Don’t Forget to Flush

Do some of our teachings need to be deposited?

From the archives:  What should we be on the lookout for in regards to doctrinal errors?  Are all errors of equal value?  Should the doctrine we espouse affect our daily lives, ministry, vocation, and overall witness in a dark and dying world?  Are Bad Doctrines really that important to flush out?

I would say they most definitely are and  I got to  thinking more deeply on the topic coming to the conclusion that our doctrine should and will influence our choices in everyday life: These doctrines are very much  important to our temporal and eternal existence.  The Scriptures are  the basis for our doctrines and anything that strays from the truths found therein should be purged.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Bad Doctrines in our Midst

What about the glut of doctrinal garbage that masquerades as Christianity in the world in general and America in particular?  What should we think about the Prosperity Gospel, the Family and the Sanctity of Marriage, the deity and exclusivity of Christ, Moralism, the prospect of Hell, and  the sufficiency of Scripture?  Are they important enough to stand, fight, and even die for if called upon to do so?  Without certain doctrines Christianity is no longer Christian and the Church is no longer the Bride of Christ but a cheap and tawdry imitation.

Theological Errors We Should be Looking Out For

Here is a short list of things to be on the lookout for:

1. The Prosperity Gospel is no Gospel at all and in and of itself contains many bad doctrines.  Any time we place something  before the  glory of the Gospel of Christ it is a false gospel and we should expose it  as such.
2. The Family is unimportant.  The Family is the basic unit of organization that God formed Humanity to work in.  Any system, creed, or philosophy that undermines the import of familial relations is false and ungodly.
3. All Roads  lead to Heaven.   The Exclusivity of Christ is one of the distinguishing tenets of the Christian faith.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and salvation is found in Him alone.
4. We Can Somehow Save Ourselves.  Our Moralism is unable to commend us to a Holy God.  HE demands perfection and that is only found in Christ.
5. Hell is real is not or eternal. The unsaved will spend Eternity there.  The Emergent Church and many of their feel good adherents have ripped the doctrine of Hell from the pages of Scripture or twisted it to scratch their itching ears.  Jesus Christ said Hell was real and that it was a place of weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.  He said it and I believe Him.  See #3.
6. The role of the Church is to reform society.  The Mission of the Church is not ultimately Social Reform.  The state of or society should concern us as believers but that is not our main mission.  We are the Body of Christ, the Church, and we are called to proclaim the Gospel, disciple believers, edify the Saints, and reflect the True Light into a dark World.
7. The Bible is full of errors and should be abandoned or minimized as a man authored book.  This is against the traditional view of Sola Scriptura, which states that the Scriptures are our final authority for faith and morals.  The Scriptures are the inspired Word of God and reveal to us what HE would have us know of Himself, ourselves, sin, salvation, and Eternity.
8. Man Can Become or is a god. Any doctrine that elevates man and detracts from the Majesty of God.  God is God and we are not.  We are His creatures, made in His image, but never His equal.  He alone is worthy of the Honor due Him and we should seek to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.

Flushing Bad Doctrines

We, as Christians, have enough to deal with in our everyday lives that we do not need to allow the weeds of bad doctrines to creep into the vineyard.  Our Witness, our Families, and the health of the Church and its members depends upon the teachings we allow to come from the pulpit, over the air waves, and through the television.  We must be on guard for bad doctrines that will adversely affect our Walk with our God.

What  bad doctrines would you add?

Remember to Flush!!