Avoid Unbiblical Doctrine & Practice

Transcript

GR 1482
10/09/11
Avoid Unbiblical Doctrine and Practice
Romans 16:17-20
Gil Rugh

We're going to Romans 16, we're coming to the end of the study of Romans. Paul has unfolded through the book of Romans the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, the most wonderful, liberating, thrilling message ever been given on the face of the earth that Almighty God has provided salvation for sinful human beings, made it possible for us to know what it is to be cleansed from our sin, its defilement, to be pure, whiter than snow as the prophet Isaiah said, clean in God's sight. That's the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news that through His death and resurrection Jesus Christ has paid in full the penalty for sin, provided righteousness for the unrighteous so that when we come to believe in Him the power of God transforms us and we are born again and become the children of God.

As Paul has brought to a conclusion this letter in Romans 16, he has given a series of greetings to different people connected with the church at Rome. And we noted that is interesting because Paul has never been to visit personally the church at Rome and yet he mentions 20-some people, I believe 26 people her down through verse 16. He has had contact with them at various times, he has come to know of them in their ministries, he has a great appreciation for them. And he wants them to receive his greeting and be prepared for when he'll come and have personal contact with them.

Romans 16:16 said, greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. You would think that would be about the conclusion of the letter, but then he says in verse 17, now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned and turn away from them. It seems like an abrupt, negative way to end the letter. After you've given these warm greetings, you've commented about the godly character and contribution to the work of the Lord a number have made, now you come in with an exhortation to watch out for the troublemakers and don't have anything to do with them. But it fits the flow if you think about it. Paul has great appreciation for the ministry of the church at Rome, he has said in Romans 1:8 that their testimony for Christ has become known throughout the world. Remember Rome is in effect, if you will, the capital of the world, it's the capital of the Romans Empire. This church's testimony is well known. The people there that he has referred to have manifested godly service for the Lord. With the church being used in this way there is danger, and that is the devil is at work in the world to oppose the work that God is doing in the world. And part of His work is to infiltrate among believers in the church and confuse them through the teaching of error and falsehood.

You're at the end of Romans, right after Romans are the letter to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. Turn over to 2 Corinthians, Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. You remember Paul is in the city of Corinth when he writes the letter to the Romans and later he will write two letters to the Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 3, Paul says in verse 18, we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. What is happening is as we as believers study the Word of God, Paul says the Word of God is like a mirror and it is showing us the glory of the Lord. And something supernatural is occurring as we study the Word of God—the Spirit of God is transforming us within and bringing us into greater conformity with the character of our Lord so that we manifest more of His character in our lives. We are maturing, we are the sons of God manifesting more of His character in our lives.

When you come down into 2 Corinthians 4 he does give a warning. This is a difficult ministry, verse 4, the ministry of the Word of God. Since we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. There is a difficulty in the ministry of the Word but Paul says we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God. That's a key issue in what we are going to be talking about in these verses before us in Romans 16—making changes, additions or subtractions to the Word of God. Paul says, we don't do that. We're not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God. But by the manifestation of truth we are commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world, referring to Satan, we'll see him in a moment in Romans 16 called the god of this world, small “g.” He has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. It is a work of Satan in the world to keep people from seeing and understanding and believing the message of Jesus Christ, keeping them from placing their faith in the One who loved them and died for them, keeping them in spiritual darkness, if you will.

Now what is going on that Paul is concerned about is that the church at Rome not be impacted by this work of the devil which will involve having people who corrupt the Word of God infiltrate among believers and begin to promote a false gospel, to teach things that are contrary to what God has revealed in His Word. It is a repeated warning through the New Testament as we will see.

