I was cruising around in the Word the other day and I came across this old friend:
2 John 7-11
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9 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.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Consider the case of a pair of Jehova’s Witnesses knocking at your door. You open it, they identify themselves and their group and you listen to what they have to say. I’ve known many Christians who say they’re grounded enough in the Word to answer them and explain why their arguments on a given subject are wrong because of this or that Bible verse. They believe they’re doing the right thing by planting seeds of doubt in the minds of their visitors. Maybe they’ll think on these things and eventually find the Lord. They won’t. The Christian who takes this approach is disobeying the Word I just quoted and is ignoring the warning given in verse 11. How exactly is the Christian a partaker of his evil deeds? To understand this you have to realize that these people didn’t come to learn, they came to teach. If you give them reason to doubt the veracity of their message to the point where they are unable to overcome your argument on the spot, they will take what you said back to their leadership for instructions. The leadership will then think it over and try to come up with the strongest objection to your ideas that they can. They’ll settle on a plan and arm all their people with it. So you just made them stronger by that much. You partook. What you should have done is say “I’m not interested” and shut the door. Then you’re in line with God’s Word.
There’s another case not involving identifiable cults that is equally important to avoid. This case involves the world of academia and its professors. They teach in the schools that a big bang happened in the middle of nothing and all life ‘evolved’ from the matter it flung all over everywhere. The proponents of this theory are more fervent and fanatical about their subject than any religious zealot of any stripe. They will fight to the last breath to defend any attack on their logic and mercilessly ridicule anyone who dares to disagree. And they’re good at ridicule, believe me. They do that one real well. I once worked with a brilliant man, biologist and chemist, who was also a Christian. And he was no lip-service Christian, he really walked the walk. But he regularly took on evolutionists and championed the truth of Creation. He thought he was doing the right thing, but was he? He would ‘show them’ the error of their theory in different ways. For example, the theory of evolution violates Newton’s second law of thermodynamics which states that entropy in matter increases in the absence of intervention, not decreases. In other words matter left to itself becomes less ordered, not more ordered. It blows the theory of evolution out of the water. When a Christian pointed this out, the evolutionists went to work and came up with a different interpretation of Newton’s law. That Christian, though he meant well, also partook. There really is only one response to evolutionists, and it comes directly from the Word of God:
Romans 1 18-25
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Will they read it? Probably not. But it’s the only escape from the rabbit hole they’re caught in.
Until next time,
