Does It Make Any Difference?

Many religious people have concluded that the bottom line in any matter of faith, is personal preference. To them, choices about churches and their practices should be made upon the basis of what suits the individual. Does it make any difference what one believes? We are convinced that it does.

There are some good reasons why one’s opinions are not a sufficient guide in spiritual matters:

1) The things we need to know lie beyond the realm of human reason. Spiritual truths which are eternal and unseen must be revealed. God’s purpose to save those in Christ, for example, is a mystery which could never have been discovered without divine revelation (Ephesians 3:3-5). The Bible guides us where no man could have, for it reveals the deep things of the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-13). Apart from it, we can never know the truth.

2) Authority always rests with Deity. It is not up to the creature to decide how the Creator will be worshiped and served. God made us, revealed Himself to us, and gave His Son for us. The whole object of our faith is to please and honor Him, not ourselves (Galations 1:10). If God is important, then what He wants is important. If God rules, then His word is the final authority in any question (Colossians 3:17).

3) The Bible clearly claims to be the only safe guide. It speaks of “good doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:6) and “sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:10). We are told to “hold the pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13) and “not to teach a different doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). Brothers in Christ are encouraged to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). None of these statements could make any sense if it makes no difference what one believes.

When a person is making any spiritual decision, the first question should always be, “What does the Lord want?” The answer to this question must never be regarded as less important than what we think or what we feel. —Bill McFarland

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets