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Sound Doctrine
By George Stroh
June 7, 2021
You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)
Satan is a lair and the father of lies and lairs. With his lies and the help of many false teachers, he tries to refute the sound doctrine of God's word. Unfortunately, he and his lies are gaining listeners, even among many professing Christians: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. (2 Timothy 4:3)
It can be difficult sometimes to separate false doctrine from sound doctrine. That is because false teachers use our vocabulary, but they do not use our dictionary. They twist, add to and take away from God's word so that their listeners never hear the pure truth of God's sound doctrine. Satan's goal is to keep unbelievers blinded to sound doctrine and believers spiritually malnourished; But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
False teachers can be identified by what they teach and by what they don't teach. They deny the deity and/or humanity of Jesus Christ, His sacrificial death and physical resurrection. They will deny, distort and ignore the inspiration, inerrancy and sufficiency of the Bible. They will deny, diminish and distort the sinfulness of man, coming judgment, and eternal hell. They will teach that forgiveness of sins and salvation can be achieved by good works (Church affiliation, baptism, confirmation, doing your best to keep the ten commandments, etc.) Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 2:16)
Salvation is by faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone. Any other gospel is false teaching; If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing... (1 Timothy 6:3)
Maranatha!
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