A Note About Apologetics
In recent years it has been made clear to us that many in the mainline denominations, and even some in evangelical churches, lack spiritual discernment. Indeed, they are truly tossed about by every wind of doctrine. Perhaps this was brought home to my wife and myself when we learned that acquaintances of ours had encountered Embraced by the Light, by Betty Eadie (a book which has aspects of Mormonism and the New Age), and had asked others to read it, seemingly without question. It has also come to my attention that other people with supposedly evangelical backgrounds have received the teachings of The Celestine Prophecy with enthusiasm; this book also carries the banner of the New Age.
This has really grieved and challenged us. It grieves us because some in the churches are in danger of being led astray, and they seem to be unaware of their peril. On the other hand, it challenges us because we must ask: How can we know false teachings and avoid falling away?
It has been said that the best way to train people to recognize counterfeit currency is to help them become familiar with the real thing. Perhaps the best way for Christians to avoid being led astray by false religion is to learn to know the true gospel. If we are firmly grounded in the true faith, our foundation is built on the true Rock, and we will not be blown away by every wind of doctrine.
With this as our premise, let us consider five disciplines by which we may know the Truth that sets us free, helping us to detect those who teach "a different gospel".
First, we must emphasize the study of Scripture. God's Word in our hearts helps us to resist false doctrine that is not found in Scripture. Also, familiarity with the Bible helps us to know when someone is twisting Scripture. It also gives us strength to stand against the worldview of this age, with its denial of all moral absolutes.
Second, we must encourage the study of doctrine. If we become strong in the faith and the historic doctrines of the Church, this gives us a litmus test--a gauge by which we may take the measure of any unfamiliar argument or idea we may come across. For example, if we are firmly established in Trinitarian doctrine, we can much more quickly determine whether something we are encountering is in rejection of this doctrine.
Third, we should encourage the study of the history of the Church, and its struggles against false teachers. Many cults of today have their roots in teachings of adversaries with whom the Church has struggled in the past. The Christology of Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, has some roots in Arianism, a heresy of the fourth century. If we realize that we are being exposed to some teaching that sounds like a heresy of the past, this can be a warning to us to tread with caution.
Fourth, we should make every effort to expose ourselves to sound teaching and sound preaching. In addition to the church we attend, we should learn about and study books by great men and women of God. For example, Knowing God by J.I. Packer is an excellent book for any Christian. Essentials of the Christian Faith, by R.C. Sproul is another informative book. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John R.W. Stott, C.S. Lewis and others both teach and inspire us along the way of our walk with Jesus. We should also not neglect the heritage of the great men of the past. Jonathan Edwards, for example, is best known for his text "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". Yet, he wrote deeper and even more insightful works that have been largely forgotten by the Christians of our day.
Finally, we should consider and meditate upon our relationship with Jesus. When we pray, we should ask Him to help us to love Him with a great passion--that He would be all we seek in this world, and all we desire in the next.
John Piper, in his book The Pleasures of God, quotes Henry Scougal as saying "The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love;" may Jesus indeed be the object of our souls' love.
As you can see, many of us have come to believe that we as Christians must be able to defend our faith. Too often in today's society we see Christians who cannot defend what they believe and wind up being weakened by the intellectual and spiritual battles that are encountered everywhere we go in today's culture. We encourage you to study the links below as they are sound and most profitable for spiritual encouragement and strength. Most of these will be apologetics links:
For example, Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the United States. If I recall correctly there will soon be more of that faith in the United States than there are Episcopalians. This link is one I have found most helpful in dealing with questions arising from encounters with this faith: Answering Islam
Another link I recommend wholeheartedly is this one to the MCU Virtual Library; it is a good, comprehensive apologetics site with a variety of topics: MCU Apologetics Site
This Web site by "Stand to Reason" has a great assortment of apologetics sites and I encourage you to visit it also: Stand to Reason
Finally, this Web site for the "Crossroads Project" deals with the post-modernist approach to philosophy. I found it to be thoughtful, with very relevant essays demonstrating the inroads post-modernism has made in our culture, and the Christian response to this. I urge you to read this site also: The Crossroads Project
May God richly bless you--from the webmaster.