The goal of conscientious Christians should be to make themselves so familiar with the essentials of the Christian faith that when a counterfeit message emerges, it will be easily recognizable. Sadly, this is not the norm in many of our churches today. Some of the "popular" authors and television teachers have given millions of people a completely distorted view of what it means to be a Christian.

We ought to clearly see a significant line between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the cults. That line is essential Christian doctrine—which has stood for thousands of years—and there must be unity around those essentials. Perhaps as never before, this line has not only been blurred by false teachings, but it is being attacked on many fronts.

Movements within the culture (cults, as well as those within the church) are compromising, confusing, and contradicting essential Christian doctrine. The tide in evangelicalism is turning from unity around the essentials to unity despite the essentials. There seems to be the attitude of "religious experience acceptance". We see a prevailing view that all Christians should accept—even embrace—the new and creative experiences which some teachers claim are produced by God.

A case in point: The "Faith" movement uses Christian terminology when it comes to the essentials. Tune in to a Trinity Broadcasting Network program, or read an author from this movement and you will hear many religious-type words used to support their claims. The truth is that the meaning being poured into the words is decidedly unbiblical. There are claims of new anointings, new truth, new miracles, new experiences--all explained with convincingly sounding Christian terminology. Many Christians accept these teachings because it "sounds right" to them. Unfortunately, they are not able to identify the falsehood that is being preached. Hank Hanegraaff, Bible Answer Man host, has said that in the "Faith" movement, "Faith is redefined as a force, God is reduced to a being who has faith, and the gospel of grace has been relegated to a gospel of greed."

It is certain that false teachers have trivialized the importance of essential Christian doctrine--right under the noses of the church body. Playing down or re-interpreting essential Christian doctrine adds a sense of legitimacy to their misguided formulas and wild claims. If you throw out the rule of measure, or redefine it, discerning the truth becomes difficult. Essential Christian doctrine must remain the key to effective Christian living.

Essential Christian doctrine provides the framework through which we properly relate to God in prayer. It allows us to accurately understand the Bible and actively involve ourselves in meaningful church membership. Furthermore, it is the method by which we competently defend our faith. Finally, it is the basis for how we live our lives. We should take heed as Paul instructed Timothy, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Tim. 4:16).

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"Christians Aware" realizes that in our increasingly complicated society, characterized by information overload, there simply is no way everyone can be expected to stay abreast of the ever-changing world of the cults and religious belief systems. Therefore, we exist to help layperson and pastor to define and defend the historic, biblical Christian faith.

To this end, we heartily support the efforts of the Christian Research Institute.

CRI provides pastors and parishioners with the facts and knowledge needed to defend the historic, biblical Christian faith against the attacks of pseudo-Christian cults, the occult, new religious movements, world religions, atheism, and the plethora of other threats both from within and without the church that attempt to undermine the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Contact them at:

Christian Research Institute
P.O. Box 7000
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

Web: www.equip.org