SATANIC DOCTRINES IN THE CHURCH

When Jesus made promise to build His Church in Matthew 16:13-18, He made reference to the fact that Satan would be waging countless battles against her (Matthew 16:19). These battles would sometimes come from outside and at other times it would come from within (Acts 20:29-32). Satan has been planting his messengers and secretly delegating them to infiltrate the rank and file of Christians and to corrupt their message (Galatians 2:4-5). As early Christians did not allow them any breathing space, so we will not allow them.

Writing to Church of Christ in Pergamon, our Lord Jesus rebuked her for condoning Doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitians (Revelations 2:14-15). He minced no words in telling the Church that He ‘hated’ their espousing of such doctrines. This means that certain doctrines please our Lord while certain doctrines do not please Him. This can be understood going by the displeasure He displayed when people decided to practice what He had not commanded them. Nadab and Abihu can tell better (Leviticus 10:1-3) as well as Uzzah and David (II Samuel 6:1-9; cf. I Chronicles 15:13).

It is no gainsaying that God stands ready to remove whatever Himself has not planted (Matthew 15:13). Because doctrine is the livewire of New Testament Church and a major determinant of whether one is a disciple of Jesus or not (John 8:31;cf. John 14:15), we are sternly warned to “Take heed unto ourselves and unto the  Doctrine….” (I Timothy 4:16).

Whenever Satan succeeds in hijacking the doctrine, he would succeed in shipwrecking our faiths. We are what we are because of the doctrines we espouse and are encourage to “Mark those” who teach and practice the contrary (Romans 16:17). When we compromise the doctrines, we will only be going through the motions not knowing that we have lost sync with God.   

There are three major doctrines that we find in Bible:

1.   Doctrines of men, which make worship vain (Matthew 15:8-9).

2.   Doctrines of demons (I Timothy 4:1).

3.   Doctrines of Jesus Christ (II John versus 9-11).

It is the “Doctrines of Christ” that determine whether one is acceptable to God or not. Doctrines of Satan are practices that are not commanded by God but are smuggled in by men and women through satanic influences arising from human reasonings.  

Today, there are calls to reform the Church by those who do not understand what New Testament Christianity is all about. Among these are those who consider feelings or emotions as more authoritative than reasoning and plain teachings of God’s Word. Throughout Scripture and history, feelings have never been a good guide in religious affairs, rather, hey have always led people away from God and into destruction. We are warned not to allow our thinking become our guide (Proverbs 14:12; cf. Proverbs 3:5). We must have a “Thus saith the Lord” attitude (Isaiah 8:20; cf. Romans 3:4).

Brethren, Pentecostalism has entered the Church! Some of our preachers and Congregations have begun to exalt feelings above reasoning. This was how most our Congregations in America in recent years have abandoned the Faith, introduced terrible things into the Church and finally lost their identities as “Church of Christ.” If there is anything Church of Christ about some of them, it is only in name. However, there are still many faithful Congregations that are still standing in for the Lord. The “Change agents” started with feelings and have today graduated to wholesale apostasy.  

CHRISTIANITY AND EMOTIONALISM

Christianity is a taught and teaching religion. It is not a mere emotional subjectivism. Emotions can sometimes be complimentary but most times, Christianity and emotion do not mix, especially when the later wants to take the place of the former.

Is New Testament Christianity unemotional? Is emotion completely wrong? Not all! People can respond to God’s Word in an emotion-ladden fashion. The first fruits of Christian preaching responded with deep emotions, “When they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts and said…’men and brethren what shall we do?’ ” (Acts 2:37).

I Corinthians 14:15 says, “I will pray with the spirit and I will also pray with understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, I will sing with understanding also.” The “spirit” here has to do with our hearts, our emotions. However, these emotions must be within the context of understanding. They must be guided by truth.

It is not wrong to cry, laugh and express other forms of emotions if need be, but it is wrong to make it a commonplace thing, our standard, thereby cheapening God’s Assembly and making God’s Heritage a laughingstock (cf. I Corinthians 14:23-26).

EXCESSIVE EMOTIONS (EMOTIONALISM) IN WORSHIP

Christianity is not solely an emotional experience; it is a “reasoned” experience (I Peter 3:15). One does not need to feel it, all you need is to know it (I John 5:13). Unfortunately, Pentecostalism has elevated feelings above reason, a practice which is fraught with dangers.

        A careful study of our denominational neighbours would reveal that the situation has moved from bad to worse. Some of their gatherings, to a large extent are characterized by “Toronto effects” so much so, crying, shouting, jumping, shivering, etcetera have become order of the day. NO. This is not what our assembling should be. God’s Will is that His assembly should be so organized to such a fine line as “Decently and in order” (Let all things be done decently and in order, I Corinthians 14:40). 

DO EMOTIONS SHOW THAT GOD IS PRESENT?

         It should be stated that when people are devoid of Truth, they resort to emotionalism. Truth excites and rejoices the heart. Emotions are only temporary, that is why people have to be pumped up more often because they get deflated.

        When people express emotions (shout, jump up, smack their palms, etcetera) does it show that God is with them? It necessarily does not.

        Some people think that worship is muttering (Isaiah 8:19), gyration (II Kings 5:11-12), noise-making (I Kings 18:26-29) firebrand and earth-shaking experiences (I Kings 19:11-13). When these had died down and God was not in any of them, then came “a still small voice.” Is it not ironical that God was not in any of these earth-shaking experiences? One thing is sure: noise does not attract God, it rather repels Him (cf. Habakkuk 2:20). Have we forgotten so soon that Holy Spirit is a “Gentleman” (Galatians 5:22b). 

