Becoming Wise To That Which Is Good

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them

 which cause divisions and offenses contrary 

to the doctrine which ye have learned; 

and avoid them. 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 innocent. For our 

obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad

therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have 

you wise unto that which is good and simple 

concerning evil. And the God of peace shall 

bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace 

of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Romans 16:17-20 

     There is a problem here and that is about doctrine, teaching as the word means in Greek. What is this problem? It is what is the truth, the truthful doctrine, the truthful teaching? When, as it is done so often in Churches today is to speak more about psychological helps, that people can become a better person, a person who can be seen as a "good" person, that about what the Bible actually says about God, about Jesus Christ, about man, and about sin, and about salvation. What men and women, even children are hearing seems so plausible as to be true except they have no reference to know if it is true or not. This betrays the very reason why Paul wrote to watch out for those who bring a different gospel, another teaching (doctrine) and lead away the innocent, that is those that do not know the truth. If our Reason told us that something is true and good, that our relation is perceived by Reason the importance of Scripture is replaced by emotion and then a person feels as though they have reached acceptable worship. There is a loss of the consciousness of sin, personal sin, an understanding that man is fallen in nature and will be so until Jesus returns and a new body, one that is immutable, immortal is your body. 

     Liberal Churches, and I believe even in some Authentic Christian Churches that teach Authentic Christian Faith a loss occurs due to such as teaching that Christianity is a religion of the broken hearted. This does not mean that Christianity ends with a broken heart; we do not mean the the attitude and characteristic of a Christian is one that crying "Woe is me." This is not to be found in Scripture, although at times we feel broken hearted over something we did that we know is against the will of God, His commands and precepts. Here is Christianity: sin has been faced once for all time, destroyed; and by the grace of God, it is destroyed. This occurred when God entered into the virgin Mary, lived among men and died as an innocent man which paid the price of sin for man. No, even though you have come to believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you still live in this old body with its old soul. It is that while we wait for the return of Jesus we have the ability to live and grow whereby sin has no control over your life. Oh, you may falter at times for your humanity remains, but if you are building upon your relationship with Jesus your humanity will desire less and less to sin and you have the help of the Holy Spirit that lives within you; that is, if you will allow the Holy Spirit to work in you. How is this done? You come to know the Gospel as it was taught from the beginning and you examine what others are teaching, their doctrinal positions against that foundation from the beginning of Christianity and even in the Old Testament. When you find that a person, no matter how intelligent, how eloquent a speaker, is teaching a doctrine that is not of the truth once delivered you mark that one, you leave that one behind and find a Church, a teacher that is teaching what was laid down from the beginning. 

     The errors of those early men and women in the Christian Church, those who were teaching a form of Christianity that was not of the truth and this from some who were living even when the Apostle John lived, are to be found alive and well in many of today's Churches. Those errors do not pass away, they simple are changed in form. Every person in a Church, those who call themselves Authentic Christians must do their part, it is not just the part for the Pastor, or elders, or deacons, no, it is everyone's part to proclaim the law of God by their lives, their words and by this those secrets hidden in the hearts of men shall be revealed. Yes by those things man come to produce a sense of the consciousness of sin and even come to an experience that they are sinners, but the experience itself comes from God. It is God alone who can produce a change in man. It is only by the Holy Spirit of God that man can come to change due to their consciousness of sin. Without the consciousness of sin, the Gospel will be nothing more than a tale, a story. There is no need for an attempt within ourselves to produce this sin consciousness outside of our knowledge of Scripture, what God has revealed. It is Scripture that reveals to man sin, to convict a man of sin. It is Scripture that reveals to man something more: it brings to man "light" the "truth" and the Gospel is not some fable story, rather it is seen as what it is: The truth of God. Liberal Christianity attempts to modify the message of the Gospel. Sin is hardly spoken about, oh, they do call for people to convert, but those people are converting to something other than a "real" consciousness of sin revealed to them be the Holy Spirit through the truth of Scripture. 

     Modern, liberal preachers and teachers are attempting to bring into the Church people and are not requiring them to relinquish their pride and are attempting for those people to avoid the conviction of sin. Think upon this: we have the Bible, we have the narrative about Jesus Christ, you that something that is "good" that which is "good" for you and your belief then must conform to the Authentic Christian Faith that it proclaims. Nothing else will do!

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is

     good; and what doth the LORD require

of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, 

     and to walk humbly with they God.

                             Micah 6:8

Obedience is required of you

Richard L. Crumb