The Best Safeguard Against False Doctrine
Quoting JC Ryle . . . (1816-1900)
"Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them" (Hebrews 13:9)
Many things combine to make the present inroad of false doctrine peculiarly dangerous. There is an undeniable zeal in some of the teachers of error: their "earnestness" makes many think they must be right. There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge: many fancy that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe guides. There is a general tendency to free thought and free inquiry in these latter days: many like to prove their independence of judgment, by believing novelties. There is a wide-spread desire to appear charitable and liberal-minded: many seem half ashamed of saying that anybody can be in the wrong.
There is a quantity of half-truth taught by the modern false teachers: they are incessantly using Scriptural terms and phrases in an unscriptural sense. There is a morbid craving in the public mind for a more sensuous, ceremonial, sensational, showy worship: men are impatient of inward, invisible heart-work. There is a silly readiness in every direction to believe everybody who talks cleverly, lovingly, and earnestly, and a determination to forget that Satan often masquerades himself "as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). There is a wide-spread "gullibility" among professing Christians: every heretic who tells his story plausibly is sure to be believed, and everybody who doubts him is called a persecutor and a narrow-minded man.
All these things are peculiar symptoms of our times. I defy any observing person to deny them. They tend to make the assaults of false doctrine in our day peculiarly dangerous. They make it more than ever needful to cry aloud, "Do not be carried away!". If any one should ask me, What is the best safeguard against false doctrine? -- I answer in one word: "The Bible: the Bible regularly read, regularly prayed over, regularly studied." We must go back to the old prescription of our Master: "Diligently study the Scriptures" (John 5:39).
From: Warnings To The Churches
by His Grace alone,
Bill
7 comments:
Many, many charismatic believe that the Tithe is a "means of grace" and it isn't. There is so much manipulation going on that it should be likened to pure greed.
The Ceremonial Laws of the Old Testament have been abrogated....
Many big time preachers who say that money isn't the root, but the love of it is evil are living in material excess and gluttony. It's caused a lust in the body of Christ for material riches.
Yes, it is pure greed. All in the name of Christ. Carnal living...
It is amazing that the more I research, the more I find warnings like J.C. Ryle that date in the 1800's. By 1850's, western christianity had begun to take a different face!!! Many, were just waiting for Spurgeon to die so they could wonder into their own doctrines. This manipulation here in the States has been going on since the 1800's and is full blown, alive and well today.
I do pray that God would grant mercy and repentance to these men who do this great evil. But, I do know that it is harder for the rich man to repent...
You are absolutley right Ken when you say "The Ceremonial Laws of the Old Testament have been abrogated...."
The book Democratization of American Christianity by Nathan O. Hatch is a good read. Hatch is a good historian too.
Have you read George Whitefield letter to John Wesley? Wesley avoided visiting George face to face as Whitefield said in part of the letter.
Wesley was like other arminians earlier in the Remonstrance and didn't want to face the examination of Scripture.
I have not read the whole letter, I think I have seen a quote or 2 from it.. Is their somewhere on the net to grab it?
I run into people all the time who do not want to examine the scriptures..Nor be told too...
http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/wesley.htm
Yup that is it. Van Til made a statement about Evangelicals that they should go back to Wesley, because at least with him they'd have the Gospel. Spurgeon didn't agree with Wesley's doctrine either, but he said he was holy enough to be an apostle.
"I run into people all the time who do not want to examine the scriptures..Nor be told too..."
I would bet that they don't study the scripture and they use a lot of christianize.
The problem with that is they are using different categories a lot of times than what scripture says. Trinity, Justification, Sanctification seem to have been lost for me, you, and glory! lol
By the way Sam this is Pastor Appreciation Month and thank you for all your hard work throughout the years at Amazing Grace!
Ken
Thanks Ken! it's nice to be appreciated!
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