Itching Ears

Scriptures: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministries.” (II Timothy 4:3-5)

Recently, a few friends whom I used to call brothers in Christ, have turned to liberal theology and have embraced such things like New Theology and Emerging Church. They have invited speakers of like mind to their meetings and have confused many of their faith in our Lord Jesus.

When confronted by church leadership team, they exalted their freedom to believe higher than the authority of church and of the orthodox interpretation of the Word of God. They went through the Bible and crossed out passages that recorded supernatural events and called them superstitions. They taught people that there’s no such thing as Trinity, calling it polytheism. They denied the divine nature of our Lord Jesus and called our Lord’s claim that there’s only one God as narrow-mindedness. As a result, tensions among members of the body of Christ became problematic and the unity of the church is under attack.

For many of us, it was simply shocking! It’s one thing to read about such things as recorded in the Bible, like the passage I used today. It’s a totally different thing to witness it personally. How can someone who grew up in the church and have been taught for years the truth of God be swayed away that easily? What is happening here?

This world is full of those false teachings, as Paul indicated in the book of Ephesians, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14)

These people come into our church as Christians. They speak all terminology we use. They go through the worship with us. They participate in our fellowship activities. They show great interest and enthusiasm in what we do and think. In a place where few are willing to devote their time to serve, these people are more than welcome. And, to be honest with you, I believe they did all these out of their sincere hearts.

It’s just that they embraced the false teachings. So, out of their sincerity and good intention, they accomplished just the opposite of what they thought they were striving for. Seeing them going astray make me realize how vulnerable we truly are. If it were not for the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, how are we going to be able to stand in the midst of such spiritually stormy generation?

We need to study and understand the Word of God and all His instructions so as to have the whole counsel of God. We need to be held accountable for what we believe so as to remain in truth. We need to humble ourselves before God and admit that there are things about God that we do not, and maybe will never, understand so as not to exalt ourselves higher than who we really are. We need to be active in the ministries of God so we will not leave room for the evil in His ministries.

We need to remember that, in the core of our belief, it is a living and loving relationship we have with God. It is this relationship that says Amen to the teachings and the revelation God has for us in the Bible about Himself and about us. It is also this relationship we have with God that makes His teachings true and powerful in our lives.

Most importantly, we need to ask for the Spirit of wisdom and enlightenment so we may discern what is truthful and what is not. Paul’s prayers for Ephesian saints should be ours, too, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your hearts may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparable great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:17-19)


Prayer Request:
For wayside brothers and sisters in Christ

Prayers:
Father God, as many of us are falling to the prey of human understanding and pride, we ask that You have mercy on us. Grant us faith where it’s lacking or fainting in us and shield us from all ungodly wind that attempts to sway us away. Help us to stand firmly in Your truth and in our fellowship with You as we pray in the name of our Redeemer Jesus, A-men!