God takes false teaching very seriously (2 Peter 2:12-16). Just look at the urgency of Paul's charge to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:3-7, "...remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not teach any different doctrine...", and his grave warning in 2 Timothy 4:3-5, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their passions, and will turn away from the truth and wander off into myths." I don't believe that false doctrine sneaking into the church is merely a thing of the past. Unfortunately, it seems unbiblical teaching has seeped into many churches today and many Christians are being seduced by false teachers in their classes, on their television, and even from the pulpit.
In light of this very real danger, the best advice to take when dealing with any precarious teaching is to heed 1 Thessalonians 5:21 and 1 John 4:1. In other words: Do not believe everything you hear, but test everything according to God's holy scripture. Ask: does it promote the teaching of Jesus Christ or go against it?
So here are three popular false doctrines that have been accepted by Christians and even churches across the globe and the truth that they contradict:
- We can't say that Jesus is the only way. Unfortunately there are Christians who refuse to accept the truth that it is through Jesus alone that we can be accepted by God and allowed into heaven. "That seems too narrow minded," they say. There have even been world famous preachers who have backed down from the truth when confronted with this issue. Jesus spoke clearly on the matter: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
- The Bible is not infallible and not relevant today. Professing Christians have watered down scripture as just another book with some good guidelines for life but nothing more. They ignore whole books or teachings they dislike. "I believe the words of Christ, but I don't believe everything Paul wrote," they might declare. This is a lie born out of pride, for all scripture is inspired by God. "For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:11-12) "All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)
- Grace through Christ permits us to blatantly sin. The idea that Christians can live however they like with no care of the consequences of sin because of the grace offered to them by Jesus is nothing new. But it's just as false today as it has always been. In fact, the Bible directly addresses the lie. "What shall we say then? Are we to continue to sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions... but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." (Romans 6:1,12-13)
Let's seek truth from God's word and not fall into the trap that so many churches like Pergamum and Thyatira have buying into the lies that the world is selling.
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:6-8)
"Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding." (Proverbs 23:23)
*all scripture references taken from the English Standard Version of the Bible with some emphasis added.
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