How Wrong Teaching Destabilizes Believers • Deshen Daily

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15 KJV)

God’s House, the Church, is built upon truth as its foundation. When this foundation of truth is corrupted, the building erected on it collapses. As one of the stones in God’s House, your life is established on truth and destabilized by falsity, lies, or error.

The foundation of truth has at least three critical dimensions. These dimensions are truth as a Person (the Truth), truth as accurate knowledge, and truth as what we know and accept as true. I have described these three related dimensions of truth in a corresponding Deshen Daily devotional. For this devotional, keep in mind this critical fact: Jesus is the solid rock foundation (the Truth), and that Truth comes to us as the accurate knowledge of the Bible (teachings, doctrines), and we build the houses of our lives by knowing and believing the teachings we receive.

When we believe the accurate knowledge of God—such as Jesus died for our sins— our faith is established, and our spiritual lives are built like a house on a rock. Faith requires accurate knowledge to function. Therefore believing the wrong doctrine—false teaching—destabilizes and destroys our faith. An example of faith shipwrecked by bad teaching is described by the Apostle Paul:

“And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some.” (2 Timothy 2:17–18 KJV)

During the time of Paul, Hymenaeus and Philetus destroyed and overthrew the faith of believers by teaching that the resurrection of the believers had already taken place. Does that sound like some of the theological viewpoints or arguments we deal with today? Someone recently sent me an email with an elaborate theological argument to defend his position that the second coming of Jesus already took place when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70. Hymenaeus and Philetus might be dead, but their spirit (or disposition) is still present. Beware of wrong teaching or doctrine; it will render your faith ineffective and impotent.

Since truth is pivotal to the Church’s health and effectiveness, it is no wonder Satan has a vested interest in doctrines, pulpits, and false teachings. Furthermore, your best protection against false teaching is not merely seeking a trusted Bible teacher or a good Church. That is just one part of the equation. The other part, the most important, is for you to be grounded personally in the scriptures. But alas, many believers do not like to read and study the Word of God for themselves! May the Lord help protect His Church from Hymenauses and Philetuses.

Do you think sincerity replaces the need for accurate knowledge?

Faith stands on accurate knowledge. We cannot obtain Biblical results by believing the wrong things. Whatever or whoever convinces you to believe the wrong thing, whether about the Holy Spirit, healing, prosperity, heaven, etc., ruins your faith. Be grounded in the truth of the scriptures.

Ask the Spirit to encourage us to seek to be established in the accurate knowledge of the scriptures.