Come back to Romans 16. Paul has a great love for the believers in the church at Rome and he begins verse 17 by saying, I urge you, brethren. Here he doesn't say, I command you, with the authority of an apostle, but there is more warmth here. I urge you, I beseech you, brethren, fellow believers in Jesus Christ. Keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned. And turn away from them. Keep your eye on certain people, they are troublemakers. They teach things different than you have been taught. Now the standard is not what you were taught when you were raised up, not what your church teaches or believes, not what this church teaches or believes, not what a particular denomination teaches or believes. Keep you eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned. What Paul has taught in the book of Romans, what the other apostles and prophets of the time taught, what we have now as our Bibles, the Word of God. He is warning about those who would teach things contrary to what God has revealed—His truth. He says, keep your eye on them. The Greek word here, skapane. We're familiar with it, we tell someone, go scope it out. We have various uses of the word to scope come from this Greek word. It means to watch out, keep an eye on something. It may mean to be careful about something as you have examined it. They are to watch out for those who would bring different teaching, bringing or causing dissensions and divisions among believers.

Turn over to Philippians 3. Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi, we have it as Paul's letter to the Philippians. And in Philippians 3:17, same kind of address and warning. Brethren, fellow believers in the church at Phlippi, Paul is writing. Join in following my example and observe. There is our word translated keep an eye on, same Greek word as we had in Romans 16, keep an eye on. Here Paul says, keep an eye on those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. So in Romans 16, keep an eye on, watch out for those teaching things contrary to what I have taught you. Now in Philippians he says, keep your eyes out and watch us and those who walk according to the pattern you have in us, those whose life and teaching is like our life and teaching, as the apostles, the Apostle Paul and the others. Keep your eye on those, watch them.

Why? For many walk of whom I often told you and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite. Paul is going to use this same type of expression in a moment in Romans 16. Whose god is their appetite, literally their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. So believers have to be watching out, keeping their eyes on two kinds of people—those who cause dissensions because you want to avoid them, and those who are godly and biblical in their teaching and lifestyle and you want to imitate them. Either way believers are to be alert and watching, paying attention.

Come back to Romans 16. Keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances. Dissensions, divisions, conflicts. The only other use of this particular Greek word in the New Testament is in Galatians 5:20 where it is one of the works of the flesh, a manifestation of sin dominating a life. It causes division. Keep your eye on those who cause divisions and hindrances. We're familiar with this Greek word as well, scandalon. Scandals. It means to put an obstacle, basically, in the path of someone to hinder them. Watch out for those who cause dissensions and put obstacles contrary to the teaching which you have learned. This is the standard, the truth that God has revealed. The Word of God is the standard, what Paul has written in the letter to the Romans which we have spent some time studying, the other portions of the Scripture. Contrary to the teaching which you learned. Again, this is not the traditions of a church, this is the Word of God. And anyone teaching things contrary to the Word of God, you want to watch out for them, keep an eye on them.

And then the end of verse 17, turn away from them. This is narrow. But you'll note here, it's not those who are teaching the Word of God who cause dissensions and conflict and put obstacles in people's way, it is people who teach things contrary to the Word of God who are causing the divisions, the dissensions. It's people who teach things contrary to the Word of God who put obstacles in people's way that keep them from coming to salvation through faith in the gospel, who keep them from growing to maturity in Christ. This is crucial because we get confused on this. We sometimes think, well, we ought to be broader, more open. This is a narrow way. Jesus said, the way to life is through a narrow gate and traveling a narrow way. There is a broad gate and a broad way, but that leads to eternal destruction. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me. Period. That's narrow, that means every other religion, every other teaching anywhere in the world is wrong. That's narrow. Well then don't we cause dissensions and trouble and put obstacles if people think we are narrow? It's God's way or no way. Well, you think you are right and everybody is wrong. No, I don't think I'm right and everybody is wrong. I think God is right and everyone who disagrees with Him is wrong. I am right when I agree with God, I am wrong when I disagree with the Word of God. Is that true for you? It's true for everyone. God is the authority in this.

So it is narrow, it is God's way. You say, well, that's your interpretation. That's why we spent some time not too long ago talking about hermeneutics, interpreting the Bible, how do we interpret the Bible. And we interpret it normally. Isn't it amazing we can communicate with one another? We do it all the time just naturally in all walks of life. You go to the grocery store, you talk, they understand. You go to work, you talk, they understand. It just goes on in the course of life. People read the Bible and they say, everybody has his own interpretation. What kind of God would that be who created us to communicate with one another with words and then He decided to communicate with us with words and He did such a poor job of it, everybody who reads it thinks He said something different? That's an attack on the character of God, He can't even communicate. Is that a God you would serve and worship? Is that a God who could be God? Well everybody has his own interpretation. That has to be one of the stupidest statements a person could make, that God spoke in such a confused way that everybody thinks He said something different. So He really didn't communicate. No, He communicated clearly. People don't like what He said so they try to twist it.

