What is Your Standard of Authority
in Matters of Religion?
A Question Often Ignored In Our Religious World Today.
Introduction
Perhaps you have heard someone say,
"It doesn’t really matter what a person believes, as long as he is
sincere."
"It doesn’t matter what church you are a member of. We’re all
going to heaven; we’re just going down different roads."
"It doesn’t really matter what we call ourselves, just as long as
we all consider ourselves to be Christians."
It seems increasingly common to find men today who deny there is such a thing
as absolute truth.
These men often deny that a specific belief can be positively defined as truth
or error.
Sadly, this is many times the case even in matters of religion.
And there is a reason men come up with these thoughts.
Whether a person believes absolute truth exists or not is determined by what
standard of authority he uses in determining truth.
We will see by the end of this sermon that the Bible is the absolute authority
in matters of religion.
Consider some of the false standards that are so predominant in the minds of
many.
Human Creeds
Consider Paul’s words to Timothy, "All scripture is 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 perfect, throughly furnished unto
all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The Bible provides us with all things that pertain unto life and godliness (2
Peter 1:3).
Human creeds are unnecessary and can only serve to lead men astray.
It is ironic that in just about every religious human creed that they declare
the Bible to be inspired, inerrant, infallible, and able to provide everything
man needs in his duty to God.
Then they continue with their creed which teaches things not found in the Bible.
Parents
Though it’s unimaginable that any parent would willingly lead his (or
her) children astray, it’s possible for a parent, albeit with good intentions,
to cause his children to believe error.
Paul wrote "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God"
(Romans 14:12).
When my life on earth is over and this world comes to an end, I will not be
judged according to my parents’ beliefs and behavior, but according to
my own beliefs and behavior (Ezekiel 18:20).
The Majority
"Surely," they say, "If the majority thinks something is right,
it must be right."
Or “That many people certainly can’t be wrong”.
But this too is a false standard of authority.
The Bible teaches we are not to follow a multitude to do evil (Exodus 23:2).
In reference to following a majority, Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait
gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow
is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew
7:13-14).
Look around! Most people live like there is no God.
Preachers
"I can trust my preacher. He knows more about the Bible than anyone else
I know."
But this too is a false standard of authority.
John wrote that we are to, "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets have gone out into the
world" (I John 4:1).
We ought to have the attitude of the Bereans who searched the scriptures daily
to see whether the things they heard were so (Acts 17:11).
Preachers are human.
While some do their very best to present the truth in its purity, and we should
hold them to such a standard.
Some fail at preaching the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Feelings
They may ask, "If I feel saved, how can I possibly be lost."
They may be members of a particular denomination because it makes them "feel
so spiritual."
But this too is a false standard of authority.
The prophet Jeremiah wrote, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not
in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jeremiah
10:23).
Men have often foolishly departed from God by choosing to do that which was
right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).
Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the
Lord weights the motives”.
Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end
is the way of death.
The Only Right Standard Is God’s Word
The only correct standard of authority is God’s word, the Bible.
The Bible, being inspired by God, completely furnishes us unto every good work
(II Timothy 3:16-17).
The Bible gives us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter
1:3)
And even though the word of God will abide forever, some still distort the word.
Peter says that some “wrest” the scriptures (2 Peter 3:16).
“Wrestle” is the idea you get with this word.
In Other Words, they twist its meanings and squirm around with difficult passages
to get them to where their mind wants them.
Rather than just take what God gives them, they make the word conform to their
ideals.
It would be no different than getting a recipe book to make cookies.
While the instructions are there, to get the desired results you still have
to do certain things.
Secure the right ingredients.
Mix them in the proper proportions.
Bake them for a specific amount of time.
Let’s assume that you do not have all the ingredients for your cookies.
Can we substitute an ingredient.
Can we substitute Tide soap for flour?
Can we substitute sugar with salt?
Yes we can, but what would be the results.
Common sense here, right?
So what makes men think they can substitute, add, or leave out any part of the
recipe that God gives them, and get the same result?
Common sense tells us that doing anything differently than what the Word of
God says will not bring about salvation.
We see in the New Testament that people were trying to change God’s word
even before it was written.
Galatians 1:6-10
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the
grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some
that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or
an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again,
if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let
him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men?
for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Because God’s word is our only authority in matters of religion, it must
not be added to, subtracted from, or altered in any way.
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of
this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the
words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the
book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written
in this book" (Revelation 22:18-19).
Because God’s word is our only authority in matters of religion, we will
all one day be judged by the word.
Jesus said, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one
that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the
last day" (John 12:48).
Revelation 20:11-12
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face
the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works”.
Conclusion
The people of the world use many different types of authority.
When all is said and done, we should seek the authority that comes from God.
We can never be united in religion until we accept God’s word as the only
standard of authority in matters of religion.
Friends, what is your standard?
By Carey Scott inspired by a lesson I read online.
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