But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron. Tim.4:1-2
Doctrine is one of those words that sounds old fashioned or too theological to be of much interest. However, it is a word that shows up numerous times in the New Testament with warnings attached to it in the same way that Paul warns Timothy in the passage above. Actually, doctrine is simply a word that means teachings (and is often translated that way) or the body of truth the bible reveals about Jesus and godly living. Godly living does not just mean moral living, although it includes that, but means to live as God, rather than culture, would have us live.
We live in a day when the Word of God is under attack. Some simply reject the idea of God and anything attached to the notion of faith or a spiritual realm. These are men and women who proudly wave the banner of atheism and scoff at anything religious. Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, Bill Maher, and a number of other intellectuals and celebrities wave the flag of unbelief proudly and influence those who have formed no religious convictions or those who simply want to emulate their cultural idols. These individuals oppose anything religious but are not the greatest enemies of the cross.
Warnings in scripture typically point to religious leaders who oppose the cross by not rejecting Jesus or God but by twisting or diluting the gospel. A lie which is flavored with truth is the most insidious and damaging because the lie is typically in seed form – barely detectable initially but growing later as cultural values and perspectives water it.
Doctrinal error tends to fall into two broad categories: teachings about Jesus himself and the nature of salvation. Even in the days of the apostles false teachings were beginning to emerge about Jesus. Some said that although he was an interesting figure and had an unusual gift for teaching, ultimately he was only the illegitimate son of a carpenter. Others said he was John the Baptist risen from the dead or Elijah or Jeremiah come back to call Israel to repentance. Even in John’s letters you can discern that some were teaching that Jesus did not actually come in the flesh and never literally died a physical death. Instead, Jesus was a spirit that only appeared to be human. In our day some make the same arguments or say that he was a great prophet but not the Son of God and that after his preaching career he settled down with Mary Magdalene and raised a house full of kids. A few still claim that Jesus never lived but was only a myth although the weight of history and scholarship is greatly against them.
The second area of doctrinal error tends to fall in the arena of what saves us. The man on the street may simply believe that if you live a pretty good life compared to neighborhood drug dealers or co-workers cheating on their spouses you will go to heaven. Muslims, Hindus and Jews argue that when you finally stand before God in judgment, your good works will have to outweigh your sins or there is no salvation. That is “works salvation.” In the minds of many, grace is simply God giving you the opportunity to earn your salvation by your own efforts.
The pure gospel declares that salvation comes by grace alone through faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus. Nothing we can do can obligate God to open the gates of heaven for us but he does so willingly, as a gift, through Jesus. Paul is very clear when he says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph.2:8-9). Works matter – but only as evidence of a changed heart after salvation has been given or as a criterion for rewards that will be given by God to the faithful at the judgment.
The most sinister doctrines seem to be those that agree that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, who died for our sins but that salvation not only depends on our faith in him but also on our works or our religious rituals. There were a group of Jews who hounded Paul from place to place. These men would come in behind Paul where he had established churches and teach that salvation came not only through believing in Jesus but also in keeping the Law of Moses. Paul calls these “false teachers” out in Galatians when he says, “As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned” (Gal.1:9)! The false gospel was “Faith in Jesus + works of the Law = Salvation.” Notice the strong language Paul used as he passionately condemned these teachers.
Jesus also warned about the doctrines of men taught as the commandments of God as did just about every writer of the New Testament. In the scripture quoted at the first of this blog, Paul warned Timothy that there would be deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons taught by men who would present misleading teachings without any pangs of conscience. Those teachings will draw people away from essential truths of scripture that will cost some their salvation while being wrapped in enough truth to be received without protest by many believers.
Today whole denominations are ignoring clear biblical teachings regarding homosexuality and the nature of marriage not to mention 2000 years of church doctrine on the matters in an attempt to be tolerant and loving as defined by our culture rather than scripture. The same groups of believers are questioning biblical infallibility because it disagrees with cultural norms and are hedging on the biblical position that only one road leads to heaven and that road is faith in Jesus Christ.
Believers who depend only on preachers or popular writers for their understanding of biblical truth are highly vulnerable to confusion and misleading doctrines. I’m not saying that preachers and writers should be avoided. I preach, teach, and write myself but I don’t want to be the sole spiritual authority in any one’s life. Every believer is responsible for knowing and studying the word of God for himself. Personal study is the only way to be settled on the revealed will of God and the solid essentials of the faith so that you can recognize the counterfeits of the enemy – the doctrines of demons that are so prevalent today. What we believe matters.
In a world where presidents and politicians arrogantly misquote scriptures to sell their point of view, where Hollywood celebrities push their own brand of spirituality, and where new Bible translations have chosen to be politically correct rather than accurate we need to know for ourselves what the Word of God says and stand on that Word. Let me encourage you to be in the Word every day – not just reading it but studying and reflecting on what it says. It’s not all easy to understand but the essentials of the faith and salvation are clear. The practical teachings of godly living are clear.
If we are not confident about what God says on many issues we will fold to the pressure of culture when the heat is on. If we deny biblical teachings that are culturally unpopular then, in time, we will most likely begin to deny Jesus. Get the word of God in you. Listen to preachers, teachers, and read great books but be sure to confirm their teaching by your own study. It’s more important today than ever.
