Believe Them Only
May 27, 2011 (Friday)
Many voices are being heard today, calling for us to believe what they are saying, subscribe to their beliefs, and join their movements or organizations. Some of these are cults, and they may be attractive to some people. How can a person know which of the voices being heard today are the right voices?
The right voices speak truths consistent with Holy Scripture. Many are making moral decisions these days that are based on popular ideas rather than tried and true Biblical morality. The Bible can steer us in the right direction, and when correctly interpreted, will identify error.
The right voices speak truths consistent with history. One should ask before accepting a new belief, “Has this new doctrine been taught before?” What happened to it then? What happened to those who believed this? We can and should learn from history.
The right voices speak truths consistent with your personal experience. For instance, some preach today that God always heals our illnesses and will make us rich if we only believe. Our experiences as human beings teach us that such is not always the case. In fact, the plain truth is that dedicated Christians can be poor and can suffer ill health.
The right voices speak truths consistent with Christian consensus of belief. If someone is trying to get you to believe something that no one in any church or denomination believes, there is strong reason to believe the new belief is untrustworthy. If a doctrine has been accepted by mainstream Christianity for thousands of years, it is worthy of our consideration as the truth.
The right voices speak truths consistent with your own spirit. Ask about a new belief, “Does it have the ring of truth to it? Am I comfortable believing this?”
The right voices speak truths consistent with the voice of God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all truth.”
Please test the new voices as to whether they are speaking the truth of God. If not, you will be wise to turn a deaf ear. Please don’t take the wrong road. Believe the truth. Believe the right voices.