But it's clear. I mean, we're going through it word by word, I urge you, brethren. How many interpretations can you have with that? Parakaleo, to urge, that's a Greek word and an English word. The English word means what the Greek word means, to urge, to beseech. Brethren, fellow believers. Keep your eye on. Well, we know about that. We talk like that, that's not so hard. On those who cause dissensions. We basically would understand that. If you'd say somebody at work is causing dissension, you'd know what it means. Why is that so confusing when you read it in the Bible? Hindrances. Put obstacles in the way of people. Contrary to the teaching you learned. Turn away from them. Does anybody not know what it means to turn away from them? Avoid them? Don't have anything to do with them. You tell your kids that. There are certain friends that they might want to associate with, you say, I don't want you to have anything to do with them, avoid them.

We really understand what the Word of God says. God says, all have sinned. I wonder what that means, I wonder who He means. He said all. Well that couldn't mean all because that would mean me. I mean, you see, the Word of God is clear. It's not a matter of how would you understand it. Understand it like you understand any conversation.

You turn away from those teaching contrary to the Word of God. You are to have nothing to do with their teaching. Now you know what the encouraging thing of this is? It presupposes that you understand what God has said. Right? If you're going to keep your eye on those who are teaching things contrary to what you have been taught, to what the Bible teaches, God expects you to understand it. He expects me to understand it. I'm encouraged that the eternal God who has created all things has spoken. And He has spoken is such a way, He is not just communicating to scholars or language experts, He's communicating to average, ordinary people. And we as God's people are expected and required to recognize false teaching, to recognize teaching that is contrary to what the apostles and prophets who wrote our New Testament wrote. And to have nothing to do with them, avoid them. A reminder that the word of God is given to be understood. It was written to ordinary people, fisherman like Peter, John, James. And if it's out of the Old Testament, shepherds like the Israelites. Common, ordinary people. And now through faith in Christ some of these people make up the church at Rome and they are to know when someone is teaching something contrary to the Word of God.

And avoid them. Turn over to 1 Corinthians 5:9, I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people. I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, but with the covetous and swindlers and with idolaters. For then you would have to go out of the world. When Paul says, I don't want you to associate with immoral people, he's not talking about you can't go to work tomorrow because somebody that you work with is immoral. But actually I wrote you not to associate with any so-called brother, anyone who claims to be a believer in Jesus Christ, if he is an immoral person, covetous, idolater, reviler, drunkard, swindler, not even to eat with such a one. The end of verse 13, remove the wicked man from among yourselves. You avoid these kinds of people, you have nothing to do with them, and you don't tolerate them in the church. Does that mean unbelievers aren't welcome to come to the church here? They are, we want to make them feel welcome. But those who profess to be believers here are under the authority of the Word of God and it's not acceptable if someone comes and practices immorality, claiming to be a believer in Jesus Christ and a part of this church. We disassociate ourselves, there is conduct.

Come over to 2 Thessalonians, Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians. You see a consistency, it comes up repeatedly in these New Testament letters, in instructing the churches. 2 Thessalonians 3:6, now we command you, brethren, fellow believers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is as the authority of Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, that you keep away from every brother, every fellow Christian, everyone who is called a Christian, called a believer. Every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. The tradition you received from us is not the traditions that we've practiced over time. The tradition you received from us is the Word of God. That comes up clearly.

Come down to verse 14, if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter. That's the tradition you received from them, the Word of God that has been given through Paul in this letter for example, to the Thessalonians. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. I mean, if there is a family member, believer in Christ who is off track doctrinally or in his practice, we are to break off fellowship with him. But we still want to take opportunity when we can to exhort him to get right with the Lord. The same point made.

