Preserving truth

2 JOHN 1:9-11 “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

In accounting they stress the importance of reliable data. If the data is not true and accurate then it cannot be relied upon to make decisions. For example, if your data tells you your bank account has $500 when in truth it only has $200, you will have a big problem on your hands if you write a check for $300.

Truth was an important concept to the apostle John. He used the word twenty-seven times in his gospel and twelve more times in his three small epistles, including five times in the first four verses of 2 John. It is easy to see why when you consider how not knowing the truth about the Bible can cause us to write spiritual checks God will not honor.

Reliable theology is one of the most important aspects of life. The Bible teaches us we need to seek redemption through Jesus in order to receive salvation and that salvation cannot be found elsewhere. However, many false prophets abound teaching doctrine contrary to this.

Not only should we stand firm in the truth, but we are also commanded not to support those spreading lies even with the smallest gesture. By even wishing them well John says we are partakers of their evil deeds. While this may seem extreme, consider this scenario: a serial killer is on the loose and stops at your house for help. If you had knowledge of who this person is and still allowed him into your house, then made a call to someone else that could help him then you are guilty of aiding and abetting and could face jail time.

Those spreading false doctrines are not much different from serial killers because when someone leads others away from the truth of Jesus, which can give them eternal life, they are murdering their eternal soul. When you allow false teachers into your home, when you bid them God speed which is essentially asking God to help them in their wicked ways, you are aiding and abetting a serial soul killer.

I am not sure just how much of a false teacher one has to be for this to apply to them but it is expedient to err to the side of caution when approached by someone who comes to you with doctrine you are unfamiliar with. You can say you are praying for them and by all means keep your promise, but do not ask for blessings for their perversion of God’s Word.

The promulgation of the gospel has become much harder because so many people have abandoned the truth. We all need to do our part to preserve the reliability of God’s Word and by no means assist those who do not.