Mission Venture Ministries

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 

The most important decision anyone makes in this life is choosing which authority to trust for their eternal destiny. We can be wrong about a lot of things in this life and still survive, but if we are wrong about eternity, we will pay for that mistake forever. Thankfully, there is one infallible source for truth that we can trust and that is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. 

Religion is described as something one believes in and follows devotedly; it is a matter of ethics or conscience and it seems that every religion has its own authority. Therefore, since every religion has an authority, and every person has an opinion, it is important that when we share the good news of the Gospel, that we ask people about their source for truth. 

As we do this, responses will vary, many will say that they belong to a religion because that is what their families have done for decades. Some will say they rely on the Pope, or in their rabbi, religious leader, religious traditions, human reasoning, church history or in their church founder. 

Lots of people are enslaved by religion and don’t even know it. They think they are following God, but in reality, they are under the influence of religious rules, regulations, and requirements that have less to do with God than with some person’s attempt to gain control creating an empire for themselves. 

Many need to wake up and understand that there is only one source that is right all the time. Our perfect and omniscient God has never been wrong, and He has given us His Word as our only infallible source for truth on this earth. Therefore, there is no higher authority than God and His Word as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states. 

In other words, Scripture is our supreme authority for knowing truth and correcting all that opposes it. Every word was breathed out by God, who cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18). Because of this, His inerrant Word must be the standard by which we discern truth from error (1 John 4:6). We also know that Scripture is sufficient to function as the sole infallible rule of faith, because it does not refer us to any other source for truth. Everything we must know, understand, and believe to be saved is found in Scripture (2 Timothy 3:14-16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Therefore, after considering any other source for truth, we must ask, “But what does the Scripture say?” (Galatians 4:30). 

No other source for truth can do everything that Scripture does. It brings conviction, gives wisdom, produces faith, refutes error, and can be used as a sword to slay the devil’s lies. Scripture also converts the soul, sets people free, sanctifies us and equips us for every good work. Most importantly, it also reproves and corrects. 

Therefore, we must use it to test the veracity of all of the following: 

• Scripture versus the teachings of men – “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). Meaning ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to all truth and verify it in Scripture to be so. 

• Religious traditions versus the truth of God’s word – “They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions” (Mark 7:7-8). Jesus was telling the Pharisees that their human rules and traditions were more important to them than obeying God’s commandments. 

• Testing the spirits – “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). This is so important that the apostle John gives the answer to what we should do: “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world” (1 John 4:2-3). Beware since there are many false prophets in the world. 

• We need to be on guard – “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears” (Acts 20:29-31). Paul was warning of this nearly 2000 years ago and as the apostasy intensifies this is getting worse every day. 

• Do not rest on the wisdom of men – “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). Many preaching strategies centered on the wisdom of men – around emotion, entertainment and human personality – may yield response, but not results for the kingdom of God. So beware and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you when you feel that internal voice tugging at you that something is not right. 

We must be aware that “religion” is what man tells you that God says. The best question to ask when truth is not being told is: “Book, chapter, verse please.” 

Why would someone who is sincerely seeking the truth seek another place other than Christ and His Word? The Lord Jesus is the personification of truth and His Word is truth (John 14:6, 17:17). He came into this world to testify to the truth and everyone who is of the truth hears His voice (John 18:37). Therefore, we must embrace Scripture as our supreme authority for truth because Scripture is what God says; while religion is what man says God says. 

Therefore, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

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