Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: November 16, 2008
BELIEVING VERSUS PRACTICING FALSE DOCTRINE
Ben Justice
Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). If a person wants to
be free from the shackles and burdens of sin, then they must “know the truth.” Error has never set a single
soul free from sin. Peter warned about “being led away with the error of the wicked” (2 Pet. 3:17). Such
brings about “destruction” not salvation (2 Pet. 3:16).
Perhaps you have heard of someone who believed in some false teaching, but yet, they did not practice it
openly either in word or deed. Many have concluded that such is just fine — just as long as they keep it to
themselves. Some elderships have reasoned that as long as “brother–so-in-so” doesn’t express it, they can
still serve publicly or teach a class. However, this reasoning is totally contrary to the teachings of the
Scriptures.
There are some doctrines that can only be believed and not practiced. For example, a person may believe
that God will save some who have not obeyed the gospel. However, such a belief can’t be practiced in deed
— one is only capable of believing said doctrine. One may believe that Jesus did not resurrect bodily.
Obviously, one can’t put into practice this belief.
Then, there are some doctrines that can be believed but may not be practiced because a person has decided
not to practice them. A refusal to put into practice certain doctrines believed can be attributed to many
different reasons. The primary reason is usually for unity sake. In other words, they know that to teach
and/or practice a certain doctrine will only disrupt the unity of the church, and, therefore, they decide not
to teach and/or practice it. For example, one may believe that instrumental music used in conjunction with
the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is okay, but they refuse to make an issue out of it. Many
other examples could be given.
Several questions come to mind:
1.) There is always the potential for the belief of a false doctrine to be taught and/or practiced. Suppose
the leadership of a congregation goes ahead and decides to use a brother or sister to teach a class in which
the leaderships knows that they believe a particular false doctrine? Suppose this brother or sister says, “I
will not make an issue out of it?” However, one can’t be so sure that it will never come up in a class. What
if a student in the class asks a question relating to this doctrine? What will the teacher say about it? I
Pet. 3:15 issues a command that we be ready always to give an answer to every man concerning the hope
that is in us. It is extremely dangerous to put teachers into teaching positions who hold to false views. In
fact, it would be wrong. This is why questionnaires are vitally essential. They do serve a very important
purpose.
2.) How can one truly believe a matter, yet hold it in? Paul made an interesting statement in 2 Cor. 4:13,
“We have the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe,
and therefore speak.” Paul made it clear that the things he believed, he spoke. If one has the convictions of
Paul, then what he believes, he will express!
3.) If a brother or sister sincerely believes a doctrine, then why wouldn't they want to express it — either in
word or deed? Why not teach and/or practice it publicly?
4.) If a brother or sister does hold to a particular false doctrine privately, the question comes to mind,
“Does he truly hold it privately?” How is it the case then that others know about it? By the fact that other
people know about it proves that the false doctrine is not truly a private matter. Besides, many spread their
false views privately.
John clearly said, “Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world” (I John 4:1). It should be obvious from this passage that God doesn’t
want us to “believe” that which is wrong.
In I John 5:10, John penned these words, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he
that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.” Believing
in error (in this case about God giving his Son) results in making God a liar. Brethren, believing error, even
though you may not teach and/or practice it, makes a liar out of God. Why? Because God doesn’t teach it!
Leaders and elders ought to think more carefully about their position of allowing a brother or sister to serve
publicly who believes error.
Hebrews 3:18 describes certain ones who did not enter into God’s rest because they “believed not.”
Paul said it as plain as can be in 2 Thess. 2:10-12, “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11) And for this cause God shall
send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (12) That they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Believing a lie will not bring salvation but damnation.
No one should believe in false doctrine — no matter if it is taught and/or practiced or not. God has given
us his word; one can read it and understand what God has taught.
Shall we allow brothers and sisters to serve in a public capacity who subscribe to the notion that drinking
alcohol is permissible or that God still performs miracles or that the guilty party in a divorce can remarry or
women translators are an expedient or baptism is not essential to salvation? The list could go on and on.
No matter if one believes or practices false doctrine it is a serious matter!
Faithful brethren will seek to teach the way of God more perfectly to those who believe and/or practice
error. If the one is error does not repent, then the faithful have no choice but to separate themselves from
them. The Bible simply does not teach that a person has the right to hold doctrine as a “private” view and
then reward that person with the good wishes of the congregation. The purity of the church is at stake
when a person believes false doctrine. Shall we exchange the purity of the church just to have unity in the
church? The Bible doesn’t teach unity at all costs; rather, unity is always based upon the truth of God’s
word (cf. John 17:20; Acts 2:42; 2 John 9-11).