Jerry C. Brewer
The Bible is God’s inerrant revelation to man. As such, it instructs mankind in the way God desires to be served and worshiped. But through the ages, men have perverted that revelation and created hundreds of religions to suit themselves. The ancient denominational falsehood that, “God accepts everyone who is sincere” has become the basis in religion today for postmodernism’s idea that truth is whatever one perceives it to be. That foolishness can be illustrated by simple mathematics: The sum of two plus two is four. But along comes a man who says, “I believe the sum is eight.” Another says, “I believe it is three,” and another says, “I believe it is sixty.” Who is right? All are correct according to postmodernism, which holds that the truth of a proposition is whatever an individual perceives (“believes”) it to be. That is the devil’s lie. Truth is truth regardless of my perception of it. The Bible is as true today as when it was first written, regardless of what I “believe” it to be. Truth is unchangeable and means what it means, regardless of what I think it means.
Whenever viewpoints oppose each other, both cannot be right. They may both be wrong but they cannot both be right. The hundreds of religious denominations in our world, all of which teach conflicting doctrines, cannot all be right. Even a cursory examination of the various doctrines and practices of the religious world ought to convince anyone that something is wrong.
Methodists, Catholics and Lutherans say baptism is performed by sprinkling water on a person. The Bible says baptism is an immersion, or burial. “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him…” (Col. 2:12). Which is right? The Bible is right. Catholicism says the pope is the head of the church. The Bible says Christ is. “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead…” (Col. 1:18). Which is right? The Bible is right. Baptists say one is saved before and without baptism. The Bible says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Which is right? The Bible is right. Can anyone, with a modicum of common sense and logic, believe that all of these opposing doctrines are right?
The divisions that exist among those professing to follow Christ are the result of man presuming to sit in God’s place. Exalting human reason above divine revelation, man presumes to legislate for God. That was Jereboam’s problem when he arrogantly changed the Israel’s worship (1 Kings 12) and that remains the bane of men today. It has always been our plea—and God’s will—that men give up their human doctrines and stand upon the word of God. That is the only way to worship and serve Him and go to heaven at last. Men may—and can—be wrong, but the Bible is right.
