Truth Filters: How to Know Truth In a World of Lies, Deception and Fake News
Because truth is often uncomfortable to hear, many in our world avoid saying anything resembling the truth. Our current culture operates on feelings. And feelings are an awful guide! The Christian worldview is no longer the predominant worldview in our nation. The bedrock of truth contained in scripture, that was once the way most people saw the world, has fallen out of vogue. The reason why, are for another post entirely. What we have been witnessing in our nation over the past decades and even more so recently, is the results of what happens, when feelings and not facts become a nations moral compass.
So many are led astray by false teaching disguised as popular ideologies. By the time the lies are finally exposed, the loss is immeasurable. Friends, we must know our Bibles and we must be thinkers, lest we fall into the false teaching of many popular worldviews being promoted in our culture and has even crept into our churches. To prepare the Roman believers, Paul teaches them how to detect the presence of false teachers, and shows them who they are. The Church at Rome was strong, so this teaching is brief, but ever so crucial for each of us, if we are to be thinking Christians and not get caught up in all sorts of bad and unbiblical teaching.
In the final chapter of Romans, Paul is not addressing the leaders of the Church but the congregation at large. So, his counsel is different from what he’s taught to Timothy and Titus as pastors. The primary responsibility of any congregation is obedience to the truths of Scripture. The Church at Rome had an exemplary reputation in this area as Paul mentions. But notice the phrase, be “wise in what is good” meaning that knowledge and behavior are to be in agreement. Your theology must dictate your actions. If you really believe something to be true, your choices should align with that truth. In fact, Paul tells Titus, that the one common characteristic of a false teacher is their failure to obey scripture. Titus 1:15-16
Additionally, the congregation is to be “innocent in what is evil.” The word for innocent originally described city walls that had survived a siege. Intact, or unscathed would be good words. Evil will certainly attack and its assault will be intense; however, the walls of the congregation’s integrity must hold. That can only happen if we individually are working together to trust Christ and obey His words. This is why body life and active participation in a local body of believers is so important for each of us.
Wisdom and vigilance are all we need. A wise and aware congregation knows when the people have been divided and quickly recognizes the tactics of those who thrive on dissension. That’s when we as members can simply refuse to be divided or misled. Destructive people tend to move on when they lose their audience. Because the Church in Rome has always been strong in this area, Paul assures his readers that God will soon defeat Satan, and His means will be the feet of His faithful followers
Friends, the Church has always been in a battle with the enemy. So don’t be surprised to discover Satan attacking you or your church by using a divisive person, a false teacher or an unbiblical but popular ideology. What matters most is how you respond when it does happen. On a greater scale today, the Capitol C Church, is under attack from all sides with all sorts of ungodly teaching. Satan is ramping up his attacks and he knows his time is short. Do you believe you are equipped to recognize the telltale signs of a divider? Can you spot a deceiver? Do you know when you are hearing, or reading false teaching that could lead you astray?
Here are four questions you need to be ready to ask. I’m calling them truth filters. Everything you hear, post, read, say and share should easily pass all four.
Imagine how ineffective a divider or deceiver would become if everyone they encountered subjected everything they hear, say, read and share to these filters. “Anything worth protecting will eventually come under attack.”
We are living in the post church era. Or some call it the post Christian America. How are we to respond as Christians. We do what we’ve always done. We deny self, follow Jesus, obey the scriptures, and we make disciples.
So many are led astray by false teaching disguised as popular ideologies. By the time the lies are finally exposed, the loss is immeasurable. Friends, we must know our Bibles and we must be thinkers, lest we fall into the false teaching of many popular worldviews being promoted in our culture and has even crept into our churches. To prepare the Roman believers, Paul teaches them how to detect the presence of false teachers, and shows them who they are. The Church at Rome was strong, so this teaching is brief, but ever so crucial for each of us, if we are to be thinking Christians and not get caught up in all sorts of bad and unbiblical teaching.
In the final chapter of Romans, Paul is not addressing the leaders of the Church but the congregation at large. So, his counsel is different from what he’s taught to Timothy and Titus as pastors. The primary responsibility of any congregation is obedience to the truths of Scripture. The Church at Rome had an exemplary reputation in this area as Paul mentions. But notice the phrase, be “wise in what is good” meaning that knowledge and behavior are to be in agreement. Your theology must dictate your actions. If you really believe something to be true, your choices should align with that truth. In fact, Paul tells Titus, that the one common characteristic of a false teacher is their failure to obey scripture. Titus 1:15-16
Additionally, the congregation is to be “innocent in what is evil.” The word for innocent originally described city walls that had survived a siege. Intact, or unscathed would be good words. Evil will certainly attack and its assault will be intense; however, the walls of the congregation’s integrity must hold. That can only happen if we individually are working together to trust Christ and obey His words. This is why body life and active participation in a local body of believers is so important for each of us.
Wisdom and vigilance are all we need. A wise and aware congregation knows when the people have been divided and quickly recognizes the tactics of those who thrive on dissension. That’s when we as members can simply refuse to be divided or misled. Destructive people tend to move on when they lose their audience. Because the Church in Rome has always been strong in this area, Paul assures his readers that God will soon defeat Satan, and His means will be the feet of His faithful followers
Friends, the Church has always been in a battle with the enemy. So don’t be surprised to discover Satan attacking you or your church by using a divisive person, a false teacher or an unbiblical but popular ideology. What matters most is how you respond when it does happen. On a greater scale today, the Capitol C Church, is under attack from all sides with all sorts of ungodly teaching. Satan is ramping up his attacks and he knows his time is short. Do you believe you are equipped to recognize the telltale signs of a divider? Can you spot a deceiver? Do you know when you are hearing, or reading false teaching that could lead you astray?
Here are four questions you need to be ready to ask. I’m calling them truth filters. Everything you hear, post, read, say and share should easily pass all four.
- Does what I am saying, writing, reading, or posting agree with scripture?
- Does what I am hearing, reading, posting, or saying honor my Lord and Savior?
- Does what I am hearing, posting, reading or saying help me look more like Jesus?
- Does what I am hearing, reading, posting or saying cause me to think more highly of other believers?
Imagine how ineffective a divider or deceiver would become if everyone they encountered subjected everything they hear, say, read and share to these filters. “Anything worth protecting will eventually come under attack.”
We are living in the post church era. Or some call it the post Christian America. How are we to respond as Christians. We do what we’ve always done. We deny self, follow Jesus, obey the scriptures, and we make disciples.
Pastor Chris Williams
Pastor Chris is the Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church.
To find out more about Pastor Chris or to hear past sermons, visit fcfamily.org/sermons.
Pastor Chris is the Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church.
To find out more about Pastor Chris or to hear past sermons, visit fcfamily.org/sermons.
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