Avoiding Heresy in the next big movement.
Ever hear some religious teacher say, “God is doing a new thing”? They talk about the new revelation that they just received that will change the church forever and make everything better. Well, most of the time these kinds of new ideas, especially when expressed by popular leaders, get all kinds of press, books are written and conferences are held to promote them, then they fade away into obscurity. Sounds familiar? These movements will garner support by many other well know leaders and then thousands will begin to follow them, then they begin to fall apart…one misinterpretation after the other…one over emphasis after the other…one subtle heretical idea after the other. People are left reeling with confusion and lose their faith in leadership and many drop out altogether. How do we avoid falling headlong into these traps? Read on.
1. Stay in the Word! The Bible is the source of truth and the soul authority in matters of doctrine and church matters. The Word will never let you down, lead you astray or confuse the issues. The problem is when people have a “private or personal” interpretation of scripture things go awry and heresy triumphs. Be careful of these interpretations that are extra-scriptural (can’t be found there) or lead to one extreme or the other.
2. Stay connected to the “Body of Christ.” Most movements that embrace a heretical private revelation also move away from the established church. Granted, the established church in many cases has moved away from scripture and biblical authority…BUT MOST HAVE NOT. So we can’t discount the whole church for the wanderings and failure of some. Heresy gets rooted and grounded in smaller groups that become fanatical and obsessed with the “heavy revvy” of it all. Stay connected to the established church. It is absolutely necessary to HEAR OTHER VOICES besides the one with a new interpretation or revelation.
3. Stay close to Jesus. If we stay intimately yoked with Christ, He can speak into our lives. The Holy Spirit still speaks to the hearts of men and women to help us discern the words we hear whether they are truth or lies. If you sense that what you are hearing, no matter how intriguing, is a “little off,” it probably is. Go to Jesus and ask Him…ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you in scripture and in your heart. Can’t go wrong here.
4. Stay humble. When you think that you are to sole possessor of “this new truth” and close your heart to learn or be corrected by others, you will fall into the trap of heresy. Lone rangers with so called “new and great revelations” that are extra-biblical are sure to hurt themselves and all that follow. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. Humble yourself and let older wiser leaders speak into your heart….and listen.
There’s probably more to say about this….so chime in…give me your thoughts and wisdom on this.
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Comments
Dr. Rick Barker
What a great article Bro. Hornsby, the imbalance on many fronts has led to the discouragment of the Body of Christ when those “new revelations” don’t have a foundation. Thank you for standing firm on the Word, Connecting to a local church, Staying close to Jesus, The Holy Spirit and Godly leaders to speak into the lives of people.
If we as leaders will lead and not demand submission but display it through letting our lives reflect what we teach we will continue to bring stability back to the Body of Christ. It is so very important the the Body show forth the stability of consistent growth, character and integrity in the midst of very unstable, inconsistent times in the church and in our nation.
Keep pressing toward the mark my Brother in Christ,
I appreciate you!
Bobby Capps
Exactly!
trudy bezet
Pop…good word…and love ya!
Bob Ordeman
Absolutely. There has been some pretty weird stuff out there. Your four points will help us stray on track.
Ken Woolf
Good word Billy! Thanks for sharing it. It’s needed.
Daniel Gilland
Great post and so true! Thanks for saying it!!!
Lukas Targosz
Yes! It is sad when rather than building the momentum we chase every wind and latest fad. Good word and needed ballance. Thanks, Billy!
Scottie Sellers
Awesome post! We have to stay on guard.
Dan
Just browsing the web and agree with your 4 points, however have a few points and one observation if I may; In the New Testament, every time the word, “Word – Word of God – Scriptures” are used, those terms can only refer to what was written in those days, which leads us back to the Old Testament (Tanak). Later on the New Testament was cannonized ofcourse (Apostles writings) and are considered part of the Whole Word of God (Bible). That is my observation and my few points on our understanding of scriptures; do we understand scriptures from their original language? Hebrew (Old) And because of translation and transliterations we should, with the opportunity of the internet as one mean, search out the scriptures and we might find that it is not something “New” but something “True” as I believe our Heavenly Father is opening our eyes in these last days. May we love one another regardless though and accept that the Lord is smarter than we are. May our hearts be opened to please Him and “walk” as Messiah walked, that we are commanded.
Daniel Gonzales
Amen to that! Great post.
Cheryl B
Just want to say that I always enjoy your blogs Bro Hornsby! I I am always blessed, challenged and encouraged by them!
Ryan Cook
I agree with you Dr. Hornsby. I have been part of “movements” in the past. I have begun to believe that God is not doing ’something new’, but is continuing to build something Old- the church. I believe that security for the future of the church is found in the ancient beliefs that the church is founded on, contexualized for every generation. The message will not change- we need to translate the simple message, not look for something else to add to it.
Billy
Dan, truth is what it is all about. Thanks for your comment….
Dr. Joseph T. Bowles
Brother Billy: Top notch summary. Very succinctly stated. My personal thoughts would be the need for praise. In my opinion, your 4 ’stay’ points are intimately intertwined with praise. Humble people that are filled with the Word, connected with the body and continually drawing closer to our Lord are indeed praising Him.
Chris Byrd
Thanks for the insight Billy. I might add one thought. It is important to realize that God may be doing a “new thing” (maybe); however, He is not giving us a new truth. Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE!
We in the Body of Christ – have not yet maximized our operation in the truth given us directly by Jesus. I think that is all we need.
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