False doctrine is everywhere today, proliferating in our churches and on the internet. It’s almost impossible to escape and can be difficult to detect if we aren’t constantly marinating our minds on the Scriptures. As J. C. Ryle wrote, “False doctrine does not meet men face to face, and proclaim that it is false. It does not blow a trumpet before it, and endeavor openly to turn us away from the truth as it is in Jesus. It does not come before men in broad day, and summon them to surrender. It approaches us secretly, quietly, insidiously, plausibly, and in such a way as to disarm man’s suspicion, and throw him off his guard.” None of us are immune, so we all must remain diligent in discerning the truth.
God's Word
God’s Word, Not Our Feelings
There is much emphasis on feelings today, both in the Church and in the culture at large. If you watch religious programming, you won’t have to wait long until you hear a preacher talking about the feelings that will come over you when the Holy Spirit takes hold. Instead of emphasizing what the Bible teaches, these men and women promote experiencing the power of God’s Spirit through the manifestation of laughter, falling down, convulsing, or babbling unintelligible nonsense.
Within the culture, the prevailing attitude is people can and should do whatever makes them feel good. All of this is in direct conflict with the truth of scripture. As Christians, we must always defer to God’s Word, not our feelings.
Defeat Sin
I read a quote from John Macarthur that said, “Our ability to avoid and defeat sin comes not from imagining Christ in our circumstances but from obeying His explicit commands and following the example of His life in Scripture. Knowing what Jesus said about sin is key to overcoming it.” That’s profound.
When we are facing temptations and decisions, are we so saturated in the Word of God that we instinctively know what to do because His Word is flowing through us? Are the commands of Christ so ingrained in us we choose His ways no matter what circumstances we found ourselves in? If we are determined to live a Christ-like life, we must dedicate ourselves to the study of His Word so we are equipped to know what to do in any situation.
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The Word of God
Can you be a Christian and reject the Bible as God’s inspired and inerrant word? More and more people believe you can. A recent Lifeway Research survey commissioned by Ligonier Ministries finds that 53% of Americans do not believe the Bible is literally true. That’s disturbing, but not all that unexpected. What’s shocking to me is that 26% of those who identify as evangelical Christians also hold that the Bible is not literally true. If you don’t believe the Word of God, how is it you know, much less believe, the gospel?
If you reject the Bible as God’s Word, you reject Jesus being who He said He is. Those who reject Jesus as being who He says He is cannot be Evangelical Christians. Either the survey takers were presenting a flawed definition of what it means to be an Evangelical Christian, or someone terribly deceived those responding and sent them toward an eternity far more tragic than they imagine.
Revelation
Rarely does a day go by where I don’t come across some so-called prophet proclaiming a fresh word or vision from God. It’s always something new, and never something from scripture. Brothers and sisters, we don’t need something fresh or new. We have the eternal Word of God revealed in the pages of scripture and manifested in our lives by the Holy Spirit. God’s Word is complete and sufficient. It does not need an update.
If you are looking for something fresh, you are looking for something other than Jesus. His Word is eternal. It does not change. It is not evolving. What God has said, He will do. If you want some divine revelation, then open your Bible and read. Revelation is found between the covers of God’s Word, not on some random YouTube channel.