2 Timothy 3, the chapter begins, realize this that in the last days difficult times will come. Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power. Avoid such men as these. When the doctrine is wrong, when the practice is unbiblical, we don't want to be involved with them. That doesn't mean you don't have a job where you work with varieties of kinds of people, but we as the church of Jesus Christ are to manifest the character of God in our lives and maintain purity in our walk. Avoid such men as these. Now they want to infiltrate the church. There are those, verse 7, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Come over to Titus, we'll stop here with Titus 3. And this is very similar to the way it's worded even in Romans 16. Titus 3:10, reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and sinning, being self-condemned. A factious man is one causing division in the body by teaching things contrary to the Word of God, by having a lifestyle that is contrary to the Word of God. That is not acceptable. You know where we even as believers get into trouble, when because of extenuating circumstances, if I can put it that way, we don't obey the Word. Well, I know them, I know they are sincere people. I don't think we want to deal that way with them. Do you know more than God? That's really what I'm saying when I say that, isn't it? This is what God says but I think they are sincere, I think they are good people, I've known them for a long time. And the closer our relationship the more difficult it is. Of course it is difficult. That's why we see these instructions and warnings given in letter after letter after letter in the New Testament. It's easy to study it and say it, it's when it gets close to home that it is hard.

You are to reject a factious man after the first and second warnings. Now one of the ways heresies get in, we say, let's give it time and let's see here. Maybe there is something to what they are saying. And while you are doing that the error is spreading and it becomes more difficult to deal with. When those who promote heresy, I'm just trying to be biblical, I'm open. Well, as long as they just want to be biblical and they are open, but they are not allowed to promote their false teaching. They are not allowed to promote a corrupt lifestyle.

Come back to Romans 16. This is an issue that comes up every time we have church discipline because if it is somebody who has been part of the fellowship, it is somebody we have known, perhaps somebody very close to us. When it's necessary to deal with false teaching, it always comes up. Well, I know them. What does that have to do with it? I mean, for me to say, I know them, does that mean they are allowed to teach false teaching? Or is that corrupt lifestyle acceptable now because Gil knows them? The standard is the Word of God. That has to be the standard for me, the preacher, and you. All of us together. Right?

So what does he say back in Romans 16:17? You keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned and turn away from them. You don't have anything to do with them. That's it, that's God's solution. You continue to be exposed to it, you know what will happen? You will begin to be corrupted by it. It is going on. Evangelicalism today is being corrupted through and through, tolerating false teaching. I was reading a leading evangelical school this week in a secular magazine. You would know the school. They now have an alumni association comprised of 250 professing homosexuals—homosexuals, lesbians and transgender. That's part of the alumni association. Now the school's doctrinal position is still, we think it is sin. But we are not making an issue of it. What does that mean? Paul says this is sin, but don't make an issue of it. You are to avoid. You know what happens? It spreads. Here is a secular magazine and this is what this leading evangelical school, professors there have written, encouraging these students in this organization, but they wouldn't let their names be used because they could lose their jobs. Now what kind of integrity is that? I mean, I'm signing a doctrinal statement, I'm taking a position the school requires, but I don't believe it. You know if we're talking about a secular school, that's one thing; we're talking about a school. And here is a secular magazine that has the article about it.

How does this happen? Well, we don't want to deal with things. I mean, this is a teaching contrary. Yes, but, we don't want to be known as narrow. It comes up all the time. What do you say? We have an issue now over whether you should say Mormonism is a cult. I got on this week and looked through the sources going back many years and that. I didn't find any evangelicals who didn't recognize Mormonism as a cult. Now today it's a terrible thing to say it is a cult. Do you believe Jesus Christ was the son of Adam and Mary? Do you believe we are all becoming gods? But don't say it's a cult, you'll be narrow. I'm not getting into the politics of this, I don't care about the politics of it. I care about where we as Christians stand and do we want to be viewed as narrow. We want to be viewed as ____________, it might create a hindrance to someone coming to Christ. Do you know what creates a hindrance to someone coming to Christ? When we are not faithful with the truth. That's a device of the devil, when we fail to be biblical.

