What You Believe Matters

 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.       –   Romans 16:17 

You see a snake in the garden. It is bright and beautiful, with red, yellow, black, and white markings. Is it the poisonous coral snake or the non-venomous milk snake? You try to remember the difference. You recall that the venom of the coral snake is considered to be second only to the black mamba snake found in sub-Saharan Africa. You make the choice to just let it live among the flowers, hoping that, whatever it is, you will not encounter it again.  

You may not have a clear understanding of the differences between the two snakes. Checking your reference material, you see that the skin of the coral snake has defined stripes, but that of the milk snake is blotchy. Snake expert Clint Bartley warns, “However, do not assume a snake is not venomous simply because it has blotches. You should still stay away from a wild snake to avoid getting bitten.” 

There are “snakes” in today’s churches—dissenters who will say, “I’m not really sure that God meant it when he said…” or those who claim, “It might have been right for Paul’s first century culture, but it’s not for today.” One commentary notes, “Paul is not referring to believers who have differences of opinion over non-essentials. In every church, there are those who outwardly and perhaps in many other ways appear to be Christians but are not. They are counterfeit saints.” Keep an eye out for them. They are dangerous to you and to your faith. Stay in the Word of God, so you can discern the differences, which are often subtle. Theologian John MacArthur warns not to “become engulfed in dialogue with ideological error,” making your walk with the Lord ineffectual. Rather, do as Paul urges in today’s verse, “avoid them.”