Part Two:

Part one in answering our question 3 points were made in the last article…

Now we will offer three more points as we answer the question…

Does it MATTER what one believes?

When someone tells you to “choose the church of your choice,” what they’re appealing to is YOUR wants & wishes and NOT GOD’S. This is not an appeal to authority of God; it is an appeal to THEIR BELLY. This is not my opinion; this is what the bible says, “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” (Phil 3:19)

Another way we usually see this is when people try to defend unscriptural practices. They often make an appeal to an emotional situation. Instead of looking for a ‘thus saith the Lord,’ they will give you a ‘thus saith my feelings.’ What they fail to realize is that they have made THEIR BELLY THEIR GOD. Feelings are subjective and can be deceived. Did you know that it’s not possible to know through just feelings if God is with you? “And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.” (Judge 16:20)

The way to know is by searching the scriptures. The Bereans were called NOBLE because they were Not Gullible (Eph 4:14; 5:6), had Opened their hearts while they Opened the scriptures (Prov 2:1-5), had Belief based on Looking through the scriptures daily (Rom 10:17), and this Earnest Endeavor made it possible for them to know the truth.

If it doesn’t MATTER, then all the little ‘g’ gods are EQUAL to the One Omnipotent God of heaven. Did you know that the bible says it’s possible to hear another Jesus, another gospel, by another spirit? Paul wrote warning us about a perverted gospel.

“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2Cor 11:4)

“Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Gal 1:7)

None of these false teachers were trying to win you over by convincing you of doing some harm. Paul said that they appeared as “the ministers of righteousness.” Satan himself using the mask as “an angel of light.” (2Cor 11:13-15) If it’s possible to be deceived by a false gospel, spirit, or Jesus, then it DOES MATTER what one believes.

An extension of the last point, since it’s possible to follow a false Jesus, it must then be concluded that it’s possible to be RELIGIOUS and wrong.

Paul warned the Colossian Christians against false RELIGIOUS practices. “Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.” (Col 2:23) “Will Worship” refers to self-developed RELIGIOUS practices. We see this all the time, people deciding on man made RELIGIOUS practices foreign to the scriptures.

This is nothing new, we can read about it in Leviticus 10. “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”

Nadab and Abihu had just been trained on what God wanted. They altered the pattern and were immediately struck. While God doesn’t demonstrate His disapproval in this way today, it doesn’t mean He is pleased with our altering of the pattern for New Testament practices.

CONCLUSION:

If it doesn’t MATTER what one believes than any and all beliefs, even one’s contrary to the others is ok.

• Does it MATTER that one religion to deny Christ, while the other says that He is the way the truth and the life? (John 14:6)
• Does it MATTER that the bible calls out sin, while man-made doctrine says it isn’t a sin? (1Cor 6:9-11)
• Does it MATTER that the bible says “baptism doth also now save us,” while man says that baptism has nothing to do with salvation? (1Peter 3:21)
• Does it MATTER that some will say we’re saved by faith alone when the bible says we’re not? (Jas 2:14-26)
• Does it MATTER that some say you can never lose your salvation when the bible says you can? (Gal 5:4; Heb 2:1-3)

It does MATTER what we believe. Your eternal soul is at stake.