Laying a Foundation to be Discerning
When my husband and I were house shopping, we fell in love with two houses simultaneously. Each met our checklist for the price, location, and pictures we viewed on the realty website. We quickly called the agent and booked showings.
The first house was solid. It was evident the builder had a skilled hand and didn’t skip steps in his work. But in spite of its sound foundations, the esthetic was dated. Envision shag carpet, plain wooden cabinets, wallpaper in the closet, and glittery tile floors. I loved the core of the house, but I didn’t look forward to the work of updating.
The next house appeared to be plucked from HGTV. I gushed over the sliding barn doors, modern furniture, slick flooring, and all the bright white paint (in contrast to all the dull wood we had just seen).
I held my breath as my husband came in from checking the exterior with his house-inspector father. “What do you think?” I asked, smiling as brightly as possible.
He shook his head and grimaced. “The foundation is awful. It’s an old, run-down house with a nice paint job. It’s a mess.”
Sadly, many teachers have propped themselves up in the Christian world who are a lot like this second house. They have all the glitz and glam to draw you in. You'll notice the beautiful face, the smooth voice, right lighting, and beautifully detailed books with their names on them. However, it’s all a show to cover the rickety, rotting, toxic theology underneath. They will not be able to stand before God, but will crumble. Unfortunately, they’ll willingly take us with them.
These false teachers make the sound teachers appear boring, outdated, and stuffy. This is why believers cannot discern based on experience, feelings, and looks. We must stand firmly on the solid Word of God. Do these teachers hold fast to the principle truths of the Bible?
Sisters, let’s begin building our solid foundation from Scripture–the true tenets of the faith–so we can recognize when someone strays from them. How can we recognize when someone is handling the Word rightly?
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