So when Paul tells the church at Rome to keep their eye out for these kinds of teachers, it's a serious warning. Avoid them. Why? It gets worse. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ. I like the way that is put—slaves not of our Lord Christ. Who is our Lord? Christ. What does it mean? If He is Lord, we are His slaves as believers. But these men are not slaves of our Lord Christ, but of their own appetites. Literally, their own bellies. Remember I told you we would come to that. We read in Philippians 3, whose god is their bellies, their appetites. Literally, their bellies. Appetites, bellies, themselves. Their own desires. They are slaves all right, but not of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are slaves of their own desires. And by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

Come over to 1 Timothy. I was going to have you go over to Philippians again, but we won't. You'll remember it, right? 1 Timothy 6:3, if anyone advocates a different doctrine. That word translated doctrine is just the Greek word for teaching. Anyone advocates a different teaching, different doctrine does not agree with sound words, healthy words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine conforming to godliness. So it's both the teaching and the practice, the teaching and the life that conforms to the teaching. The doctrine conforming to godliness. He is conceited and understands nothing, but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions, disputes about words out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicion, constant friction between men of depraved mind, deprived of the truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. They serve themselves. Oh, no, I'm sure they are sincere. Well let me tell you what the God who searches the hearts, the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things, Jeremiah 17 says. Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart. That's the One who knows the heart. He tells me what the heart is like, I don't tell Him. Anyone advocating a different teaching than the teaching of the Word of God doesn't agree with sound words, healthy teaching, healthy words, those that our Lord Jesus Christ have given. That's what the Scripture is. Remember we studied that not too long ago—the Bible is the Word of God, this is God's message to man. He is conceited and understands nothing.

So what do they do? They bring controversy. I'm sincere, I'm earnest, I'm open to search this out. I just want to know more. And that sets us back. That's why Paul told Titus, after a first and second admonition, they have to go. Otherwise they mire you down in endless controversies, discussion. It goes on and on and on, never gets resolved because one leads to another, leads to another, leads to another. They say, we're never done. You say, well, maybe they have something. If it doesn't agree with the Word of God, there is nothing to talk about except repentance. You must repent of the error you are teaching. It's not biblical, it's wrong. I mean, every error that infects the church comes with some kind of guise that this is a biblical possibility otherwise we wouldn't be open to it. Right? We have teachers now denying the substitutionary atonement of the death of Christ, claiming to be evangelicals, claiming to be Christians. Denying the eternal hell, denying the morality that the Bible teaches when God created man and woman, denying that God even knows the future Himself. I mean, what kind of God is that who doesn't know tomorrow? I mean, these kinds of things, these are among evangelicals. Now I'm not talking about those out there, I'm talking about those who profess to be Christians, evangelicals, believe the Bible. They claim to believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, even. You say, if they believe that, we just can't reject them. We reject them because what they are teaching is false. It is contrary to the Word of God.

They understand nothing. They are conceited, they are arrogant, they are promoting their own ideas. Of course the Scripture can be twisted, but those who twist it do it to their own destruction, remember Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3.

Come back to Romans 16. You see what happens, by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. They are good with words, they are good communicators, they seem to have a personality that goes with what they are saying and they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. If we're not keeping an eye on them, watching out for them, avoiding them we open ourselves to the teaching.

I've shared with you, years ago I was in a doctrinal program at a school, theological school that claimed to be evangelical. And I had to go into the dean's office and tell him I can't stay. Why? I might come out like you, not just you as a person but you as a school. I said, can I just sit here and be exposed to this and be exposed to this and think it won't impact me? That I know the Scripture says, avoid this, but I don't have to. And I'm going to have these teachers that are corrupting the truth of God and I'm just going to sit there day after. You know it works on you because you know what he said to me? Gil, we love having you in the program. We'll keep a spot for you open and when anytime you want, you come back. I got out of there thinking, Gil, why do you have to be such a hard-nosed, narrow-minded guy? You are so nice. And with their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. I don't want to be that, you don't want to be that. We're not going to be gullible. That's where we are going here.

Why is this necessary? For the report of your obedience has reached to all. That's where he started out in Romans 1:8. Their testimonies had a worldwide impact and so you know that's going to open you up to the attacks of the devil. The report of our obedience has reached to all. I want that obedience to continue. If you allow yourself to be deluded or turned from the truth of God, that will have an impact beyond your church. If we as a church fail to continue to stand for the Word of God, that will have an impact beyond even our local church and be used of the devil to spread the error. Not that we're the only church, but that's true for every church.

