Melvin was asked, “What do you believe?” He quickly retorted: “I believe what my Pastor believes.” Jesse came back with: “What does your Pastor believe?” Melvin scuffed his toe and rubbed his nose and mumbled, “He believes what our church believes.” “That’s good,” Jesse responded, “But what does your church believe.” Missing Jesse’s irritation, Melvin exclaimed, “We all believe the same things!”
“Christian” circles today would have us believe that any belief is as good as the next one. The buzz words are “tolerance” and “inclusivism.” We are being told that our beliefs are no better than the next persons. If they are sincere God is pleased to accept them and we shouldn’t question them. Many are saying all religions lead to God and we should all get along and accept one another’s beliefs.
Maybe we should pause and ask, “What does God say in His Word, the Bible?
God audibly spoke from heaven more than once in Jesus’ day and said: “This is my beloved Son, hear ye Him!” Jesus called some of the religious leaders in his time snakes, hypocrites, liars, and followers of the devil. Paul told some Pastors in one city: “I know grievous wolves (teachers of false doctrine) will enter in among you… men will arise speaking perverse things (things that are corrupt, distorted, or misinterpreted) to draw away followers after themselves.” He went on to instruct, “I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up….”
It is important what we believe. Our beliefs about Biblical things are called doctrines. But our beliefs must be based upon the truths of Scripture, and if they are, some people will not agree; some will not like our position. Paul warned just days before his martyrdom: “The time will come when they (people in some of his churches) will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts (personal desires and comforts) will they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (tales, stories, fiction).
Here at BBN Bible Institute we have 17 courses available in our Bible Doctrines Studies division. We urge you to select one of these courses (or another one) and let God teach you these necessary truths so that you will know what you believe, and so that you will be better able to articulate your beliefs to others. Your church needs your Pastor, you, and others to be watchful that the teachings in your church ministries do not drift from what the Bible teaches. Truth does not change and become irrelevant. Error must be noticed and confronted. It does matter that our beliefs line up with the Bible.