Most understand, according to the scriptures, that “faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Thus, if we establish our faith only on what we can read and understand from God’s word then we will practice and guard (observe, be watchful for) what can be known and understood by all men. We need to realize that THE FAITH is a fixed deposit given by God and is as relevant and unchangeable today as it was in the First Century. The obligation to guard THE FAITH is the responsibility of all those in every generation who have received it. In our sincere interest of guarding THE FAITH, as true disciples of the Lord, we MUST turn away from the irreverent babble and contradictions which some engage in and teach.
Irreverent babble and contradictions describe the questions and doubts by which many establish their faith and practice. If one bases his faith on the rationalization that the bible didn’t say not to, then he is building his faith on what he doesn’t know!
There are a lot of questions with which we all wrestle, and truthfully, we may not, for whatever reason, like some of the answers that are given by others. Furthermore, we may not have the answers fully settled in our own minds regarding every question that others seem to have settled for themselves. On the other hand, I am not going to establish my faith or practice based on some nuanced, hair-splitting questions that one raises which I may not at this point, or ever, be able to answer. Sadly, I hear people are leaving congregations to establish congregations based on some peripheral or tangential questions rather than what can be known. I have never heard anyone from one of these new groups ever say that any of the practices of the group they left were sinful. They can’t say it because what those they have left are doing can be known from the scriptures! Yet, how many times have you heard someone try to justify their practice on the argument “God didn’t say not to!” I have never heard anyone say, “Well I am leaving and going to a group that uses instrumental music because you are wrong for NOT using it.” I have never heard anyone say, “It is sinful if a local congregation does NOT support a human institution from its treasury.” (Granted they may call us “anti’s” but that is not the same thing as saying we are wrong for not practicing it!). I have never heard anyone who has left a local church to go practice the observance of the Lord’s Supper in a different way say, “We are leaving because the way you observe the Lord’s Supper is sinful.” The list could go on and on. The question is why are they leaving? I will tell you why. They have a lot of questions and doubts and want to base their practices on those questions and doubts. They have no questions and doubts about the practices of those they left. It is the questions and doubts that some have raised on which others are establishing their faith and practice. Is this not what Paul had in mind when he exhorted Timothy to turn away from the irreverent babbling and contradictions?
The ignorance that says doctrine doesn’t matter will give way to a shapeless and uncertain faith of which there can be no assurance and confidence. There is no stopping place to the insidious lure of Satan’s argument that God’s authority has no definition! Where God’s authority has no definition to what we believe or practice, we are left to our feelings. Once we are left to our feelings, our faith and practice is no longer about Him who saved us but about us who saved god. Clearly God’s authority has definition, which means it has boundaries, and we are not at liberty to cross those boundaries if we are going to truly respect God and not become idolaters worshiping our feelings.. There is no other way that we can establish an accurate faith or exercise a pleasing faith toward God than by putting our trust in and basing our practice on what we do know according to the Scriptures.
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