Sometimes I am still surprised by the extent to which people become prey to heretical doctrines. Is it the information explosion that has left us with so much more to sift through - both orthodox and heretical - that we can hardly keep up? Is there simply a need for more discernment in the church? Is it the lack of righteous men and women to stand for Christ and His commands? Is it a matter of pride or greed? Is it the draw of our own sinfulness to pervert the truth given to us, that we would act as gods, thinking ourselves Sovereigns over the kingdoms of our lives?
Heresies take many forms, but ultimately I believe that it comes down to the same old fight - are we individually for Christ or against Him? Rarely are the lines drawn in such stark contrast to the circumstances. After all an effective lie isn't the one that looks like a lie; it's the one that's plausible, that sounds similar to the truth but is not the truth.
2 Peter 2:1-10 states, "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
"4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. 10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority."
This same scenario has been played throughout history and continues today. There are many people who call themselves Christians today but who don't believe that the Bible is inerrant or that absolute truth is real or that Jesus is God or that faith in Christ is the only way to heaven or that hell really exists. And often we don't even realize that our brethren in Christ are believing such heresies until they are in a position to profess their beliefs to others. If the rest of us just keep our mouths sealed as these false teachings are happening, our silence is condoning these heresies.
James 5:19-20 gives us this encouragement and exhortation to one of the tasks laid upon us: "My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins." I pray that we take the stand for the sake of Christ and out of love for our brethren. There is a better way to live. Choose true life. May your eyes and ears be opened to see and hear the truth, and may your tongue be bound to proclaim it and nothing else.
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