I have the joy and privilege of training and mentoring pastors worldwide, especially in India and Africa, through Christian Training Organization. My desire is to teach and encourage them, but the truth is they teach and encourage me just as much if not more. Their faithfulness and dedication to Jesus is wonderful to see. Part of my education from them is learning about the false teachings and unbiblical doctrines that are common in numerous churches in Africa and India. Many pastors don’t have an opportunity to get a solid Biblical education so old pagan beliefs and errors about Christianity can slip in unnoticed. Unfortunately, that is also true in the USA where feelings often are valued above facts and emotions make choices that our minds should be making. Our culture has turned from absolute truth founded on the principles God wrote in the Bible and replaced it with a “whatever feels right must be true” mentality. That has infiltrated many churches today. Various churches and denominations have rejected the Bible as God’s truth for today while others still claim it as their authority but read their own ideas into it, thus twisting what it really says. Busy lives keep Christians from really knowing their Bible so they are open to things that sound good but are wrong. Churches attract people with music and messages that entertain them and make them feel good, but often don’t educate them about God’s truth. Just because a Christian or a church says something doesn’t mean it is true. Those who mislead others will be severely judged (James 3:1). But how can we discern truth from error?
We need wisdom to discern the difference between true doctrine and false doctrine and then the courage to act on it. “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” —C.H. Spurgeon. What Spurgeon means is that deception is so subtle that people who listen to it embrace it as truth. As a result, they become blinded to actual, biblical truth. That is dangerous because one can spend years in the church and have no sound understanding of the Scriptures at all. And if you point that out to friends or family members, they might reject you and what you say So what can we do?
- True light only comes from Jesus. Prior to knowing God, we were in spiritual darkness where Satan had “blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). There is no other way to God the Father except through Christ (John 14:6). And now that we are in Christ, our spiritual eyes have been opened. Rather than being blinded by our own sin, we now recognize it for what it is, an abomination before God, and that it took the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, in which we are reconciled and justified before His sight. We are then given the Holy Spirit who guides us in remembering what God has said in His Word (John 14:26). It is only Jesus that brings true freedom (John 8:36).
- A deep knowledge of Gods Word is the only way to keep from error. Knowing a few popular Bible verses and some familiar children’s Bible stories is not good enough. Counterfeiters try to come as close as possible to the original in their attempts to deceive. It’s only by knowing the original in detail that that differences can be discerned. Those trained to spot counterfeit money are so familiar with money that anything different, however minor, will be noticed. Do you know God’s Word good enough to do that with what you hear in a sermon or read in a book? God’s Word is a sharp, double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:18). Satan quoted God’s Word to tempt Jesus in the wilderness but misused God’s words. Jesus picked that right up and used the truth of Scripture to counter those attacks (Matthew 4:1-11). As a Jewish child, Jesus memorized large portions of God’s Word so they could form His thinking and be available when needed. How much of Scripture have you memorized?
Christians with a sound and thorough understanding of the Scriptures will be able to point out red flags showing what is incompatible with God’s Word. This is especially important for new Christians who perhaps have never read the Bible in their lives and are more vulnerable to deception. Being equipped with God’s Word is a requirement, not an option. A soldier cannot enter battle without a thorough understanding of his equipment and how it works. Neither should a Christian. (to be continued in the next blog.)
John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
How much better do you know the Bible than when you first became a Christian? How much better than last year at this time?
Do you know the Bible well enough to pick up error, or do you automatically believe everything you hear?
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India, Africa & Spanish Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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