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By Narain Richard
If you have
your senses tuned, you will notice the recent shift in the winds of
our religious world. Wave after wave of new revelations,
philosophies, styles and ideas have been coming and going, most of
them gobbled up by unassuming and well-intentioned people.
Currently, there are a number of prevailing thoughts and
methodologies in place, such as the ‘Gospel of Prosperity’, Gospel
of Grace without Works’, the concept of “Mega Churches’, and even
the focus on entertainment. Turn on the television, and you will
recognize that the overwhelming majority of pulpits and platforms
have been transformed to look more like movie sets or theatres,
rather than places of worship. But where do these concepts stem
from? Are people drawing closer or further away from God as a
result?
Now, more than
ever before, it is critical that Christians begin to fully grasp
God’s ways – unadulterated and rightly divided. In this age of
instability, wavering, and unfaithfulness, we must “be no more
children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine”, but instead be established, rooted and grounded in
the Lord and the word He has given to us. As less emphasis is
placed on foundational teachings, we should not be swayed or
discouraged in any way.
In truth, the
concept of doctrine, or meticulous biblical interpretation, has been
much maligned, if not ignored, in modern day Christian circles. It
would seem that many professing Christians are content to overlook
the finer points of scripture, as long as the basic tenets are
adhered to, such as belief in Christ Jesus as the Son of God, and
faith in God the Father. There is such a lust for religious unity
that anything standing in its way is automatically labeled
negative. Seeing that doctrine has drawn lines in the past, and has
been responsible for the thousands of Christian denominations that
exist today, many leaders have now relegated it to a position of
relative unimportance, with the key focus being on unity in spite of
different beliefs.
“As long as
you believe in Jesus, we’re on the same side,” they say. “Let’s not
allow doctrine to divide us.” Hence, the present day ecumenical
movement. But if this is the case, then the entire Bible must be
rewritten.
Taking a
closer look at the Bible, it reveals that men of God and true
believers have often been ostracized and condemned for holding onto
doctrinal concepts that were unpopular in their respective day.
The word
‘doctrine’ simply means ‘teaching’. The biblical use of the word
has a two-fold application. There are times when it describes
theories, such as the study of God, the resurrection, and the
correct method of baptism. (Heb. 6:1-2; II John 9; I Tim. 5:17;
Titus 1:9). In other instances, it outlines the principles
governing lifestyle. (Acts 2:42; Rom. 6:17; I Tim. 1:10; I Tim.
6:13).
Both are
derived from the same word of God, and as such, are of extreme
importance to our Christian walk, and should never be glossed over
as a non-issue. After all, both aspects, when implemented, draw us
closer to God and give us a deeper understanding of His ways. For
example, if you are pressing (lifestyle) toward the mark of the high
calling, it only makes sense that you understand (theory) what this
high calling really is. The more you understand, the greater the
hope; the greater the hope, the more you will strive.
Though it can
shed greater light and heighten understanding, theoretical doctrine
is much more than subject matter to be argued, debated over or shown
off with. In order to be effective, the teacher must be “apt to
teach”, and of a good spirit. Notice that in His day, Jesus
never went around Israel looking for arguments. Instead, it was the
“blind leaders of the blind” who took it upon themselves to
seek Him out and to try and prove Him false. We all know the
conclusion of those confrontations, even though they remained more
prominent and established for a time. But despite Jesus’ lesser
following and physical presence, truth always won out. As Jesus
said: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not
pass away.” (Matt. 24:35). More than anything else, this
statement has held true, despite countless attempts to destroy it
throughout history.
In essence,
true unity cannot be achieved when diverse beliefs are held on to.
When Jesus came to the Jews during the first advent, there were
Pharisees, Sudducees, Essenes, Nazarites and a number of other sects
in Israel. What was the cause of their division? It was their
doctrine. By isolating certain areas of scripture and giving them
preeminence as they saw fit, they lost their focus on the whole,
zeroing in on more minor issues. (Matt. 23:23). Imagine the irony:
the very Savior that they studied, longed for and put their hope in,
literally passed right under their noses undetected. And so the
Devil successfully deceived these devout and sincere people to their
hurt.
Ultimately,
this is what false doctrine does. It misguides, gives false hope
and leads to blindness. But, there were other individuals like Anna
and Simeon, whom, except for their brief encounter with the Lord, we
might never have known even existed.
Because of the
false teachings so deeply entrenched in the minds of those belonging
to these religious sects, Jesus refused to align Himself with any of
them, despising their hypocrisy and shallow relationship with God.
As the Preacher once stated: “Better is a handful with quietness,
than both hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.” (Ecc.
4:6). So Jesus bypassed these learned men, preferring to start His
work from scratch with fishermen, tax collectors and prostitutes
than having to deprogram already “full” individuals.
