BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (14)

 FALSE STANDARDS

Mike Johnson

Why is there so much division and confusion today in the religious world?  Why are there so many different doctrines and so many religious groups?  One reason is that many have never learned the importance of Bible authority.  Some may acknowledge the need for guidance from the Bible, but they only pay “lip service” to Bible authority when all is said and done.  When people do not follow the same standard (God’s Word), division and confusion are certain.

All authority rests in three areas.  There is internal human authority, external human authority, and divine authority.  God intends for us to receive guidance by divine authority (Col. 3:17, 1 Thess. 2:13).  Divine authority originates with God, is centered in Christ, and is recorded and revealed in the Bible.  Sadly, however, external and internal human authority guides many.  Consider some external and internal sources of human authority commonly used today.

Feelings

Many have followed their “feelings” as a guide in religion.  As long as they feel saved, they are satisfied.  Questioning them about their salvation touches a tender spot because their feelings are often “sacred.” As they pat their chest, they may say, “I would not give up this feeling I have in my heart for all of the Bibles in the world.” Unfortunately, many people would rather die trusting their feelings instead of making a candid and honest investigation of their salvation in view of what the Bible says.

In secular matters, we know our feelings can deceive us.  For example, we may feel that something is correct and later learn it is not.  Also, people may think they are in good health just before they suddenly die.

Consider two biblical examples of deceptive feelings. In Genesis 37, Jacob was deceived into thinking his son, Joseph, had died.  Jacob mourned as if Joseph had died.  He might have said sincerely, “I know how I feel.” Saul, later known as Paul, felt his duty was to persecute Christians.  He said (Acts 26:9), “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” Paul was laboring under a delusion.  The fact that he felt he was doing right did not make his actions right.

Various Old Testament passages show the futility of trusting our feelings as a guide for what is right and wrong in serving God. Jeremiah 10:23 says, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Jeremiah 17:9 teaches, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  People cannot depend on their hearts to lead them in the right way.  Finally, Proverbs 28:28 says, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”

Consider religious people (such as the Jews and Muslims) who do not believe that Jesus is the son of God.  Are they saved?  They, no doubt, feel they are.  Yet in John 8:24, Jesus said, “...for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” These people may feel saved, but that does not mean they are.  Likewise, if feelings are not evidence of salvation for Jews and Muslims, they are not evidence of salvation for Methodists, Baptists, and Pentecostals.

How can we have assurance about salvation or anything else we might believe?  Our feelings can be fickle—one day, we might believe one thing; another day, something else.  God’s Word assures us.  It is our safe and steady standard. 1 John 5:13 says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. John also wrote (1 Jn. 2:3), “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” It does not matter how we “feel” about our salvation.  God’s Word is essential in this matter.  Can we determine from the Scriptures that we have obeyed the Lord?  It does not matter how we feel; what matters is what God says.  “Feelings” are produced by evidence; they are not evidence for salvation.  It is indeed foolish for one to trust his feelings concerning his salvation.

Conscience

Others use their conscience as their standard of authority.  They might say, “Just let your conscience be your guide.” This approach, however, cannot be a correct standard as a person can have a good conscience and yet be in sin.  Some can steal and kill with a good conscience.

Consider the case of Paul.  Before his conversion, Paul was a persecutor of Christians, and during this time, he had a good conscience.  In Acts 23:1, he said, “…Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” As we noted earlier, according to Acts 26:9, he pointed out, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” Paul was following his conscience, but he was wrong.

If conscience alone is the correct standard, there are as many standards as people.  A conscience may be programmed incorrectly, and thus a person could have a good conscience and still be in sin.  Undoubtedly, the conscience, by itself, is not a correct standard of authority.  The Word of God needs to program our conscience.

How Much “Good” That

Something Does

Some people try and justify a practice by the good done.  If asked for the authority for a particular practice their church is involved in, they respond by citing the good accomplished.  This view is saying that the “ends justify the means.” They look at the good they think is achieved and assume that since “good” occurs, God must approve of what they are doing.  This view attributes to God man’s feelings about matters, rather than looking to God’s Word as the authority.

