Where do false doctrines come from? The Bible tells us they come from men and demons. We also know there is the true Doctrine of Christ, and one of our goals as His disciples is to know His doctrine in accordance to His view. Even the sincerest believer can hold false teachings; moreover, he can even create some. Is it because he is rebellious? No. It’s because of the filter through which he views and listens to the Word of God. If you pay attention to certain streams, denominations, ministries and so on, you may notice that a number of them emphasize certain things. Hence, they tend to use every verse of the Bible to emphasize their doctrinal leanings. In short, there’s a tendency to bend the spoken and written Word of God to their viewpoint. Obviously, this is found in individuals as well. For example, those who overemphasize judgment, tend to use scriptures that talk about the judgment and wrath to come, while leaving out mercy and grace in some extreme cases. Some want to hold people accountable for everything they say or do. “They will stand before God one day!” Granted, even as believers, we all will absolutely stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. No question about it. However, He is the Judge and we are not. We’re not the ones who determine to what people will answer for. We cannot beat each other with the Bible. Okay, moving along.
Luke 8:18-19 So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him. We cannot afford to bend the Word of God to conform to our theology; our theology must conform to His Word.
Our attitude in the way we listen will determine how much of the Truth we are able to receive. We must stay teachable, and remain inquisitive like small children.
The moment you think you “know the Bible,” you will begin to miss those things Holy Spirit wants to teach you. We must approach the Word of God with a sincere heart that desires pure truth. We should love God enough to want to know His true nature, and embrace His heart’s cry. If we insist on being right, we will never get it. As Jesus eluded to, the bigger issue may be how we are studying and listening versus what we are studying and to what we are listening. How you listen will affect the amount of truth you receive. Some say, “I want to hear it like it really is.” Do you really?
How far are you willing to go in order to receive the truth that comes from God? Would you forsake all you think you know? Would you leave a church or an organization in order to go where the Lord Jesus desires you to be? Conversely, would you stay put if He asks it of you, even if you wanted to run for the hills? Unless we are willing to conform to the image of Jesus and walk in obedience to God, we will not be in a position to fully receive the true Doctrine of Christ!
