Does It Really
Make A Difference?
In the religious world today, there is an idea that is quite prevalent when it comes to which church one should attend. This idea, quickly summed up, simply states it doesn’t matter which church you “belong to” just so long as you are sincere in what you believe. As humans, we feel that it doesn’t really matter which we belong to, but the question remains, does it matter to God? Or has He left this important decision completely up to us? God has given us all a lot to consider in this area.
First, the Bible warns us of
false teachers. In Matt. 7:15 Jesus
said, “Beware of the false prophets, who came to you in sheep’s clothing,
but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Jesus warned His disciples to watch out for those that might lead them
away. Showing these people would cause
them to leave that which was right.
This warning is just as important today as it was back then. In I Jn. 4:1 John said, “Beloved do not
believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
because many false prophets have gone into the world.” Even today, we are not immune to the
possibility of being deceived by our own teachers. That is why it is vital for each person examine what is being
taught by the preacher or teacher of a class and not just accept what they say
simply because they are teachers. If it
doesn’t matter what we believe, why does Jesus and the inspired writers sound
forth the warning?
Second, the Bible warns us of
false doctrines. In Gal. 1:6-9,
Paul in his warning to the brethren throughout the region of Galatia noted they
had left the true gospel of Christ and embraced another gospel, which really
wasn’t a new one, just that someone had distorted the one true gospel. In vv. 8-9 Paul said if any other person,
whether an apostle or angel, were to teach them something other than what they
had previously heard, those teachers would be accursed. It seems Paul was concerned about the
various false doctrines that were being floated in Galatia. Notice the words of our Savior in Matt.
15:13, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be
uprooted.” Jesus said the end of
those “plants, or teachings, would be eternal destruction. We must evaluate the things we believe and
teach to be sure they are taught within the Scriptures. Apparently, it does matter what doctrine we
believe and teach.
Third, the Bible tells us it’s
not enough to be just a good person.
Many people in the religious world today are of the opinion it doesn’t
matter what you believe or where you attend “church”, just so long as you are
sincere about it. The question arises
though, is this a biblical concept? In
Matt. 7:21 Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven
will enter.” Apparently, Jesus had
in mind some people who had ulterior motives in doing “the will of the
Lord.” Their hearts were not sincere in
their actions, thus the explanation that simply invoking the Lord’s name into
their activities didn’t make it right.
We, too, must truly seek out the Lord’s will.
As we continue our thoughts along
this line in the coming weeks, I pray you will consider your situation to be
sure what you believe can be found within the scriptures. If not, change and embrace what the New
Testament teaches. If you are following
the New Testament pattern, look for ways to uplift and encourage the members of
the Lord’s church.