Be On Guard

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 

1 John 4:1-2

The phrase en garde is French, which means to be on guard, a call to a fencer to adopt a defensive stance in readiness for an attack or bout. Christians need to be alert to the false teaching that tries to infiltrate the Church. Eighteen months ago, Ligonier Ministries published a survey they conduct every two years entitled "The State of Theology." The following is their statement about the survey:

What do Americans believe about God, salvation, ethics, and the Bible? Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research partnered to find out. Every two years, we take the theological temperature of the United States to help Christians better understand today's culture and to equip the Church with better insights for discipleship.

What they discovered should not surprise us. However, it should be a warning of how false teaching has affected the Church. I will share some of the results of that survey with you.

1. God learns and adapts to different circumstances.

   1. U.S. Adults-51% agree

   2. U.S. Evangelical-43% agree 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

2. Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God.

   1. U.S. Adults-70% agree

   2. U.S. Evangelical-48% agree

There is none righteous, not even one; Romans 3:10

3. The Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true.

   1. U.S. Adults-53% agree

   2. U.S. Evangelical-10% agree

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16

4. Gender identity is a matter of choice.

   1. U.S. Adults-42% agree

   2. U.S. Evangelical-22% agree

He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, Matthew 19:4

5. The Bible's condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn't apply today.  

   1. U.S. Adults-46% agree

   2. U.S. Evangelical -28 % agree

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Leviticus 18:22

6. Religious belief is a matter of personal opinion; it is not about objective truth. 

   1. U.S. Adults-60% agree

   2. U.S. Evangelical -20 % agree

   3. 
      

7. God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

   1. U.S. Adults-67% agree

   2. U.S. Evangelical -39 % agree

8. Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.

   1. U.S. Adults-53% agree

   2. U.S. Evangelical -27 % agree

As you can see in the survey, too many people who claim to be believers have non-biblical views on God and what the Bible teaches about sin. Christians, be on guard against those claiming to be believers yet seeking to deceive the elect (Galatians 5:7-9).    

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark

NOTE: Evangelicals were defined by LifeWay Research as people who strongly agreed with the following four statements:

1. The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.

2. It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.

3. Jesus Christ's death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.

4. Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God's free gift of eternal salvation.