In a previous article we looked at doctrine and why it is important. Now let’s consider, how bad is the problem of not wanting “sound doctrine” today as Paul predicted would happen when he wrote,
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
When only 19% of Christians believe that Christianity is the only true religion1 there is evidently a doctrinal problem with the other 81%. That was in 2002 and we see the problem has grown from a 2017 Pew Research poll that revealed that 61% of people identifying as Christians believed in at least one of four popular New Age religious doctrines.2 These doctrines were reincarnation, psychics, astrology, and the belief that spiritual energy can be in physical things.
How is it possible that Christians can believe these basic doctrines of false religions? They have not studied nor been taught “sound doctrine” from the Bible. Not knowing the faith, they are powerless to defend it or themselves from devilish deceptions that deny the deity of Christ and declare the divinity of man. This is not what God wants. In fact, the Apostle Paul told us the Lord gave Apostles, who recorded His Word, and pastors and teachers who passed it along so
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (Ephesians 4:14)
We are to learn God’s Word so we are not tricked into believing or accepting lies that harm our relationship with Jesus and endanger people’s souls. Make it a priority to read and study the Bible each day. Faithful ministries like the Bible Broadcasting Network and Thru the Bible can speed your learning, so use them as resources to increase your spiritual growth and understanding. They have helped me for decades and will bless you as well.