Exposing False Teaching

Not long ago, I had the pleasure of an informal debate with a leader in a very prominent Christian university school of theology regarding a particular sin often mentioned in the Bible—the point being this particular lifestyle is mentioned often in the Word of God as a sinful behavior. The particular nature of this sin really does not matter, for all sin separates man from God until there is redemption and atonement through Jesus Christ. The point is not the sin, but, as you will see, it truly was the danger of allowing such teaching to go unchallenged. Following is the response to my belief that it was sin: This particular sin is “still under debate; whether or not we think it’s sin, it is currently under the microscope in the church.” Now, I must admit, I do not have a degree, there are no letters after my name, and if this is where biblical scholars are headed, I must say I am extremely grateful not to have been influenced and tainted by such education and worldliness! To imply that God has not clearly defined what is or is not sin, what does or does not separate us from God, is absolute foolishness and more! To suggest the church or world leaders, men in any form, have a greater understanding of God’s intentions and that man’s understanding can negate the Word of God is exactly what Paul and many other disciples warned us of in the Epistles, as did Jesus Himself. Virtually every book of the New Testament warns of such thinking and blasphemy, and I for one will not keep quiet regarding such blatant ongoing attacks against the Word of God. (If you need help finding such warnings, you can begin in 2 Timothy 3, and the references will lead you to other writings.) The day of this writing I was reading in 1 Peter, chapter 1, about the value of the blood of Jesus, the great cost of His sacrifice, and how there is nothing on or of this world of greater value than His blood, for nothing else can offer eternal life. It was sought after by the prophets of old and all of mankind since the fall, this life eternal, this key to heaven, and the moment it is found, man attempts to corrupt it. In an effort to thwart the perfection of the blood of the Lamb, satan himself unknowingly was used by God to perfect this sacrifice. The reality is, folks, I believe, without fear of judgment, the Word of God is very clear about those who would defend any sinful behavior as being acceptable. They are simply wrong. There is no biblical foundation for such a stand, and yet there are a plethora of warnings against listening, fellowshipping, endorsing, or following such behavior and beliefs. Mind you, this writing and discussion is not about sin, grace, judgment, or anything along those lines—it is a warning to expose false teaching. Again, in almost every Epistle written to the churches, at one point or another the authors addressed those who were corrupting the Word of God and in one way or another diluting the power of the “blood of the Lamb.” In Corinthians, Paul is addressing doctrinal disputes; in Galatians, the Judaizers; in Philippians, the Gnosticism; and, in the letters to the church in Thessalonica and to Timothy, much effort was placed on staying true to the Word and exposing false teachers. In Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus warns against those who do not expose false teachers and even accept contrary teaching in the church, such as the doctrine of Balaam or the Nicolaitans, who accepted any doctrine. Are you able to see the point yet? We do not have the right to accept any type of teaching, doctrine, or statements that are contrary to the true Word of God, or as 1 Peter 1:22–25 implies: the enduring truth of the Word of God. As a matter of fact, we are warned very clearly in Revelation 2 and 3 about the consequences of such action. There is no debate going on in heaven about what is defined as sin. God identified what separates man from Himself long before we came on the scene, and He does not need our help in fixing mistakes that are impossible for Him to make. The sovereignty of God is not to be questioned; however, the foolishness of man is real, is to be revealed, and should always be encountered in love and truth—the truth of the Word. Without the Word, we have opinion and theory, and neither opinion nor theory has any power against truth! Pastor Gene Burroughs, Missio Dei Ministries, Navarre, FL