What happens if our bond to family and friends is STRONGER than our bond to TRUTH? According to John 14:6, Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Our love for Jesus must be founded in our love for His Word…in the existence of Jesus as TRUTH. It is often due to our RELATIONSHIPS that we allow doctrinal error to enter into our lives.
A dangerous tendency in Christianity and the Church today is for people to ignore false doctrine. In many cases, people are ignoring false doctrine because of THE PERSON TEACHING IT. Too many people will simply OVERLOOK false doctrine if it is being spoken by one of their favorite preachers! But, let me be clear: False doctrine is not to be judged based on WHO is teaching it…it is to be judged by WHAT is being taught!
Today, MANY ministers are "slipping" into false doctrine. Those staying true to God's Word and the TRUE DOCTRINES of the Bible seem to be in the minority today. And...many ministers who USED TO BE grounded in the Word of God have now begun to include erroneous and dangerous doctrines along with some truth. It has caused many to be DECEIVED. As those who once stood for truth now have been turned to FABLES and FALSE DOCTRINE, their followers have been left confused. Many go on to simply BELIEVE the false teachings because they cannot bring themselves to believe that their favorite minister has entered into error.
We are to stand for truth...and we are to renounce and rebuke false doctrine. Notice how Peter addressed the issue:
2 Peter 2 (NKJV)
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)-- 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet. 17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
Peter KNEW that he MUST speak out against false doctrine and against those that would teach it. Peter’s words are strong and clear: and I am sure that his words were OFFENSIVE to the false teachers. We MUST NOT allow our RELATIONSHIPS to take precedence over TRUTH. If my own family and friends begin to preach doctrines which are NOT Biblical truths, then God’s Word tells me that I must not hesitate to speak out against the false teachings they are espousing. Our loyalty is to be to Jesus Christ and the Word of God FIRST! Because it will mean NOTHING if we keep family and friends...all at the expense of TRUTH.
If we choose family and friends over TRUTH...then what will it profit us? Remember: Mark 8:36 (NKJV) "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"
Therefore...the Word of God…JESUS…TRUTH…must be my EVERYTHING!
In Christ,
Ron
No comments:
Post a Comment