        Some people think that when we do not employ tear-jerking and heart-pulling methods of prayer spiced with high voices, our prayers are not heard. They classify prayers as “Powerful” and “Special” only when they shout, shake heads, cry and the like. What makes prayers powerful is praying with understanding and in accordance with God’s Word and in faithfulness (I Corinthians 14:15; I John 5:14; James 5:16f).

Brethren, the basis of our Christian faith is TRUTH, not feelings. Feelings are one of man’s greatest enemies. It was feelings that misled Eve to disobey God in Garden (Genesis 3; cf. II Corinthians 11:1-3). Over the years, emotionalism has never been in lack. As emotions increase, truth decreases. The more we emphasize emotions, the more we lose grip of truth because when emotions take the centre-stage, truth jumps through the window.

OTHER SATANIC DOCTRINES IN THE CHURCH

        When God’s good intentions are corrupted by men and women, they cease to be godly and end up becoming demonic. Some of these doctrines are abuses of Church autonomy, teaching that Congregations should not use her money to bury her dead, etcetera:

        Congregational Autonomy

Local churches were the only medium through which early Christians carried on their religious work, whether in missions (Acts 13:1-3; 14:25-28), charity (Acts 11:28-30), or education (Hebrews 10:24-25). Each community of believers was sufficient to do its work. No larger organizations, such as characterize Christendom today were put in place in apostolic times when there were problems affecting more than one congregation, representatives of one church went to the church whence the problem arose to discuss the matter (Acts 15:1-2).

This independence by the local church is often called “congregational autonomy,” that is, self-governing congregations. In regard to faith and practice the church is a monarchy as she is subject to her Lord. But in matters of opinion, expediency, and human judgment each church is an independent, self-governing unit. Autonomy is an appropriate word.

In his book, WHY I AM A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, Leroy Brownlow wrote,

Autonomy is defined as “right of self-government; a self-governing state; an independent body.” In the first century each congregation was independent of every other congregation. The church in Rome or Jerusalem had no authority over the churches in other communities. Men outside the congregation had no right to exercise authority and power within the congregation. The elders and deacons in one congregation had no authority to exercise any other kind of rule over the elders and deacons in another congregation. Each church was free and independent, under the teaching of Christ and the apostles, to govern itself, carry on its own work, and manage its own affairs. There was no system of church government larger or smaller than the local congregation. All congregations had the same head, foundation, and mission; preached the same gospel; constituted the one body. But each was independent to direct its own work!

The wisdom of God is seem in such an arrangement for his churches. If one became corrupted in doctrine or affected by evil practices, other churches would not be so affect. If dissension arose in one, it would not spread to the others; if one perished, the others would not be dragged down. If a window is made of one large pane, a break injures the entire pane; but if it be made of several panes, it is not so bad to break one. The independence of the churches is a protection for each one.

But autonomy is not isolation. The early churches practiced a fullness of fellowship, cooperation, mutual assistance, and communication. There was a sense of being one body under one Lord (Ephesians 4:4-5). There were to be no dividing barriers between believers, whether racial (Ephesians 2) or cultural (Romans 14-15). Examples of local churches cooperating together are seen in Acts 11:28-30; Romans 15:25-26 and 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. Such mutual cooperating is evident throughout the pages of the New Testament, but this was done without creating an organization higher than local churches.

   It is satanic to hide under autonomy to teach and practice what are not in line with plain teachings of the Bible. It is also satanic to hide under autonomy to deny other congregations our cooperation towards enlarging the borders of God’s Kingdom in hearts and communities of men through evangelism, edification and in times of material need.

Burial of the Dead

        It is no gainsaying that the Church we read of in the Bible buried her own dead (Acts 8:1-2; cf. Acts 5:5-6, 10). The same Bible enjoins us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and to mourn with those who are mourning (Romans 12:15).

        Church’s money is made up of collections by individual Christian who make up the Church (I Corinthians 16:1-2; II Corinthians 8:12-14). The question then is, if a Christian brother or sister had contributed to his/her local congregation’s treasury and it was not a sin, how come it has become a sin when the same brother or sister is in need or has died and the same church decides to dip her hand into her treasury to help meet the needs at hand? If it is a sin for a congregation to help out through her treasury, then it is a sin to have accepted contributions from such a Christian brother or sister.

If the argument is against using congregational resources to help or bury an unbeliever, then such is understandable as the needs of Brethren must take precedence over those outside the Faith (Galatians 6:10). It would be wrong to take the food meant for children of the family and give it to those outside the family while children of the family are hungry (cf. Matthew 15:25-27).

EFFECTS OF SATANIC DOCTRINES

Effects of satanic doctrines include but not limited to:

1.   Falling away from the faith (I Timothy 4:1).

2.   Shipwrecking of individual Christians’ faiths (I Timothy 1:19; II Timothy 2:16-18).

3.   Confusion (I Corinthians 14:33), disunity among brethren and eternal loss of souls (cf. I Timothy 4:16).   

CONCLUSION

Satanic doctrines are those doctrines that are contrary to God and to the spiritual well-being of His Church. Jesus’ and His apostles’ teachings remain the unifying and defining sources of our instructions. Any addition, subtraction or adulteration is nothing short of satanic (II John verses 9-11).    

To remain in the doctrines of Christ, we must embrace a “Thus Saith the Lord” attitude, speaking where God has spoken, being silent where He is silent and ministering only with strengths He alone has supplied (I Peter 4:11). We must shun modern day religious effizy.

May God richly bless us all in Jesus’ name!