUTH regarding that issue! We can promote our “liberty” to disagree and debate the issue…but GOD knows EXACTLY where He stands on the issue and EXACTLY what He meant when He dealt with it by inspiring men to write regarding that issue! There IS a truth to be found…even about “NON-ESSENTIALS!”
Let me summarize my thoughts this way:
The Word of God is to be defended, protected, and held up as the ONLY standard of TRUTH. Any group or denomination or ministry or minister who believes that there can be UNITY around a CORE GROUP OF DOCTRINES while allowing for ANY AND ALL variations of teachings to be taught ALONG SIDE those CORE DOCTRINES is sadly DECEIVED. Any belief in such a thought flings the door WIDE OPEN to any and all false teachings and false doctrines, allowing them to ACCOMPANY the truth! In doing so, FALSE DOCTRINE is allowed to be ON PAR with TRUTH…and that is a perversion of all that is right and holy! God’s Word is a revelation of GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, and GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT! There can be NOTHING ADDED along side that revelation that is not directed and given and/or spoken by God Himself!
To believe that CORE DOCTRINES can be taught along with ERRONEOUS DOCTRINES of ANY KIND is absolute HERESY! It is ESSENTIAL that denominations and leadership protect ANY AND ALL teaching that will be heard from its pulpits! It is the WORD OF GOD and TRUTH that MUST be protected! Without that, the Bible becomes a simple book of MAYBES…instead of THE BOOK of TRUTH!
In Christ,
Ron
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