Taking Responsibility
Ever since the inception of the early church, fervent efforts have been made to preserve the Gospel message from doctrines or heresies challenging and contradicting the truth found therein. The apostle Paul was ardent in such efforts, and clearly articulated his views on the matter in his letter to the church at Galatia:
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing 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 what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” - Galatians 1:6-9
We have no less of a responsibility today to understand and uphold the truth of the Gospel. False doctrines abound distorting what Scripture says about who God is and how we are to live this life, while placing the focus on ourselves and minimizing or affirming sinful desires. This is why every Christian must be dedicated to studying the Bible, and checking what is taught by various ministers against what is found therein. Paul encourages this in 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21: “Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”
What We Believe Matters Greatly
Neglecting this essential aspect of our Christian faith positions us to easily fall prey to false teachings. Many of these teachings, and the ministers who perpetuate them, are incredibly popular within the realm of the Church. However, with a little pushing, prodding, and critical thinking one quickly identifies why such teachings are unhealthy and unbiblical. This matters greatly because what we believe has a direct impact on how we live our lives. It also informs our overall perspective of God, and how we engage and influence the world around us.
In essence, our understanding of Scripture helps us to protect our hearts from being led astray, while guarding us against the risk of leading others astray with an erroneous gospel. The effect here is twofold. If we’ve believed and become convinced of things that are not true, we incorporate those seeming truths into our overall worldview and manner of being. This in turn manifests in the doctrines we ultimately convey to others, and as a result may very well convince them of the same falsehoods or turn them further away from God.
A Brief Personal History
Having spent a decent portion of my life attending Word of Faith churches before turning away from this cultic movement, it’s not difficult to understand how easy it is to be led astray. A charismatic minister stands in front of a large crowd of people, convincingly expounds from Scripture how God can heal and make them wealthy, and facilitates an emotional frenzy characterized as a move of the Spirit. For those steeped in the Word of Faith doctrine, or who have a very basic understanding of Scripture, all of this is normalized and seems to make sense.
Moreover, such ministers aim to capitalize on our desire to feel good, be entertained, and escape legitimate stressors in life while leaving people spiritually empty and devoid of biblical truth. By my mid-thirties, I had enough of seeing church members being fed false doctrine, feeling emotionally and financially manipulated, and wondering why everything they’ve been promised God would do never came to pass. I’m grateful for God giving me and many others the grace to see what was happening, walk away from their false teachings, and continue forward with a dedication to understanding and presenting sound doctrine.
Continuing the Work of Guarding Our Heart
That being said, the process of consistently engaging the work of praying, studying the Bible, and holding to and presenting others with the truth of the Gospel is a necessary and ongoing endeavor in the life of a believer. It’s one thing to turn from that which is untrue, and another thing to continue guarding one’s heart from the various false teachers and their teachings still being popularized today. Matthew 7:15-16 is clear about this:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”
My prayer is that we will always remember this mandate, and keep in mind the truth of the Gospel is clear and uncomplicated. It becomes complicated when people add their selfish motives and desires to it, and arrogantly distort what God has made clear to us in his Word. In the end, God didn’t send his Son into the world so we could have everything we ever wanted in this life, so that we could be successful and well known, and so that we could live a life of comfort and bliss. No, there was a very different reason:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” - John 3:16
Humanity would have continued to perish in its sinfulness without Christ. Therefore God, on the basis of love sent his Son that we might know and spend eternity with Him, and no longer be bound by the weight of sin. The resulting salvation made possible in Christ and received by faith enables the believer to embark upon a life where true fulfillment is found in their relationship with God, and not in the temporal pleasures of this world.
Love & Common Sense
What good is any of what we’re addressing here if our efforts to uphold and present the truth of the Gospel are driven by anything other than love? Honestly, any motivation other than love isn’t good enough. We simply cannot forget how desperately and hopelessly we were, are still, and will always be in need of the love and grace of God. There is not one of us who can say, “I’m good,” without immediately invoking the sinful pride within us and standing in the mire of hypocrisy. Therefore, it must be by love, couched in greatly humility, that we present the Gospel to the world at large.
Eric Gomez
Marriage & Family Therapist
Fulfilled Christian Counseling