Millions of Christians today are deeply religious people and strictly believe and follow the doctrines of the Churches that they belong to. Is this a good thing? Can they be assured that they are truly saved? What does the scriptures have to say about churches who preach a doctrine that cannot be backed up by scripture?
The Scriptures tell us:
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you... And many will follow their destructive ways...They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you... they speak great swelling words of emptiness.... (2 Peter 2:1-2, 13,18)
Many Christians faithfully attend Church every week. Ministers, pastors and priests preach from the pulpits from the smallest to the largest churches in the world. Believers come to the conclusion that Peter must not have been referring to the church in our day regarding false teachers. Tolerance is the word of the day. We hear admonitions on a regular basis to "just get along" with those of opposing faiths. "Love" reigns supreme. Is this what Jesus Christ or the apostles taught?
When someone comes along and points out that there are errors in the doctrine being preached and that there is apostasy in the Christian Church today, they are told that they are bringing discord into the church, that they are being divisive and judgmental, that their criticism could actually harm the Christian movement and the church itself. These people are perceived as arrogant and "negative". People believe, because someone may not have a theology degree from a certified Christian institution of higher learning or is not ordained as a minister or preacher of a recognized Christian church, that what they are professing just can't be true. How can these people be speaking the truth and everyone else who are "qualified" be wrong. In todays world, this does not make any sense so those trying to point out the discrepancies between doctrine and scripture are accused of being heretics and extreme Christian fanatics that need to be either shunned or silenced.
It is a clear trend in the Christian world today to embrace the "politically correct" position ignoring the fact that it is not supported by scripture. The Apostle Paul wrote, "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves" (Acts 20:30).
Today there are preachers and religious leaders who support things that are corrupt, contrary and opposed to biblical doctrine. Their objective is to gather followers into their own personal Church effectively separating them from the "True Church Of Jesus Christ".
Paul even predicted that the main stream Christian Churches of the day would openly accept false teachings and beliefs when he wrote, ""For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!" (2 Cor 11:4). Most Christians not only tolerate those who speak "perverse things," but they ostracize believers who won't accept them.
Scriptures tells Christians that they are not to allow the evils of error alone and allow the church to be polluted by the lies. "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers... Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." (Titus 1:10,11) In the early Church the general populace did not have access to the written word of God as we do today. It was up to the elders of the Church to admonish those who brought in false teachings.
Today, most individuals have access to the Word of God, the Bible, which gives every believer the opportunity to study scripture and God for understanding and guidance. The Bible and the scriptures there in are "...given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tm 3:16-17). Each and every Christian can be readily equipped with the very instrument knowledge that gives them the authority admonish people, which would include Priests, Pastors, Ministers, and all other religious leaders who preach against the Word of God.
In Titus 1:7-16 it calls on the leaders of the Church to identify errors in doctrine. Unfortunately in the last 2000 years after the Apostolic period, a lot of the religious leaders have been, and still are, the ones who promote false doctrine.
God says, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matthew 7:15). "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers..." (1 Peter 5:2). God commands Christians to "contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude 3). The faith of Christianity is the truth as found in the scriptures. If you are not professing this truth, you are disobeying God and you have no Biblical faith.
