May 15, 2005
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The scriptures teach that in the last days, men would not “put up with sound doctrine (NIV)” but that they would “gather around themselves” teachers who teach what they want to hear.
So, hear’s a question that bubbles up in me: How do I keep from getting stuck in an “eddy” of doctrine, where I’ve come to conclusion “A” and have all the affirmation I need from authors and others, and where I naturally push away opposing views? More concisely, how do I make sure that I’ve not just “surrounded [myself] with a great many teachers” who tell me what I already believe?
Reframed, how do I make sure that Truth can get into my thinking in any situation where I believe a lie or half-truth, but I’m convinced that it’s all truth?
Edit: Tuesday, I head up to Mountain Lakes for a prayer summit with some 16 or so pastors from the Klamath Basin. I hope to have a time to gather strength for the spiritual battles ahead that God alone sees and knows are coming. Pray for us that our unity might grow, and our commitment to be what God wants us to be, no matter the cost.
Comments (5)
Hopefully you know the Word of God enough to see if what you are being taught is of the Word of God, and your Spirit will give you a sense of unease, which if you listen to it will help you discern. And of course you can take it to God and ask Him for wisdom and clarity of mind in the situation. And you can check with elders and other leaders to see what they say. And, this is important. As my pastor says, we have to be fruit testers. Watch those who teach and see if they are teaching the truth, see if it is playing out in their day to day lives, see if there are any errors. Over time they will give themselves away.
Heather
Hmnmm… the infamous eddy of doctrine… well I beleive Jesus said when that religion that God accepts is taking care of the widowed, the poor, and the needy. In short, that we need to care. Care about the needs, desires, and spritial well-being of those around us.
To keep it all in check, I would line up the eddy of doctrine with that philosophy. If a peice of doctrine doesn’t really apply to that kind of measurement, I think it doesn’t matter that much and it should be treated as such. (Unless of course, God clearly said it was important.)
always keep yourself aware and informed of other doctrines, both within christianity and from other religions. don’t ever let go of the basics of christian doctrine (one God, Jesus=fully God and fully man, Jesus died for our sins, there is no other salvation, the Bible is fully true) but be open to other ways of seeing things. one thing jainism says is that people should refrain from making blanket statements with confidence, because although there is one truth, it is beyond human mental capacity to understand it fully. so while we see things one way, another person may see things a different way and still be right; it’s like looking at different facets of the same jewel. there’s a lot of truth to be found outside of christianity, and that’s a good way to keep continually examining your beliefs and checking them against the authority of the Bible and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Hmm I don’t think I can truly comment on this with out insulting you… It an old habit I have yet to gain full control over it…. I’m going to be writing about my believe(s) in “god” within a few weeks, its a delicate subject so I want to get my point across just right… I think that will answer your questions from may 3… Most people think that I would have a firm believe in the Judeo-christian ways considering some things in my past & my upbring… See my april 17th post… for some(very little) backround….
i think it has a lot to do with consistently seeking humility and searching scripture. it’s easy for pride to follow knowledge (paul says knowledge puffs up but love builds up) so we have to constantly temper our knowledge of truth with love and humility, treating what we know as a gift, not as a possession and remembering not to hoard it to ourselves and become defensive of it. we should seek to share with others the truth God has revealed to us and seek to learn from them the things he has revealed to them, always comparing everything to his word and his character as revealed in his word.
in short- humility and personal/relational knowledge of God’s word and character.