Every time I hear a ministry that has moved in to accept that false doctrine or immorality has taken place, it's like a personal blow. I think, oh, no. It affects us, affects the testimony for Christ. You know what that's like. You cringe when you see something on the news where someone has been a professing believer, has done something, or is conducting . . . You think, oh, no. Why? It impacts your testimony because you know those you've been sharing the gospel with are going to make a connection. It's the way the devil works.

The report of your obedience has reached to all. Therefore, I am rejoicing over you. Paul is writing this to warn them but he is thrilled with them and their testimony. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. Wise in what is good, innocent in what is evil. Remember what Jesus said, you be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Same idea. I want to be wise in what is good and absorbed in that and have no involvement in evil. No involvement in evil. That's the point, innocent in evil. Like you tell your kids, you want them to be innocent but you don't want them to be gullible. You don't want them going out thinking everybody in the world is good and you can trust everybody. No, but you don't want them involved in the evilness of the world. That's what he is saying. So here for the church, the family of God—I want you to be wise in what is good and thus discerning for anything contrary to what is good, which is the will of God. And innocent in what is evil. Don't want you getting involved, ensnared in any way.

Come over to 2 Corinthians 11. You know, you never forget we are in a spiritual battle here, and that's where we're coming in the next verse and this verse will transition us. 2 Corinthians 11:3. The analogy here is of a marriage. Verse 2, I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that is to Christ that I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. What's going on? For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you've not received, or a different gospel which you've not accepted, you bear this beautifully. You see the problem with the church at Corinth? They were proud that they were more open than Paul. And well, their gospel may have some variations to ours, but we're open to that. They may have a different view on this teaching than Paul taught, but that's all right. I mean, we don't have to be so narrow. He said, you put up with these things beautifully, but you know in doing that you have to oppose the truth.

And there is something happening in evangelicalism. The harshest language is being directed to those who limit themselves to the truth of God. You read some of this current literature, and I don't encourage you to do it but I do it to be aware of what is going on. Their most scathing attacks are on those who are committed to the truth of God. Remarkable.

Come down to 2 Corinthians 11:13, for such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. Do you see why we have to be alert? The devil is masterful. He didn't come in the Garden to Eve and say, I want to tell you a lie that will result in your spiritual, physical and without the intervention of God eternal death. He says, I want to tell you that you can be like God. Now isn't that exciting? He's a master deceiver. Don't think you can go head to head with the devil. We cannot. He's a master deceiver, his servants are master deceivers. I'm often asked about false teachers, do you think they know what they are doing. I don't know. Some do, some don't. Some are so deluded by the devil that they think they are preaching what is right. That doesn't change it. That's why I have to stick with the Word of God. What does the Scripture say? That's the standard. He's going to hold me accountable for it. I mean, what's going to be the excuse? Well, Lord, I didn't take it that way.

How often do your kids get by with that when you tell them something that they are to do, something they are not to do. They come back and say, I didn't interpret it that way. They'll learn about interpretation, won't they. There is one interpretation, it's what I meant when I said it, and you knew that. And the fact you tried to twist it doesn't change. That's the way it is with God. He said it here. We've read these verses. We've read a lot of verses today, which ones were so hard to interpret and understand? They are all pretty clear when we read them. The work of the devil. He disguises himself and pretends to be an angel of light and his servants do the same, disguising themselves as servants of righteousness. Pretending to be promoting righteousness when they are promoting the doctrine of demons. Pretty clear. Well, I don't know whether I want to believe in a devil. Well that may be what you want to do or not do, but you oughtn't to say the Word of God doesn't teach it. It teaches there is a devil, there are demons, they work.