In our day, a
strong ecumenical spirit is developing in the religious world around
us. For years, the Catholic Church has been trying to clear up its
less-than-admirable past by reaching out to those it had once
persecuted. Alliances are also being forged in the Pentecostal,
Baptist and Charismatic movements. Throughout every continent,
‘mega churches’, as they are called, keep getting larger and larger
as doctrine becomes less and less of an issue. As history teaches
us, those who refuse to conform to this call will be in the
minority. They may be viewed as old-fashioned and labeled as
backward for holding onto concepts that are not considered essential
to Christian growth and progress.
The gospel, as
it was intended to be delivered, was not only a message about being
nice, kind and gentle to one another, or that we should be united in
spirit though we have varying doctrines and beliefs. Never once did
Jesus or any of the apostles teach this – in fact, they taught quite
the opposite! The gospel is just too precious, strong, profound and
radical. It is a message with a sword.
Consider this
for a moment. Speaking to a Jewish audience who understood the
basics of their religion, Jesus said: “Think not that I am come
to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For
I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law.” (Matt. 10:34-35). Why would Jesus say this
unless He knew His teachings would upset the commonly held concepts
of many? As Christ illustrated, not all unity is good, and not all
division is bad.
In his epistle
to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul instructed them to all
“speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but
that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the
same judgment.” (I Cor. 1:10). Paul also warned the elders of
the Ephesian church about men, speaking perverse things, who would
try and draw away disciples after themselves. (Acts 20:30). How?
Certainly not by preaching about another god, but perhaps just
“another Jesus”, a false concept that might overthrow the faith
of some, as did Hymenaeus and Philetus. Imagine…just a single
doctrine wrong, and yet souls had been discouraged and lost. (II
Tim. 2:17-18).
To see the
extent of damage that can be caused by wrong concepts, look at the
Catholic Church, with over one billion adherents. Almost as many
prayers are offered up toe Mary ‘the mother of God’, than to God
Himself. People pay homage to and make requests of their ‘patron
saints’, despite the fact the Bible clearly states that Jesus is the
only mediator between man and God. (I Tim. 2:5). Ultimately, lies
and falsehood can become so widespread and accepted that, like Jesus
said, “because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”
(John 8:45).
In all the
recorded backslidings of the nation of Israel, it is interesting to
note that there was always a common trend: a low esteem for the word
(law) of God. During the long and wicked reign of Manasseh (meaning
‘one who forgets’), idolatry and false worship prevailed: “he
reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the
host of heaven, and served them….. [He] wrought much evil in the
sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.” (II Chron.
33:3,6). Why? The law was lost in the temple and it was not found
until the 18th year of the reign of Josiah (meaning ‘one
who heals’). (II Chron. 34:14). Is it possible that the most sacred
instrument to the nation of Israel could be lost in the very temple
that they worshipped in? Yet this is evident from the scriptures.
When the law was read and obeyed, a tremendous revival followed and
it was said: “And there was no Passover like to that kept in Israel
from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of
Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept…” (II Chron. 35:18).
Doctrine and
conduct must always go hand in hand. Just as we strive to live for
God, we must also continually strive to increase and better our
understanding of Him. Doctrine is not a heavy weight, but a source
of life if it is ministered correctly. If we understand to whom we
are praying, where our hope lies, and where we are heading, our
vision will be clearer and we will seek Him all the more. Like the
Apostle Paul, the more we begin to understand, the more we will want
to know. But false doctrine tends to confusion, shaky faith and
lack of understanding and confidence in God- the perfect arena for
the Devil’s deception.
God has always
warned His people against false prophets, deceivers and seducers
(Matt. 24:4-5; Jer. 23). Although a lack of finances and attendance
may cause a minister to think he is not doing right by holding on to
doctrine, he should remember that falsehood always thrives like a
weed. The notion that growth in numbers and finances is always
equated with God’s divine guidance is a lie perpetrated by the Devil
himself.
If this is the
standard used to measure progress, the Noah, Paul and even Jesus
were all failures. Their doctrine did not attract the masses. The
majority will always take the path of least resistance, and follow
the ‘Hananiahs’ of this world, who “makest this people to trust
in a lie.” (Jer. 28:15).
As deception
gets more and more subtle, it becomes increasingly important that
true ministers become more sober, alert, and firm concerning the
foundation that has been laid. Because ministers must answer to God
alone, they must be constantly aware that the ideologies and
teachings of the religious world do not become their eyes and ears.
True doctrine
is of great importance and is vital to the survival of the Church.
In his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul warns about the
undermining of God’s work by “seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils…” (I Tim. 4:1). He vividly forsees that the “time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own
lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be
turned unto fables.” (II Tim. 4:3-4).
The concepts
we hold to represent the foundation. If it is neglected or not
given its proper due, how long and how firm will the house stand?
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