What Many Accept As Authority In Religion - Part Two

Following Jesus Without Denominationalism

What Many Accept As Authority In Religion - Part Two

We left off our lesson by looking at just one objective standard used for authority in religion. We will look at some more of these objectives as we continue this study.

Another objective standard used for authority comes from parents. Some think "If it was good enough for Mom and Dad, it is good enough for me.". Yet as much as we may love and respect our parents, Christ must come first - Mt 10:37 "If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples." If every generation had simply followed their parents, then we who are Gentiles would likely still be idol-worshippers and polytheistic!

Yet another objective standard people follow is preachers. It is common for people to place their trust in their "preacher," "priest," or "pastor". They reason in their hearts that surely these "men of God" could not be wrong or lead them astray. Yet Paul warned of how we can easily be misled - 2 Co 11:13-15 "Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. So why does it seem strange for Satan's servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve." And Jesus warned about the "blind leading the blind" - Mt 15:12-14 "Then his disciples came over to him and asked, "Do you know that you insulted the Pharisees by what you said?" Jesus answered, "Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch."’ Our attitude needs to be like that of the Bereans, who carefully examined Paul's teachings in light of the Scriptures - Ac 17:11 "The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true." Yet many accept blindly what they are taught.

The final objective standard people follow are creeds and traditions. This is where the denominations really get most of their authority. Indeed, adherence to the creeds of men is what produces denominations. Accept the Bible only, and you become a Christian only. Accept the Bible along with some Creed, and you become something else! Accept the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and you become a Mormon. Accept the Bible and papal authority, and you become a Roman Catholic. Accept the Bible and the Lutheran Catechism, and you become a Lutheran. Creeds are really not even necessary. If they say more than what the Bible says, they say too much. If they say less than what the Bible says, they say too little. If they say exactly what the Bible says, then why not let the Bible be our creed book? The fact is, creeds are filled with the traditions and commands of men, many of which conflict with and displace the commands of God! - Mk 7:6-9 "Jesus replied: You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said, "All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me. It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans." You disobey God's commands in order to obey what humans have taught. You are good at rejecting God's commands so that you can follow your own teachings!"

Creeds of men, preachers, parents, majority rule, even the Old Testament itself, are some of the objective standards that people turn to rather than the authority of the Lord's apostles. But there are also "Subjective" standards of authority people look to or follow. One of those is "Let your conscience be your guide" is the motto of many. But our conscience cannot always be reliable. Paul had served God with a good conscience throughout his life - Ac 23:1 "Paul looked straight at the council members and said, "My friends, to this day I have served God with a clear conscience!". Even at a time when he was persecuting Christians! - Ac 26:9-11 "I once thought that I should do everything I could to oppose Jesus from Nazareth. I did this first in Jerusalem, and with the authority of the chief priests I put many of God's people in jail. I even voted for them to be killed. I often had them punished in our meeting places, and I tried to make them give up their faith. In fact, I was so angry with them, that I went looking for them in foreign cities." Our conscience is like a clock, which works properly only if set properly. Once our conscience has been "set" by "the apostles' doctrine", then it can be a good guide.

Another "Subjective" standard many feel is that through their own wisdom they can determine right and wrong. But God's thoughts and ways are not always our own - Isa 55:8-9 "The LORD says: "My thoughts and my ways are not like yours. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours." In fact, God has chosen to save man in a manner specifically designed to confound those who depend solely upon human wisdom - 1 Co 1:18-29 "The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work. As God says in the Scriptures, "I will destroy the wisdom of all who claim to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much." What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him. Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. Our message is God's power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen. Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else. My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn't think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame. What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important. God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him." For us to know God's will, it was necessary for Him to reveal it to us - 1 Co 2:9-12 "But it is just as the Scriptures say, "What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!" God's Spirit has shown you everything. His Spirit finds out everything, even what is deep in the mind of God. You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God's Spirit is the only one who knows what is in God's mind. But God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think. That's also why we can recognize the blessings that God has given us." This He has done through His Spirit-inspired apostles. Who in turn shared it with us through their writings - Ep 3:1-5 "Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. You have surely heard about God's kindness in choosing me to help you. In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. No one knew about this mystery until God's Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets."

Feelings are often the "standard of authority" for many people who go by whatever "feels right". They place stock in a religion "better felt than told". Yet the Bible declares the danger of trusting in "feelings". "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." - Pr 14:12. "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool..." - Pr 28:26. "O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." - Jer 10:23

Because the way we should live is "not in man" we need an "objective standard" for our authority in religion. We can't depend upon "subjective standards" like conscience, human wisdom, or feelings. But which "objective standard"? Not creeds of men, preachers, parents, majority rule, or even the Old Testament. Only "the apostles' doctrine", i.e., the New Testament is the objective standard we should follow. For the apostles were personally selected to be Christ's ambassadors. For the apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit, to be guided into all the truth and they were inspired to write all that Christ would have us to know and do. When we are content to abide in "the apostles' doctrine", then we can be assured that we are "Following Jesus Without Denominationalism"! Are you following Jesus by "continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine"? Or do you follow some other standard of authority in religion?



God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year

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Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
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