Wind of Doctrine
Be anchored
Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
It is important for each of us to read/study the Bible for ourselves. When we do so, the Holy Spirit is able to bring the appropriate scripture to mind when needed. Sometimes, we may hear someone teaching something that does not line up with what the bible says. The Holy Spirit, if we have read/studied the Word, will bring the bible verse to mind that refutes that teaching.
Paul wrote in Galatians 1:8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. Paul was saying, do not be misled by anyone, even an angel, who teaches contrary to the gospel. The only way we can know if a message is contrary, is to know the truth as taught in God’s word. There is a danger in thinking that just because a message is brought by someone who is “famous”; someone who is well known in the ministry, that what they are sharing must be accurate. This is the basis on which cults are formed.
Pray before reading the bible and ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding. The bible is a spiritual book and must be spiritually discerned. This same Holy Spirit is in you, if you are born-again, and will teach you. One of the basic things to understand is that there are two covenants. The Old Testament lays out the first covenant. The covenant of law. This covenant states the things that are acceptable to God and those that are not. Man was unable to keep the law. Sin is so much a part of man’s nature that he was unable to live righteously before God. The only person able to do this was Jesus. When Jesus died and was resurrected, He established a new covenant. A covenant of grace—where we are no longer required to be saved by works but by faith in Jesus’ finished work. When we confess that we are sinners and ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins and come into our hearts, we are given the right standing that Jesus has before God the Father.
This does not mean that we should willfully sin. It does mean that if we do, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Sin will not cause us to lose our salvation; it will cause the Holy Spirit to not move as mightily in us. The bible tells us to not quench the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).
Reading the bible for ourselves will keep us from being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). When God’s Word is hidden in our hearts through reading and studying the Bible, we are empowered to live a more consistent life not subject to wrong teachings and false beliefs. Thank God for preachers and teachers (to which I am called) but do not neglect to read/study the bible for yourself.