Zeal Without Christ: How False Doctrines Arise in the Absence of Biblical Truth
You can be burning, but not in His will, and that is the most dangerous place to be.
”preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.“ 2 Timothy 4:2
“instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15
“now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11
“ study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
The enemy will never deny God, but his one goal is to lead us into confusion and to eventually question & manipulate what God has said. I know it is popular to point out the issues of the unsaved (and it is important to be aware of these), but the truth is the world will continue to descend into unbelieving madness until the Lord returns. It is no lie that Satan is the prince of this world, so we are not to be that surprised when the world acts…satanically. What is not as overt is how the body of Christ can be deceived when we interpret Biblical text incorrectly.
You see, from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, the Bible proclaims the goodness, mercy, and fidelity of God, and Genesis 3 displays the depravity of man for “more.” More power, more authority, more wisdom, and even divinity. This quest for “more” has been perpetually fueled by two factors: Satan’s manipulation and the believer’s Biblical illiteracy. And I am not coming from a place of judgment — I, too, subscribed to false doctrines, but Scripture is the final authority on truth. If you know in your gut that something doesn’t sound right, follow that and test it by Scripture in context. So, as you continue to read, please hear my heart.
These movements are not new, but they have made a significant resurgence in the Church and quickly with my generation. I started to pay attention to the content that I’d usually bypass on social media — certain keywords began to ring in my ear: “I proclaim this is my season!”, “Speak life into your situation!” or “God is about to push you into your new era.” This sounds good, but what are these claims based on? To whom are we to give credit for our successes? God, right? If you look closely at these beliefs, they hold a piece of the Genesis 3 deception — you can be like God. I will take my time observing each subject microscopically, but for now, what does God say about Himself and His nature?
14 “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” (The Existing One) And He said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14
10 “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
10 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 “I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. 12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains.” Psalm 50:10-12
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from Me there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. 13 Yes, and from ancient days I am He. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” Isaiah 43:10-13
5 “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged Me, 6 so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. 7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. 8 “You heavens above, rain down My righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it.” Isaiah 45:5-8
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
To comprehend sound doctrine, we must understand the sheer magnitude of the power, glory, justice, yet mercy of God. We as humans can never live in the sphere of divinity nor can we measure up in any way to Him. We have tried repeatedly to be “like gods”, but every time it has led to disaster. Consider the account of Noah and the wickedness of humanity in Genesis 6: 5 “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”
Even if we seemingly claim that there is only one God and He is completely sovereign, why do we chase after the doctrines made up of our nature and those that bring glory to ourselves? Inadvertently or advertently, this can happen if we are not firmly rooted in the fullness of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
So, which topic will I tackle first? Deliverance.
Keep reading for part two.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,
Tiffanni x
