Satan has succeeded wonderfully in getting people to believe that the doctrine they espouse has nothing to do with their eternal salvation. We often hear such statements as: "It is not doctrine that counts, but the way we live," or, "It matters not what one believes so long as he is sincere." Those who make such statements surely haven't analyzed them, and especially not in the light of the Holy Scriptures. The Bible clearly teaches that it does make a difference what one believes and practices.
Love the Truth
As Christians, we should engage in diligent study that we might be able to rightly divide the word of truth. We should not be foolish, but striving to understand what the will of the Lord is. In other words, we should be exercising our senses that we might be able to discern between good and evil, not being tossed to and fro and carried away with the error of men, but growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Acceptable righteousness can be found only in God's revealed word, the gospel. Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed ... " (Romans 1:16-17). Righteousness is certainly not found in man's own wisdom. Man commits a grave error when he establishes his own righteousness. Paul further said, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." (Romans 10:3)
God's praise is given throughout the Bible to those who believe and know the truth, and His condemnation is upon all who have no love for truth. "... They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) Thus, in order to be saved, one must love the truth.
Uphold the Truth.
If we will love the truth, we will not only be willing to live in harmony with it, but we will be willing to uphold and defend it. The apostle Paul praised the Philippians because they were partakers with him in the defense of the gospel. "Even as it is meet to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace." (Philippians 1:7) The word "defense" is the word "apologia" in the original and means "verbal defense, speech in defense" and involves "laboring to make good one's cause" (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, p. 65). Consequently, we should struggle intensely to maintain the purity of the faith. "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life ..." (l Timothy 6:12).
The apostle Paul repeatedly admonished us to strive to uphold and maintain the truth (2 Timothy 1:13). Those who do not hold to sound words become destitute of the truth (1 Timothy 6:3-4). Involved in the responsibility to uphold the truth is the responsibility to condemn falsehood. When we mention condemning falsehood, many people immediately want to object and complain. They tell us it is wrong to condemn other religions. "Judge not that ye be not judged," they say. They seem to think this verse means we can do no judging at all. This cannot be true, for Jesus also said, "Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (John 7:24)
Some types of judging are wrong, e.g., we should not judge the secret motives of another person's heart (l Corinthians 4:5). We shouldn't judge others more harshly or severely than we judge ourselves (the one mentioned above). We shouldn't judge when we are guilty of the same error (Romans 2:1). However, some types of judging are right and must be done. Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15-16)
In 1 John 4:1, we read, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (See also Romans 16: 17-18). These and other passages demand a judging of teachers. We are obligated to judge righteous judgment so that we can identify wolves in sheep's clothing and apostate groups.
Christians who try to reprove falsehood in the religions about them are often labeled un-Christian, even when they try to do it in the mildest way they know how. Surely no one should object to our using the Lord's method of combating error. Jesus said, "God said... but ye say" (Matthew 15:4-5). He put God's teaching in such contrast with human error that it was impossible for His hearers to misunderstand or fail to see the truth. If we use the Lord's method to condemn some present-day religious practice, we are no more unkind or un-Christian than our Lord was.
Do Not Fellowship Error
The apostle Paul stated that error will eat as canker or gangrene. "And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymeanaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some." (2 Timothy 2:17-18) False doctrine grows worse and worse and eats away the soul as gangrene eats away the flesh. Those who put all the emphasis on moral living and none on true doctrine would like to think that Paul had in mind some ugly immoral practice. However, in this instance, he had reference to doctrine, i.e., "the resurrection is past already."
Notice also that both the teacher and his followers are rejected, i.e., "overthrow the faith of some." Paul condemned Hymeanaeus and Philetus and all who believed their doctrine. Jesus said, "If the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matthew 15:14).
Paul warned of some who would "... Subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not." (Titus 1: 10, 11) (See also 2 Peter 2:1-3.) Thus, any who are holding to error are condemned whether they are instigator, promoter, or follower.
People who recognize error in the church to which they belong have a great responsibility. Ephesians 5:11 says, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."
Titus 1:13-14 says, "Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth." One cannot continue to have fellowship with those who are believing and practicing error. Instead, he has the responsibility to reprove and warn them. If a person raises no voice of opposition, by his silence he gives consent and thereby is also a partaker in iniquity.
How can I repent of an error while at the same time being a member of a church that believes and practices that error? To repent of an error, one must completely give up that error. As long as a person is a member of a church that practices error, he is associated and identified with error. Jesus said, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." (Matthew 15:13) At the last day, those who are in a church that teaches error will be rooted up along with the others. Those who recognize error in the churches of which they are members need to come out of those churches and identify with God's people.
It is important for us to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, but it is equally important that we follow God's truth in our faith and practice. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24) Abiding in the word of Jesus causes one to know the truth, and knowing and obeying the truth makes him free. Jesus said, "If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)
The Hebrew writer said, "... He became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey Him." (Hebrews 5:9) Therefore, let us steadfastly love, uphold, and defend the truth; and let us denounce, reject, and shun all error. "Buy the truth and sell it not." (Proverbs 23:23)
Brother Riggs again reminds us that NOTHING in the spiritual realm is more vital than truth. Today many have lost their love for God's truth. What brings even greater heartache is knowing that many of God's own people have lost their spiritual appetites for His word. What is the evidence? Softer preaching, shorter sermons, bypassing sensitive subjects, and demanding that preachers have a greater ability to entertain than to preach the old Jerusalem gospel. May we never grow weary of hearing thrilling sermons that are filled with Scriptures-they're worth their weight in gold! (KMG)