REFUSING EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE…

Part of what happens as believers, is learning to discern between truth and error. Hebrews tells us it is by reason of use of the Word of God, that we can know and discern between truth and error. Sound doctrine and unsound.

The problem is many simply do not know the Scriptures. They do not take the time to study, seeking understanding from God. There is a huge difference between opening the Scriptures to read them, and opening them and being in communion with God, to receive understanding about those Scriptures. Prayerfully, expectantly asking and receiving understanding via the indwelling Holy Spirit. No mumbo jumbo about it. Allowing God to direct our thoughts and understandings. There is no secret forumla to it. No secret doctrine. It’s about a heart and mind dependent on Christ to learn His Truth’s from His Word. 

Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 
Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 
Jas 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 
Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 

Many people are not rooted and built up in Him, and that is why they can easily fall prey to false doctrine: 

Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 

1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 

Being unmoveable, means not shaken, not moved from our love of Christ, belief in Him or the Truth of His Word, regardless what comes. It can mean appearing to be stubborn, or ‘close minded’ to doctrines that are new to us, and when tested to the Scriptures—fail miserably. Therefore rejecting those false doctrines can appear to be not being willing to believe every wind of doctrine. Those involved in false doctrine —believe they are in truth. And so they can become offended and angry because what the believe is being shown to not stand the test of Scripture, which they in most cases refuse to believe. Most would say they could not be deceived and their beliefs are getting them closer to God. But the reality is—God gave the Scriptures as the standard for our doctrine. If what we believe cannot pass that test, we need to change our thinking and beliefs. 

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 
Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 

Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. 

Psa 11:1 <To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.> In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? 
Psa 11:2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. 
Psa 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? 

We are to be equipped, and established in the faith—found within the Word of God. Sound doctrine is there…people need to learn it. In order to prove all things, we must be able to know and identify what stands the test of Scripture and what does not. Many times, it can take some study to know why something is not sound, or is.

It does not mean we know all there is to know. It does mean we should be able to know the foundations of the faith, and why we believe them to some degree of understanding from the Scriptures. It does mean that when someone brings in a new or different belief, even if they show some scripture to support it, that we can take that doctrine and prove it or show why it is false. Because anyone can take a scripture, twist it or misuse it. And we need to know the difference.

One example that comes to mind is the concept of Bible codes. When this first came to light–I think in the 80’s, many Christians were excited. Hidden truths within the Bible; secrets hidden until the advent of computers; future events with current names and events spelled out like a fortune cookie….and it is all occult based.

Here’s why, aside from the codes merely being kabbalah’s gematria, which is the occult. 

1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 
1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

1 Corinthians 2:9-16 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.[/b] 

From the OT: 

Deu 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. 

Psa 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. 

Isa 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. 
Isa 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. 

God wanted us to know His Truths. He wants us to know Him. He prophets declared things openly to the people. There was no hidden secret code for the ‘more initiated’. It is all there for each and every person to know Him. 

The pursuit of special aka gnostic knowledge is a temptation that needs to be refused. God declared all in sin and all have the same way to know Him, through Jesus Christ.

What many do is turn away from the scriptures, which He gave us as His revelation to us, and pursue feelings, emotional experiences, ideas, endless speculations and other non Scriptural writings, because they do not love the Word of God and cannot understand it. That happens because their hearts are not on Christ. 

God wants all of us, our hearts, our minds, our very beings. He wants our focus to be on Him. If we do not take the time to know Him through His Word, we can never really mature in knowledge and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And if we do not study to show ourselves approved, we cannot stand. We become the prey of the wolves and the false teachers and false doctrine that there are a myriad of verses warning against such.

Scripture interprets Scripture. And we need to learn it, because of Christ. 

Psa 119:158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word. 
Psa 119:159 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness. 
Psa 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. 

Psa 119:162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. 

Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 
Psa 119:12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. 
Psa 119:13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. 
Psa 119:14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. 
Psa 119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 
Psa 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. 

Psa 119:40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. 
Psa 119:41 VAU. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word. 
Psa 119:42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word. 

Psa 119:101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. 

Psa 119:102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. 
Psa 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 
Psa 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 
Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

Psa 119:129 PE. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. 
Psa 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. 

Psa 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. 

2Pe 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 
2Pe 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 

Jud 1:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 

2Ti 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 
2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 

Tit 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 

Tit 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 
Tit 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. 

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 
2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 
2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.