There has always been a price paid for ANY freedoms that anyone has enjoyed. It doesn't matter if it is the tyrant that has his freedoms by putting down the masses through control and manipulation (the price), the freedom that you and I have been blessed with in this country (from the price paid by those who have physically fought mortal enemies or the battle to restrain our own government that tries to control through laws and regulations) and finally the important liberty that Jesus Christ paid to make us God's children.
I hate to say it but just as we must watch our own government, so that we can stay free, we must also watch our individual local church bodies to make sure that the doctrines we hear line up with the Word of God. There are two ways to guard against doctrine creep (the action of truth slowly being changed and sometimes its line upon line with slight deceptions creeping in till they become large lies).
The first protection against doctrinal creep is good old fashioned listen to what is said and studying the word. The hard part is you want to believe what those who you love is saying. Paul commended the Bereans in Acts 17 because they not only listened but they checked what was taught in the Word to see if it was true. He did not chastise them saying "Hey, don't you know that I am an apostle? God Himself has made me an apostle! I have position and authority! After all I even write scripture!!".
The second protection will come to you not only "live" (while listening) but also following the hearing of the Word. It's the voice of the Holy Spirit and your spirit talking to you or nudging you that something is right or wrong (sometimes a still small voice).
I have had times when the warning came to me, but I wanted to be part of the group and couldn't raise questions without being ostracized. So, I swallowed it but later paid the price as the deception grew. I have had times where the Holy Spirit has brought up past doctrine and shown me scripture (both spoken quietly to me and also as I was just reading) that corrected the situation. I have also had times where I was sitting on the front row right in front of the speaker and the Holy Spirit spoke... no, more honestly, it felt like He hit me in the chest with a scripture that totally contradicted what the pastor was saying. I can easily remember a time when He did that several times in the same meeting. It was bit alarming,because of the force, to say the least.
To hear His voice though comes only with spending time with Him. It is worth the time spent.
Next time we are going to look at a scripture that most pastors ignore to preserve their doctrine.
I hate to say it but just as we must watch our own government, so that we can stay free, we must also watch our individual local church bodies to make sure that the doctrines we hear line up with the Word of God. There are two ways to guard against doctrine creep (the action of truth slowly being changed and sometimes its line upon line with slight deceptions creeping in till they become large lies).
The first protection against doctrinal creep is good old fashioned listen to what is said and studying the word. The hard part is you want to believe what those who you love is saying. Paul commended the Bereans in Acts 17 because they not only listened but they checked what was taught in the Word to see if it was true. He did not chastise them saying "Hey, don't you know that I am an apostle? God Himself has made me an apostle! I have position and authority! After all I even write scripture!!".
The second protection will come to you not only "live" (while listening) but also following the hearing of the Word. It's the voice of the Holy Spirit and your spirit talking to you or nudging you that something is right or wrong (sometimes a still small voice).
I have had times when the warning came to me, but I wanted to be part of the group and couldn't raise questions without being ostracized. So, I swallowed it but later paid the price as the deception grew. I have had times where the Holy Spirit has brought up past doctrine and shown me scripture (both spoken quietly to me and also as I was just reading) that corrected the situation. I have also had times where I was sitting on the front row right in front of the speaker and the Holy Spirit spoke... no, more honestly, it felt like He hit me in the chest with a scripture that totally contradicted what the pastor was saying. I can easily remember a time when He did that several times in the same meeting. It was bit alarming,because of the force, to say the least.
To hear His voice though comes only with spending time with Him. It is worth the time spent.
Next time we are going to look at a scripture that most pastors ignore to preserve their doctrine.
No comments:
Post a Comment