Come back to Romans 16 and we're done. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Interesting connection of expressions here. The God of peace, that's what I like, will crush Satan under your feet. Where did this come from? I thought we were talking about false teachers and being careful. The next thing we're talking about the God of peace. Doesn't sound very peaceful to me. He's going to crush Satan. It's like the wrath of the Lamb in the book of Revelation. People like to pick up the parts they like about God. I like to think about the love of God, I believe God is a God of love. I don't believe He's a God of wrath. As though we can pick and choose like it's a smorgasboard. You pick out what you like about God and you reject what you don't like. You have the wrath of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, in the book of Revelation. Usually we think of a lamb as meek and weak sometimes. No, it is the wrath of the Lamb that will bring the destruction of the wicked.

Here the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Allusion back drawing from Genesis 3:15 with the seed of the serpent and seed of the woman. It will crush the head of the serpent. How does this come in? Well behind all this false teaching and false doctrine is always the activity of the devil. Remember Paul's writing to Timothy, there will come a time when professing believers will not want to hear healthy teaching, but will pay attention to the doctrine of demons because it is what they want to hear.

God is going to destroy Satan. Revelation 19 and then into Revelation 20 where the final destruction of Satan will occur and he is cast into the lake of fire forever. The destruction of Satan. He'll be crushed under your feet. What do you mean, under our feet? Under the feet of believers. In other words believers will be given the victory, the peace will be won. Through all eternity there will be peace. Why? Because Satan and all his followers will be consigned in hell, defeated. There will be peace because God will have destroyed all His enemies, sentencing them to an eternal hell.

So we oughtn't to be discouraged. Sometimes I have to admit I look and read what is going on in churches and evangelicalism and I think, what's the point? It's a losing battle, just goes on. Wait, it's not a losing battle, it's a winning battle. The battle has already been won. Jesus Christ has been raised the victor and the battle goes on and it's not pleasant. He is not a nice opponent. His goal is our destruction and our ruin. But we have a Savior, we have a God who rules over all. And so, yes, we serve our Lord Christ. We want to keep our eyes out, there are no adjustments. The Savior that I serve is more precious to me than my most precious family, my closest friends. I cannot compromise the Word of God because of. That's difficult. We have experienced that, we do. We are human, we are but dust. He knows our frame. That's why this is written for us. I begin to go soft, my emotions begin to overwhelm me and I don't even want to do what is right. But I have to when I want to and when I don't. I must submit myself to the Word of God.

So we want to be a church on the alert, not because we are the only ones right. We want to be examining ourselves. Everything has to be tested by the Word of God. That doesn't mean we have to agree on every interpretation in every passage. Sometimes we have discussion among ourselves as teachers. We say, I understand this passage differently than you do. Well, you are wrong. No. Part of it comes, is it a question this passage is teaching this or is it not. It's not a question of whether this is taught in the Word of God, but is this being taught in this particular passage. And there can be disagreement on that. But the teaching of the Word of God is clear and we stand for that. We don't tolerate, we are narrow. Anything that is outside the bounds of Scripture. And we don't let anyone hide behind, well, it's all a matter of interpretation. Some things are not a matter of interpretation. God created Adam and Eve in His own image. If you say that's a myth and maybe there never was a literal Adam and Eve, you cannot teach here, you cannot promote that doctrine here even though it is a discussion among evangelicals today and some are promoting that that's acceptable. That's not what I read in the Scripture, that's not what you read in the Scripture. And that is true with other things. We draw the line. These things are not acceptable. If I have to divide from friends, I divide from friends; if I have to divide from physical family, I divided from physical family; if I have to divide from those that . . . I am a slave to my Lord Christ, you are as a believer in Jesus Christ as well.

And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet because through faith in Christ we share in the victory of Christ and thus the victory is ours.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the richness of your Word. Lord, we are in awe that you, the sovereign God, have sent your Son to be the Savior. We are in awe that that salvation is given as a free gift to each and every person who turns from their sin and places their faith in Jesus Christ as the One who loved them and died for them, the One who was raised from the dead and is alive today, the One who is coming again to bring an end to the activity of Satan and all his followers. Lord, our desire as the church you have established in this place is to be faithful to you, be faithful to the Word you have entrusted to us, to manifest in every and all activities that we are slaves of our Lord Christ. May we be faithful in doctrine, may we be faithful in practice. May our light shine brightly in the darkness of these days. We pray in Christ's name, amen.