Consider a few Old Testament events.  God told Saul, a king of Israel, to destroy the Amalekites completely (1 Sam. 15).  Saul did not do this; instead, he spared their king (Agag) and the best of the animals.  When questioned by Samuel, Saul said (v. 21), “The people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”  Samuel rebuked and told him that obeying is better than sacrificing (22).  Saul was saying that the ends justify the means — that it was proper to disobey if good resulted.  Saul was wrong and unjustified in his disobedience, no matter how much “good” he thought he had accomplished.  Another example concerns Uzzah (2 Sam. 6), who was transporting the Ark of the Covenant on an ox cart during the reign of David.  To begin with, he was not conveying the ark correctly.  Then, when the ark arrived at Nachon’s threshing floor, the oxen shook the ark, and it was in danger of falling.  Uzzah touched the ark to steady it, which violated God’s command, and he immediately died.  Uzzah might have contended that his steadying the ark prevented it from crashing to the ground and that good would come because of his disobedience.  However, Uzzah was wrong for touching the ark, and he paid for it with his life.  The ends did not justify the means.

Instead of trying to justify a practice by pointing out the good that it does, we need to turn to a “thus saith the Lord.”

Belief of Parents

Others rely on their parents as their sources of authority in religious matters.  These will not accept the truth on certain subjects because their parents did not believe that way.  Admittedly, this is a wrong source of authority.  We must always honor our parents, who may have been wrong in their beliefs and practices.  However, we must not reject the truth simply because it contradicts our parents’ beliefs. Matthew 10:37 says, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

The Majority

Some people use the concept of the majority as a standard of right and wrong in religious matters.  They feel it cannot be wrong if the majority practices something.  For example, they might say, “Why there are millions in the religious group that I am a part of,” or “There are many who believe as I believe.” Does the fact that a majority believes a particular thing makes it right?  Is it correct to use the majority as our source of authority or to believe a certain way simply because so many others do?

It should be evident that the majority are not our standard of authority because, if it is, “truth” will change as we change locations.  For example, the majority’s beliefs about a particular matter may differ in the South than in the North.  Also, the views of the majority may vary from country to country.  Some nations, for example, consist of people who do not believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  Further, if people used the majority as their standard, they would need to change their beliefs every time they changed locations when most of the people in the new place believed differently than the majority in the area where they were previously.  Considering the entire world, most religious people do not profess “Christianity.”

Consider a few Bible principles. Exodus 23:2 warns, “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil.” Jesus, in Matthew 7:13-14, tells us this standard is wrong when he says, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” In some situations, there is safety in numbers.  However, this concept is not correct in spiritual matters.  We must not use the majority as our source of authority.

Great and Wise Men

Denominational people often quote a religious leader or scholar to prove their point.  They might then say, “Are you smarter than this person?” Sometimes innovations are brought into the church and are defended because some respected preachers from the past believed the practice was Scriptural.  There is nothing wrong with examining the teaching and reasoning of various scholars on some subject and then comparing their logic to what the Scriptures say.  We can learn from other people.  Yet, we cannot use such people as our authority.  God’s Word is our authority, and we are to stand in the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 2:5).  Even Peter practiced error, stood condemned, and was opposed “to the face” by Paul (Gal.  2:11-21).

It is essential to understand that teachers and scholars, although knowledgeable, can be wrong.  Pick almost any issue, and knowledgeable people exist on both sides.  We must not allow someone to lead us astray.  God’s Word, not a mere human being, is to be our authority.

What Is to Be Our Authority?

What then is to be our authority?  Our authority is to be God’s Word and not the external and internal sources of human guidance listed above.  The Bible is to be our guide—our standard.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”   2 John 9 says that we must abide in the “doctrine of Christ.” We must accept the Bible and the Bible only as our source of authority.  Human standards will lead us astray.