I just finished preparing my teaching for one of our services.  I have been teaching on Christ the Healer.  While studying, I began to contemplate one of the biggest problems in the body of Christ.  That is, placing our experiences, tradition, physical symptoms, and other’s opinions above the Word of God.  Many form their doctrine that way.  They go by what they feel, rather than with what God’s Word says.  This continual seepage into our doctrine causes a pollution of great magnitude.  That’s why there are so many different beliefs out there, all in the name of Christianity.

It’s interesting that we can recognize that pollution in many other’s belief systems, but not recognize that we say and believe many things that are contrary to the Word of God.    Let’s see how many of these you can recognize as false doctrine, to be found absolutely nowhere in the Word of God.  Some will be obvious, but others, not quite so obvious. This is a true and false test, like we used to have in school.  (There are no in maybes or sometimes to these answers.)

True or False

We have to confess to a minister or priest to have our sins forgiven.
There are many good saints that we should pray to.  
Mary should be worshipped, because she is the mother of Jesus.  
You will go to heaven or hell, based upon if your good deeds outweigh your bad ones.  
Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
Once you have accepted Christ as Savior, you can live any way that you want to.
God may heal you, or it may not be His will.  You must pray “if it be your will.”  
It’s alright to have sex outside of marriage, if you are really committed to the person.
God understands if you were born differently and accepts homosexuality.
We all have to sin a little every day.
We should never judge anyone’s behavior or judge issues, because the Bible tells us not to judge.
You don’t have to go to church, as long as you love God.
It’s not important what you give, but  the thought that counts.
Tithing is only for people under “the law”.
Women can only teach other women, but not men.
We should never spank our children.
You should not get emotional in church.
God wants you poor.
Jesus was poor.
Jesus had no rich people supporting His ministry.
Money is the root of all evil.
There is no teaching in the new testament about God wanting to bless us materially.
Healing is no longer for today.
The gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues are no longer for today.
God wants some people to be sick and poor to teach them lessons.
God receives glory from people being sick.
Ministers should never preach about tithing or giving.  
Jesus never talked about money.
You can never be in ministry, if you have been divorced.
There is nowhere in the Bible that talks about people being drunk in the Holy Spirit.
No one fell out in the power of God in the Bible.  
People drank alcohol in the Bible, so it is fine for us to do so.
If I believe God speaks something to my heart that appears to contradict the Word, I can go with what He’s put in my heart.
We all interpret the Bible differently, so it’s up to the individual how to interpret it.  

How did you do on this test?  The answers should have been all false.  Read next week as we begin to give you what the Bible says on each of these issues.