More Than a Good Teacher

In the book of 1st Timothy, Paul pinpoints the way that some would come and to deceive people away 
from the truth of Christ, and I would even surmise that even some believers would be "cancelled" if they don't adopt the worldly philosophies embraced by the deceivers. We can read these verses in chapter 4:
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

For the believer in Christ, we have a conscience that is informed by the Spirit of God, teaching us to recognize what is right and wrong.  Those who deceive and embrace the ways of this world have, as Paul writes, a "seared" conscience, and they use their power to force people to follow in their ways.  I would even say that those who don't buy in would be ostracized.  We have to be careful to follow in Christ's ways, accepting Him as Savior and regarding His words as absolute truth.

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We are called out of this world and to reject the ideologies perpetrated by the world that will lead us 
away from Christ's truth. Colossians 2 states:
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Ligonier Ministries, the ministry founded by the late R.C. Sproul, has released some information from its latest State of Theology survey, conducted by LifeWay Research.  According to a Christian Headlines article, in the results that have been made public in advance of the general release next week, there are these startling statistics:

All total, 52 percent of Americans say they believe Jesus was a “good teacher, but he was not God,” according to the survey. Although the poll’s finding about the general population may not be shocking, Ligonier said it is surprising that nearly a third of evangelicals (30 percent) affirm the statement and believe Jesus was a good teacher and nothing more. Sixty-six percent of evangelicals disagree with the statement.

Here's another shocking tidbit: "65 percent of evangelicals believe 'Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God' – a statement that conflicts with the Bible." The article uses several Scriptural references that point to Christ's "deity and eternality."

Stephen Nichols, chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries and president of Reformation Bible College, is quoted; he says: “As the culture around us increasingly abandons its moral compass, professing evangelicals are sadly drifting away from God's absolute standard in Scripture. It's clear that the church does not have the luxury of idly standing by. This is a time for Christians to study Scripture diligently, engage confidently with people in our culture, and witness fearlessly to the identity and saving work of Jesus Christ in the gospel.”

The article refers to a Christology Statement developed by Ligonier, which says:

We confess the mystery and wonder of God made flesh and rejoice in our great salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

With the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Son created all things, sustains all things, and makes all things new. Truly God, He became truly man, two natures in one person.

He was born of the Virgin Mary and lived among us. Crucified, dead, and buried, He rose on the third day, ascended to heaven, and will come again in glory and judgment.

For us, He kept the Law, atoned for sin, and satisfied God’s wrath. He took our filthy rags and gave us His righteous robe.

He is our Prophet, Priest, and King, building His church, interceding for us, and reigning over all things.

Jesus Christ is Lord; we praise His holy Name forever.

Amen.

In a news release, Ligonier stated, "The confusion illustrated in these results suggests a dire need for Christians to be taught Christology, the doctrine of the person and work of Jesus Christ,” Ligonier said in a news release."

There are certain tenets of our Christian faith that are, in my opinion, absolutely necessary to embrace.  First of all, we have to know who Jesus is - He is God who came in the flesh, part of the Trinity.  He is not a "created being," but He is an equal being in the Trinity.  We recognize that Jesus is not merely a good teacher, although I might ask those who submit to the "Jesus is a good teacher" mantra: so if He is such a good teacher, why don't you follow His teachings?  

Because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we follow His teachings - because they are true, and we are able to follow His teaching because He is Lord and He has given us His Holy Spirit to teach, direct, and empower.  And, He shows us the way to salvation.  Jesus calls us to follow Him and to accept Him as the Lord and Savior of our lives.  He teaches us that we should be "born again," that we should experience the new birth.  That is possible because He died and rose again; so, then, we can be raised to new life.

Finally, in our wholehearted submission to Him, we can strive to avoid distractions.  There are worldly philosophies that have invaded the Church, and if we're not careful, we can be drawn away from the pure truth of the Word.  We are warned against subscribing to ideology that contradicts Scripture, and this can dilute the effectiveness of our individual walks and our corporate impact.