TRUTH OR FALASE DOCTRINE: HOW TO TELL??

Oftentimes, when presenting not only the doctrine of justification to the unsaved, but also presenting the sanctifying and establishment doctrine to the hearers; we face the opposition, and challenging questions from those who already have a preconceived opinion that your credibility as bible teacher, or one who understands God’s word of truth, and understands and appreciates His will, holds ‘no weight’ at all with them, and plainly, they actually assume that biblical truth can come from someone that ‘looks the part.’ And the question will come up; “How do you know that what you believe is the truth?”

The mind and heart of the man has an easier time accepting ‘truths’ they are familiar with, as long as things they hear sound like the ‘norm,’ then they are receptive to what they hear. But it is the listener who has questioned the ‘norm’ and what he has heard in today’s ‘church’ that just doesn’t seem right, that will be more receptive to ‘see if these things be so,’ and open their bibles for themselves to see what God’s word says is truth, and what is bad doctrine.
So how does someone know who is preaching the truth concerning God’s word today?

Php 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Php 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

In the verses above, the Apostle Paul warns the saints about those who do not “walk by the same rule,” and “mind the same thing,” these people are called “enemies of the cross of Christ.” The Apostle Paul calls them “enemies of the cross of Christ” because these people are “minding earthly things,” and because they walk contrary to what Paul has taught the saints and their “conversation” centers around earthly things, their God “is their belly.” Meaning, their God is themselves; and their concerns centers around their happiness, goals, and achievements, today’s Pastor, Preacher, Teacher ought to have heavenly concerns only; and that is the souls of the world, and where they are going to spend eternity, establishing the saints in sound doctrine, and strengthening their inner man only.

Rom.15:5Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God would have Christians to be “likeminded” and glorify God the father with “one mind” and with “one mouth,” but this is not how God the father and the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached today. Today’s preacher gives the listener a false doctrine, and a false hope system to operate upon, he teaches that it is God’s will to ‘intervene’ in the lives of the saints, and change the circumstances and outcome of the issues that may come up in our lives.

1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Today’s church has intensified its desire to ‘make a name for themselves,’ there are thousands of different denominations within Christianity, and man has a desire to “cause divisions” and today you have one church on one corner, and another one right across the street, with each one calling themselves something different from the next one, and preaching a doctrine that is also different from the other. Many today feel that there is nothing wrong with all the different denominations in the world today, when in fact it is quite contrary to the way God would have the members of the body of Christ to “think” today.

Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Furthermore, as you have seen the emphasis that Paul, and God places upon the church not being divided, but as you can plainly see there are more and more churches being established around us in this ungodly world, and instead of the doctrine which is according to godliness being preached; which concerns your inner man, and where he is going to spend eternity, they continue to teach worldly blessings, and false hope. But as you are going to see, the only man that God can use, and that can glorify Him, and that He is blessing today is your inner man ONLY!

The Biblical Focus Should Be On The Inner Man Only!!!

Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

The Apostle Paul tells the son and daughter in Christ that they are to be “led by the Spirit” (God’s word of truth; the Bible) only! And our thinking ought to be on “Spiritual things,” not carnal earthly things, and our “hope” and what we “hope for” ought to concern Spiritual things only. And we are told our “hope” should be placed upon things which we “see not;” we do this all the time when it comes to earthly things, if we want to buy something, or we are expecting a gift from someone; we can’t wait to receive this item, we operate upon a wanting desire to obtain it, and as time goes on; the more anxious we get to obtain what we do not currently possess. What Paul wants the saint to understand is, why would we place our hope in something we, or someone else can physically obtain; or to put it another way; why would you place your hope in something that a man can do for you, or that you can do for yourself.

2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Today’s Pastor, Teacher, or Preacher’s focus ought to be placed upon the inward man of the world only, because we have to remember; the inward man is the only man God can use, the inner man is the only man that can bring honor and glory unto the Father; and the inner man is going to be the man that will spend eternity living unto the Father in heavenly places. The “outward man” is going to get sick, go through pain, and eventually “perish,” and God has never promised to heal, or physically deliver our “outward man,” but it is the “inward man” that He has promised to “strengthened” and “renew day by day.”

Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

And as you can see in the verses above that it is His Spirit (the bible) that we are strengthened by, and it is the inner man that God places the emphasis upon; not our circumstances, or our health, wealth, or relationships. And we see God wants to strengthen our inner man for the purpose so that we will “be filled with all the fullness of God.” Also notice WHERE the “power” of God is put on display in your lives, Paul says “according TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US;” not around us, or in our lives.

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The saint is warned that to think about the “carnal” things of this would will only bring us a functional “death” unto himself, and he will be of no use to God because “the carnal mind is enmity against God,” and that carnal thinking is walking according to our flesh, and that we “cannot please God” in no way. But today’s Preacher teaches a doctrine of worship, and praise, song and dance to “please God,” but we have to understand that anything that comes out of our flesh is personally offensive to God.

2Co 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Simply put, the man of God today ought to teach the saints to follow the word of truth in ALL their decision making, and to set their “affections on things above” only! But most today have no care in how they handle the word of God, Satan wants today’s church-goers to read their bible, go to church, sing in the church, do all the ‘praise and worship services,’ but what he doesn’t want is “sons and daughters” in Christ that are not ‘blind’ to the counterfeit doctrine that he has his ministers preaching, remember: a counterfeit sounds like the original, looks like the original, but with God’s word, we can tell the difference because when it is a counterfeit, the emphasis will be on the preacher, and the people, instead of Christ!

1Ti 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
1Ti 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

One of the biggest tactics of today’s preacher is to deceive the hearts of the people by lying to them by giving the hearers false “hope,” he tells them to “hope for” that he can see, and to set his “affections” on the “things which are seen,” and to mind “earthly things;” even though he doesn’t directly tell them that; these verses above tell a different fact. Each and every time the preacher teaches that a person is ‘blessed’ because he has health, wealth, a great relationship, kids, or things going great in his life, he gives a false “hope,” and a earthly hope centered on “carnal,” and fleshly things of this world.

2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

We as “sons and daughters” in Christ should be operating upon the “doctrine which is according to godliness,” and we have to understand “godliness” is shown by the inner man only. Godliness is defined by the son thinking like God, doing things God’s way, and working together with Him in what He is doing today. And the mature saint that is edified in sound doctrine will have the capacity operate upon godliness, where it will eventually be ‘like-Father-like-son, and he will want to engage this worlds false teaching as a “good soldier” of Jesus Christ; and not be concerned with, or walking with the “affairs of this life.”

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Ti 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

And it is sad to say, but we are living in the “last days” that Paul speaks about, and he has the Pastor, teacher, preacher in view as he warns the saints about these “evil men and seducers,” he says the warning signs are contained here in 2nd Timothy 3:1-7, he says men will be “lovers of their own selves,” and we see this throughout the world, the preacher feels he ought to be exalted above every member in his congregation, and he ought to have more “pleasures” (biggest house, most expensive car) than every other member, he has a “form of godliness,” (expensive clothes, robes) and we are commanded to “turn away” from these men, and women, because it is dangerous to our edification to follow these self-willed people.

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

The mature son and daughter in Christ operating upon “godliness” will find much opposition against him in this world because he has chosen to “live godly,” and his “persecution” is going to come from the same place that the Lord and Savior, and the Apostles faced persecution; the religious people of our day who preach doctrine according to the flesh, and they teach earthly blessings is how God shows His love for you, and it will be shown in your circumstances. They oppose the idea that God will have His ‘anointed’ saints to “suffer,” and be content with ONLY a little more than “food and raiment.” They feel God will ‘pour out’ more carnal blessings than they are able to handle, but have to give carnal things like money to get this gift.

2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Finally, the objective of the “man of God” ought to be to have the same desire to save the souls of the lost, edify their inner man in the doctrine which is according to godliness just as the Father has, we are to understand and appreciate His thoughts, and His emotions towards His word just like He does, but instead of this being done; these “evil men and seducers” will teach a doctrine of worldly “lusts,” and stay clear of “sound doctrine,” because there is no “gain” in a ONLY Spiritual doctrine, there is no glorification for themselves if he is told to walk in true godliness, if he were to preach sound doctrine, he would be as “one that serves,” “preferring other” saints before himself, this act of selflessness would ‘take the spotlight off’ of this man, and many others who must have the worldly, fleshly, carnal, and earthly things as a shew that God is working in the lives of those who have the most, and are faring better that the average church-goer. But this type of thinking places all of the emphasis on a worldly and “carnal” doctrine, and apart from God, whether they know it or not.

Rod Jones