The False Peace of Truth-Compromised
There is an attitude pervasively present in evangelical Christianity today that says "We're sick and tired of doctrinal debates and disputes that divide people and create disharmony, dissidence, hard feelings, split churches and all that. Why should we have denominations? Why do we have these differences? Those things aren't important. All that matters is 'Do you love Jesus?'" When that attitude prevails, you can kiss the church of Christ goodbye, because the desire for peace, which is a good desire, a godly desire, and the New Testament and the Old Testament frequently enjoin us to seek peace, to pursue peace, to live at peace, and wherever it's possible - to not be argumentative, contentious, divisive. But when we win peace by negotiating truth, where truth is slain in the streets, what we have is what the Bible calls false peace, a carnal peace, a peace that has no substance.
Those are the words of RC Sproul, he goes on in this short audio clip to say:
Let me ask you this question: If Frank and Bob differ on a point of theology, is that okay? Yes, we have to be long-suffering, patient, have the love that covers a multitude of sins, and so on. Is it okay ultimately? What's behind that difference on doctrine? Let me say something that may sound outrageous to you. Errors in doctrine are sinful. It is a sin to be wrong about theology. Its a sin to hold a wrong view. It's an even greater sin to teach a wrong view!
Does that sound surprising to you? Why do Christians differ as to what proper doctrine is? Because the Word of God is so obscure, so muddled, so mysterious, that no virtuous person can ever really sort it out? Or is it because when we come to the Biblical text, we come slothfully rather than diligently, we come with our prejudices, we come with our biases?
Is there anybody [reading this] who since you got out of your bed this morning has loved the Lord your God with your whole mind? Is there anybody in this room who has for one day given a perfect living sacrifice of your mind to the pursuit of God? If you raised your hand and say you have, you've just betrayed the fact that you don't understand the first principles of the perfect pursuit of the knowledge of God. None of us have done this. Our errors, our distortions of the Word of God are sinful because they violate God's truth and His character! We distort the reality of who God is by our errors and inaccuracies.
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