TRETS-3FEB2017:
WITHSTANDINGEVERYWIND OF DOCTRINES
Every believer must be vigilant, watching over
his soul, and that of his members and converts. Having known the Truth of the
scriptures, we must not allow anyone to take advantage of us, but rather reject
their suggestions. As the agents of Satan are moving around with their winds of
doctrines of various kinds, we must be prepared to resist them vehemently so
they would not be able to perform their enterprise. Spiritual resistance
require prayer and watchfulness and boldness against their strange and devilish
doctrines. The scriptures command us never to give them any space in our
congregation or our domain. Every friendship with anyone who is not truthful to
the cardinal doctrines of the bible must be completely cut off. Paul the
Apostle was a good example withstanding some of these erroneous doctrines in
his time. Even when Peter, known to be one of the pillars of the faith deviated
and was to bring division among the gentile believers, Paul was bold to
challenge him (Gal. 2. 11-18). Our conviction and consecration to the truth must
move us to stand firmly on the unchanging word of God without any deviation
irrespective of the personality bringing the error. The Lord had commanded us
not to follow the changing world, but to be steadfast and stable to the end.
And for those who abide to the end, He had promised great rewards in this life
and in the world to come (Matt. 10.32).
WITHSTANDINGEVERYWIND OF DOCTRINES
Ephesians 4. 11 – 15; Hebrews 13. 8-9,
Col. 2. 6-8
The world is changing very rapidly towards the
negative at this end of time. Satan brings many thoughts cleverly into people’s
minds, homes and churches to lure them from the narrow way into damnation.
Variations from the scriptural truth come in a little way to the
believer aiming at making him compromise God’s standard and accept the man-made
belief of the age. These winds of doctrines contradict the established
Christian principles and standards and therefore must be resisted and rejected at once. To
be carried about with them is to allow the error to remain in our domain and
becoming partakers of its damnation. Christians must "earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered to the saints" so as not to miss Heaven at last.
Ironically, this can only be done if the believer (i) knows the Truth, (ii) recognizes the devil’s
strategy behind the erroneous doctrines and (iii) courageously reject all their
plans. We must put on the whole armor of God through prevailing prayer and vigilance so as to
avoid all satanic strategies against our soul.
Recognizing the Strategies of false
prophets and their doctrines. Matt.
7. 15-20, Rom. 16.17-18, 1 Tim. 4. 1-3,6, Col. 2. 8, Phil 4.8, 2 Tim. 3.5
Recognizing error is very important and a
principal factor in escaping the danger of their doctrine. Winds of doctrines
are usually being perpetrated by false teachers but their doctrines originate
from Satan. Therefore, they take advantage on the ignorance of unstable and
unsuspecting brethren to sow their evil seeds privately (2 Cor. 2.11). Their
motive is to make believers depart from the faith and take them to hell but the
ignorant one may not know. To achieve this goal, the false prophets in most
cases privately appeal to the physical and temporary need of the unstable soul
to beguile him at the expense of his eternal destiny. False doctrines may
come in many way such as worship (2 Chron. 25. 2), or friendship
(James 4.4), or courtship (Deut.
7. 3-4) or fellowship (Eph. 5.11), Partnership (2
Chron. 20. 35-37), particularly when the victim is in need of healing,
power, prosperity, family or children. To recognize their error, believer must
check up the fruits of such transactions and relationships whether it conforms
to scriptures or not. Therefore, before going accepting any (i) Find out if it
promotes holiness of life (Heb. 12.14), (ii) does it have any
eternal benefit to my life, family and ministry? (1 Cor. 15.19, Rom 14.17),
(iii) Can this new doctrine stand the test of time after this immediate
benefit? (Matt. 24.35)Winds of doctrines can come to anyone, but a
stable and well rooted believer should be able to discern and discover whether
it possesses the power of godliness and holiness in their utterances (2 Tim
3.5). They come through deception, they cause gender strive and
division, they condemn the doctrine of Christ, they make merchandise of their
victims, they lack the perception of holiness and righteousness, they make you
deny the faith, they lead to damnation in hell.
Required Steps to full spiritual maturity
and Steadfastness. Eph. 4.
11-13, 2 Tim. 2. 15-16, Ps. 1.1-3, Col. 2. 6-7, Rom. 12.2
The purpose for which Christ died is for
believers to be strong, unmovable, and always abounding in the word and work of
the Lord. We are to Study the Word regularly and meditate on it deeply, day by
day and apply it to our daily life. This will make us know what God says and
what He can (and cannot) do. Studying the word makes us retain its meaning in
our heart but meditating on the scriptures gives us the rhema, which is the
direct application to our personal lives. We must be able to understand God’s
peculiarities (revealed through the scriptures) and know what can come from Him
and what cannot. His is the way we can rightly divide the word of truth. For
instance, Job’s response to his calamity in Job 1.21 was not rightly divided
because though God actually provided for him, yet God did not bring the
calamity and destruction. As you compare this with David in 2 Sam. 21.1-3, truly
there was famine, yet David’s enquiry from God made the reasons known. Then he
took the right decision from his knowledge of scriptures to make atonement.
Believers must develop the art of communicating with God i.e. listening to God
and asking directions from Him. We must
also shun profane babbling and unnecessary arguments that may hinder our
spiritual commitment and growth. We must deliberately, with determination
walk in the ways of the Lord following His steps always. Avoid conformity with
the world as this will choke up the power of righteousness from the heart and
life of any believer. We must live a distinctive Christian life of total
separation from ungodliness. Also, we must be prayerful resisting every
damnable heresies from the gate of hell against our self, our family and our
ministry.
Resisting false prophets and their wind of
doctrines. 1 Peter 5. 8-9,
Eph. 6. 13, Gal. 2. 4-5, Gal. 5. 1, 13, 1 Tim 1. 18-20
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