One of the great things about true Christian faith is that the doctrine we follow is governed by Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, and not...well, "some dude." The Bible, and everything in it, was written by divine inspiration. As for what is not in the Bible, God is not only the divine Author of the Scripture, but its divine Editor as well. And God being eternally good, and never contradictory or changing (James 1:17), those who believe in the sovereignty of Jesus and not the authority of people have no fear of following an immoral facet of this faith.
But, there are sects of those who claim Christ in a twisted way, but are led by mere men - dudes prone to bias, agendas, and corruption. For example, the presidents, "prophets," and leaders of the Mormon church held for about one hundred fifty years the gross doctrine that black people were all cursed, descendants of Cain. In Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie wrote, "Those who were less valiant in pre-existence and who thereby had certain spiritual restrictions imposed on them during mortality are known to us as the negroes. Such spirits are sent to earth through the lineage of Cain, the mark put upon him for his rebellion against God, and his murder of Abel being a black skin."
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, wrote, "Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species, and put them on a national equalization."
One of Smith's predecessors, Brigham Young, echoed these racist sentiments: "Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which was the flat nose and black skin...the Abolitionists cannot help it, nor in the least alter that decree...If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be."
However in 1978, as the tide was thankfully strongly turning concerning America's racism, then-president of the Latter-Day Saints, Spencer W. Kimball, announced that God had apparently changed His mind concerning black people, and that they were no longer cursed.
The point of this is not to bring up the history of racist doctrine in the Mormon church, but rather to make the point that this faith's doctrines were concocted and changed throughout the years by mere men. And these mere men, whatever they stated, true or false, was "gospel" for the Mormons.
Faith in Christ's authority and sovereignty - and His alone - does not carry this conundrum.
For example, when Fred Phelps, former leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, would say hideous things like "God hates f*gs," this did not reflect the belief of all, or even most, Christians, and certainly did not reflect or affect God's words in Scripture. Fred Phelps was just some dude, whose ravings reflected only himself and the wanderers who followed his warped view. Jesus remained Lord, while Phelps remained only a bitter, raving man who led others astray.
Likewise, if another controversial figure in Christianity, such as a Joel Osteen or others of his ilk (certainly not to compare Joel Osteen to Fred Phelps), whose teachings on the so-called "prosperity gospel" have been rejected by many Christians who find no basis for it in - again - God's word, say something questionable, it does not reflect the truth of God, nor are Osteen's sayings precedents for all believers to follow.
A few years ago when Haiti was plagued with natural disasters, Pat Robertson, of 700 Club fame, attributed the tragedies to some "pact with Satan" that Haiti had made long ago. There have also been many who blame tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and the like, on moral decline in America and the rest of the world. But we know this notion to be refuted by the Bible, as God said after the Great Flood, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21).
Again, Christians were not obliged to heed Robertson's ill-informed statement because God's truth trumps the words of men, even if those men profess to be God's spokespeople.
One of the only "televangelists" (though he's served in many more capacities for the church of God than just televangelism) I enjoy listening to is Dr. Charles Stanley...out of the, like, four televangelists I've ever listened to. Lately however, I discovered that he and I have differing views on the timeline of the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (keep in mind however that I still require much more study and prayer on this matter, as we all do - I could be butt-over-tea-kettle wrong in my view; Spirit and prayer will tell). So, because I find Dr. Stanley to be a well-spoken, gentle, and passionate man of God, does that mean I should abandon my views, or even ignore what the Holy Spirit lays on my heart concerning those issues? Absolutely not.
I don't have the nerve to say "Charles Stanley is wrong, and I'm right," as I'm not even a cup-bearer in God's Kingdom, but merely a jester (but given entrance to the Kingdom by the grace of God nonetheless).
But, I do know that if the Holy Spirit convicts me in my future studies and prayer on the End Times, and affirms that what I've learned from Scripture concerning those things is true, even if they don't line up with Dr. Stanley's views, then I must abide by the Spirit, and not Dr. Stanley.
Therefore, seek not the wisdom of Charles Stanley, Billy Graham, Ravi Zacharias, or Beth Moore. If these servants of God said something wonderful, and in accord with His gorgeous Gospel, then praise the Holy Spirit who gave it to them. We must seek answers in prayer and the holy Scripture; if God's servants preach a sermon, write a discourse, or make a remark that jibes with the Word, praise the Lord and not the servant. We should encourage the man or woman of God in their proclaiming of the Gospel, but we must always acknowledge first and foremost Christ - for, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-3, 14).
