Calling Out Error

“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.” (Ga 1:9 AV)

 

Paul was pretty adamant towards those who would subtly change the simple gospel of Christ into something more complex or obscure.  Lest we misunderstand what Paul is saying here, he is condemning all those who would pervert the gospel to suffer eternity in hell.  Remember to what he is referring.  Paul, when called back to Jerusalem, left an intact church in Galatia.  Upon his absence, unbelieving Jews entered into the congregation and convinced the saints that a portion of the law was also to be kept.  Specifically speaking, the keeping of circumcision.  The unbelieving Jews did not remove faith in Christ, they merely added to it.  On the face of it, to some, it may not appear to be all that serious.  It is only circumcision, after all.  Not a big deal.  Just get circumcised and all will be well.  Not to Paul, it wasn’t.  Changing the plan of salvation, even if by a small factor, will still lead people into a devil's hell.

There are so many examples to offer.  Let us consider the minor detail of internal temperature when cooking certain meats.  To the LORD’s credit, I have not suffered from food poisoning but a few times in my life.  Maybe once or twice.  However, I have seen cases of severe food poisoning.  Especially in my short term as a hospital chaplain.  I don’t know why this particular case stuck with me all these years, but I remember once such case decades ago.  I can still see the patient laying in his bed, writhing in pain because he ate food contaminated with bacteria.  Whether it was chicken cooked ten degrees from safety, or sushi that is eaten raw, whatever this fella ate cause great pain and even bleeding.  The doctors didn’t know if he was going to make it.  One might look at that restaurant and have no feelings towards it at all.  Perhaps this restaurant was negligent only this once.  If this restaurant didn’t change their procedure, more would be in similar circumstances.  There has to be some sort of reaction to a business that would either mistakenly or deliberately cause harm to another.  Where is the reaction?

I find a troubling trend among the true church of Jesus Christ.  I see toleration of false doctrine that costs men’s souls.  Doctrines which tell a man he cannot get saved because he has not been chosen.  Doctrines like salvation without repentance.  Doctrines like adding baptism.  Doctrines like a social gospel are as valid as the true gospel.  Doctrines like sacraments, tradition and even family lineage all creep into churches and lead the souls of men astray.  Where is the reaction?  Where is the preaching?  Where is the condemnation against false doctrine that costs men their souls?  Why is it that God’s people are being persuaded to tolerate error because we are to get along, or we don’t want to be perceived as self-righteous?  I have knocked on thousands of doors.  Most of those who have a foundation of knowledge regarding Jesus Christ, but are lost anyway.  Good works, sacraments, and wishful thinking are the crutches of the ignorant.  Where is the moral outrage against false teachers and prophets that spew this error?  The true church had better get a backbone or we will be guilty of the blood of the ignorant!