EARNESTLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH (PART II)

“Plague of Erroneous Doctrine”

By Akin Ojumu

You cannot pray doctrinal error away or cast it out by the laying on of hands. Falsehood cannot be vanquished by wishing it to end. Truth is the only antidote for duplicity and the medicine for mendacity is veracity. The potent serum that can neutralize the venom of lies is an abundance of truth. 

Unvarnished truth that’s told is the only remedy that can cure a multitude of falsehoods. It’s the knowledge of the truth in the heart of man that sets him free. And in order to know, one must be told.

Error is like aggressive metastatic cancer. You don’t cuddle it, smooch it, or treat it with kid gloves. When it comes to neoplastic diseases, gentility is not an option. The rule of engagement for cancers is mano a mano aggression. It’s medical malpractice for a doctor – any doctor – to turn blind eyes on a fast-spreading cancerous disease. 

It’s standard medical practice to treat an advanced cancer with aggressive therapy. If it’s cancer of the breast, it may require radical mastectomy involving the removal of the breasts and the associated surrounding lymph nodes. Sometimes, the solution might be radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. At other times, a kitchen sink approach may be necessary, where a toxic brew of radical mastectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy is deployed.

A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough. All it takes to pervert the concept of faith and mislead the church is a slight inclination to error or a few false teachers. The truth is like a tender flower that gradually withers away when exposed to unsuitable conditions. There can be no accommodation given to error. Heretic doctrines must be radically mastectomized like a cancerous breast.

The truth must be spoken boldly and loudly above the din and confusion. And the truth is, Jesus did not come down to earth, take on flesh, and assume the appearance of lowly man just to bring an end to all your temporal problems. The King of Glory did not allow Himself to be mocked, whipped, tortured, spat on, hanged on the Cross, and cut off from His heavenly Father, just so your bank account overflows with limitless cash. 

You must understand that the blood of Jesus was not shed on Calvary so that you can have good health or enjoy abundance of wealth. Jesus did not endure the humiliation of the Cross to provide you designer clothing, luxurious vehicles, or expensive mansions. 

The true Gospel is simple. It is the preaching of eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The reason you were saved is so that you don’t rot in hell and spend eternity in Hades. Any Gospel other than that is heresy.

Your material well-being is not a measure of the wellness of your soul. There are many who are wealthy in this world who'll end up in hell. On the other hand, poverty is not a ticket to eternal life. The material does not determine the eternal. Heaven and hell will each have its fair share of the rich and poor.

No one will be judged on the account of their poverty. God is not going to find anyone guilty for being sick. Being jobless, homeless, childless, husbandless, wifeless, or friendless are not the parameters by which anyone will be condemned to hell. Lack of influence, power, fame, and fortune are not grounds for God’s disfavor. 

God’s judgement will be handed down on all workers of iniquity, for the wages of sin is death. Your sin is what will earn you a permanent bedspace in Sheol. Living in unrighteousness is what will condemn you to the lake of fire.

The “name it, claim it, blab it, grab it” doctrine is not anchored in Scripture. It’s the deceptive babbling of morally corrupt men. Assertions of guaranteed endless happiness, exponential success, and extraordinary blessings are nothing but syncretic teachings that originate from Gnosticism, Epicureanism and Stoicism. As long as you are in the mortal flesh, you’ll face the afflictions of a fallen world. 

The only assurance you’ve been given is that the Savior of your soul has overcome the world and has reserved a place for you in His kingdom. Those who tell you otherwise are peddlers of false hope and purveyors of foolish expectations. If that’s not enough to make you want to fear and serve the Almighty God, you can take your chances at what awaits you on the other side when you stand before the Bema Seat.

And as Paul enjoined us all in his letter to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12:

“Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.” 

The truth is worth fighting for. God is looking for faithful men who, not counting the cost, will sign up for the cause and courageously join the fray.