Those rooted in Jesus Christ may be condemned and criticized by an unfeeling, unbelieving world, but they have a much easier yoke to carry than those who follow the ever-changing, ever-dreadful words of men.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." -Hebrews 13:8
But, there are sects of those who claim Christ in a twisted way, but are led by mere men - dudes prone to bias, agendas, and corruption. For example, the presidents, "prophets," and leaders of the Mormon church held for about one hundred fifty years the gross doctrine that black people were all cursed, descendants of Cain. In Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie wrote, "Those who were less valiant in pre-existence and who thereby had certain spiritual restrictions imposed on them during mortality are known to us as the negroes. Such spirits are sent to earth through the lineage of Cain, the mark put upon him for his rebellion against God, and his murder of Abel being a black skin."
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, wrote, "Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species, and put them on a national equalization."
One of Smith's predecessors, Brigham Young, echoed these racist sentiments: "Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which was the flat nose and black skin...the Abolitionists cannot help it, nor in the least alter that decree...If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be."
However in 1978, as the tide was thankfully strongly turning concerning America's racism, then-president of the Latter-Day Saints, Spencer W. Kimball, announced that God had apparently changed His mind concerning black people, and that they were no longer cursed.
The point of this is not to bring up the history of racist doctrine in the Mormon church, but rather to make the point that this faith's doctrines were concocted and changed throughout the years by mere men. And these mere men, whatever they stated, true or false, was "gospel" for the Mormons.
Faith in Christ's authority and sovereignty - and His alone - does not carry this conundrum.
For example, when Fred Phelps, former leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, would say hideous things like "God hates f*gs," this did not reflect the belief of all, or even most, Christians, and certainly did not reflect or affect God's words in Scripture. Fred Phelps was just some dude, whose ravings reflected only himself and the wanderers who followed his warped view. Jesus remained Lord, while Phelps remained only a bitter, raving man who led others astray.
Likewise, if another controversial figure in Christianity, such as a Joel Osteen or others of his ilk (certainly not to compare Joel Osteen to Fred Phelps), whose teachings on the so-called "prosperity gospel" have been rejected by many Christians who find no basis for it in - again - God's word, say something questionable, it does not reflect the truth of God, nor are Osteen's sayings precedents for all believers to follow.
A few years ago when Haiti was plagued with natural disasters, Pat Robertson, of 700 Club fame, attributed the tragedies to some "pact with Satan" that Haiti had made long ago. There have also been many who blame tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and the like, on moral decline in America and the rest of the world. But we know this notion to be refuted by the Bible, as God said after the Great Flood, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21).
Again, Christians were not obliged to heed Robertson's ill-informed statement because God's truth trumps the words of men, even if those men profess to be God's spokespeople.
One of the only "televangelists" (though he's served in many more capacities for the church of God than just televangelism) I enjoy listening to is Dr. Charles Stanley...out of the, like, four televangelists I've ever listened to. Lately however, I discovered that he and I have differing views on the timeline of the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (keep in mind however that I still require much more study and prayer on this matter, as we all do - I could be butt-over-tea-kettle wrong in my view; Spirit and prayer will tell). So, because I find Dr. Stanley to be a well-spoken, gentle, and passionate man of God, does that mean I should abandon my views, or even ignore what the Holy Spirit lays on my heart concerning those issues? Absolutely not.
I don't have the nerve to say "Charles Stanley is wrong, and I'm right," as I'm not even a cup-bearer in God's Kingdom, but merely a jester (but given entrance to the Kingdom by the grace of God nonetheless).
But, I do know that if the Holy Spirit convicts me in my future studies and prayer on the End Times, and affirms that what I've learned from Scripture concerning those things is true, even if they don't line up with Dr. Stanley's views, then I must abide by the Spirit, and not Dr. Stanley.
Therefore, seek not the wisdom of Charles Stanley, Billy Graham, Ravi Zacharias, or Beth Moore. If these servants of God said something wonderful, and in accord with His gorgeous Gospel, then praise the Holy Spirit who gave it to them. We must seek answers in prayer and the holy Scripture; if God's servants preach a sermon, write a discourse, or make a remark that jibes with the Word, praise the Lord and not the servant. We should encourage the man or woman of God in their proclaiming of the Gospel, but we must always acknowledge first and foremost Christ - for, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-3, 14).
Those rooted in Jesus Christ may be condemned and criticized by an unfeeling, unbelieving world, but they have a much easier yoke to carry than those who follow the ever-changing, ever-dreadful words of men.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." -Hebrews 13:8
