Have you ever felt like some folks are preaching man-made doctrines without even realizing it?
Have you ever been in a religious conversation with someone, or heard a preacher in church or on the radio, or maybe been reading a book or listening to a podcast, when you heard something that you totally disagreed with? You felt like the ideas were way off track from what the Bible says. It seemed obvious they were preaching man-made doctrines.
But the person sharing these ideas is speaking with such absolute authority that it’s a bit intimidating. They speak with such assurance that sometimes you might even question your own beliefs and theological perspective.
This has happened to me many times over the years. And actually some people have heard me and disagreed with me. It’s amazing to me that people can speak with such conviction and at the same time completely disagree with someone who speaks with the same amount of confidence.
Now, I agree, it’s important to know what you believe, but it’s also important not to hold onto your beliefs so stubbornly, with the assumption you are right and everyone else is wrong. Why? Because then you’ve basically shut the door on being receptive to increased spiritual understanding revealed by the Holy Spirit.
Many are convinced their man-made doctrines are true
I know people who are so convinced they are right on a given religious doctrine or theological point, they actually have more faith in their theology than they do in God. They have a much better relationship with their doctrines than they do with Christ and the Golden Rule. And they are guided by their beliefs in their doctrines much more than they are led by the Holy Spirit.
If you listen to just a handful preachers or religious teachers from different theological perspectives, it doesn’t take long to see the wide variety of doctrinal and theological disagreements.
They have different definitions of what it means to be a true Christian. They have different litmus tests for who gets to be in heaven. They disagree on so many things and often proclaim that whoever disagrees with them is not Christian, not going to heaven, but is doomed to eternity in hell.
I have heard pastors preach with great authority, as if they know every single answer to every single question and they are the only ones who are right. They accuse others, with this same sense of authority, but with different answers, of being deceived by Satan.
Where do man-made doctrines come from?
What’s going on here? Where do all these man-made doctrines come from? Well, it’s kind of obvious…they come from man. The human mind tries to figure things out that it doesn’t understand. It tries to make sense of something that’s beyond its grasp.
The human intellect looks at God and the grand spiritual truths of God’s creation, but from its own limited perspective and through its distorted and discolored lens, clouded by its opinions and preconceptions and misunderstandings.
Who are we supposed to believe? Who is right? Is anyone right? How do you know when a preacher, teacher, or fellow church member is spouting off a man-made doctrine or a God-ordained truth?
How to tell if you believe man-made doctrines
Jesus has a simple answer that cuts right to the heart of the matter.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Matthew 7:16-20 NIV
Let’s fill in the blank there with the word “doctrine.” Every doctrine is known by its fruit. Good doctrine bears good fruit. Bad doctrine bears bad fruit. Every doctrine that bears bad fruit will be thrown into the fire. By their fruit you will know whether a doctrine is good or bad. All man- made doctrines will eventually dissolve.
Remember the parable of the tares and the wheat? When the tares, or weeds, started to grow, their leaves were almost identical to the leaves of the wheat. You couldn’t tell them apart. It was only when the seed stalks started to appear that you could tell the difference.
When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds (the tares, or darnel) also appeared. Matthew 13:26 NIV
This is a perfect example of what Jesus meant when he said, “by their fruit you will recognize them.”
What is the fruit?
If someone is preaching, with whatever confidence, a doctrine, and you don’t know whether it’s man-mad of God-ordained, look to see what the results of this doctrine are on the one preaching and those who hear the preaching.
Is the preacher filled with love or condemnation? Do the hearers feel embraced in God’s love, inspired to turn away from worldly ways, and commit their lives to Christ? Or are they made to doubt whether God loves them because of all the mistakes they’ve made in their lives?
Years ago, I was in San Antonio, Texas for a wedding, and the day after, I went to church with my cousin. I’ll never forget what happened. At the beginning of the sermon, the preacher asked the audience if they were sure they were going to heaven. Almost everyone there raised their hand.
Then he launched into a powerful but vitriolic 20 minutes of non-stop condemnation of all the ways people were sinning or could sin. He was relentless in his condemnation of sin, which is not a bad thing, in and of itself. But he was so condemnatory in trying to open the eyes of his congregation to the hidden ways of evil, that it had a rather depressing effect on everyone there.
At the end of his sermon he asked a second time who was sure they were going to heaven. This time only about 10 to 20% of the audience raised their hands.
I couldn’t tell for sure, but it almost looked like he was satisfied with what he had accomplished that morning.
Doctrine of original sin is a man-made doctrine
Now, don’t get me wrong. We need to take an honest look at ourselves and any sin we may be hiding in our hearts. We need to face it and repent and let God’s grace wash away our sin. But Jesus never preached that way to the normal everyday people who came to hear him.
Looking back at this experience, and even at the time, I felt like this preacher, perhaps with all the best of intentions to expose sin in all its many allurements, was a little too steeped in the man-made doctrine of original sin.
Believe it or not, and to the great surprise of many people who believe this doctrine, the doctrine of original sin only began to emerge in the 3rd century CE. It only became fully formed in the writings of Augustine in the 4th century CE. If you want a little history of this doctrine, check out what Wikipedia has to say about it. I’ll have the link in the show notes. There are other resources you can find for yourself.
Many preachers who teach this doctrine of original sin do not realize it was not part of the Christian church until about 300 years or so after Jesus. And yet they affirm it as if it were part of Jesus’s gospel.
How to tell if you’re being influenced by man-mad doctrines
So, whether you’re a preacher, a Bible teacher, or a student of the Bible, how do you tell if someone is preaching and teaching a man-made doctrine? And more importantly, how do you tell if you are believing one?
Here again, this is not always easy. But let’s come back to Jesus’s simple answer that we know them by their fruits.
What were the fruits of the sermon all those years ago in San Antonio? Well, I can only comment on what I observed that morning. There was a spirit of depression, despondency and resignation in the church goers to the belief they would never be able to overcome all their sins.
Now, just to be fair, it may have had a long term effect of people getting the victory over their sins, but it was as if the preacher was locking them into a sinful perspective on themselves.
A better fruit would have been the sense of having victory over sin.
Why humility is important
So how do we tell if we or someone else is spouting a man-made doctrine?
I think it’s really important to approach this question with a profound sense of humility. That means being willing to admit that you might actually be wrong. You may actually believe a man-made doctrine and not know it. Humility can be a tough pill to swallow at times, but it’s often the best medicine.
Paul sets an amazingly high standard on this very point. He was probably the most effective preacher and teacher other than Jesus. He wrote and spoke with boldness and authority, but he had enough humility to admit he didn’t know everything.
Can you speak with the same humility Paul expresses in 1 Corinthians?
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT
If Paul can say, “All that I know now is partial and incomplete,” or as other translations have it, “Now I know in part,” then can you and I admit that as well?
How do we figure out if something we believe is a man-made doctrine or influenced to some degree by a man-made doctrine?
Could you be wrong and not know it?
Are you willing to admit you might be wrong? Are you willing to do a little objective research into the history of a given doctrine or theological teaching to see when it appeared and how it originated? This can be very revealing.
I did an episode earlier this year about why I do not adhere to the Nicene Creed. Part of it has to do with the way the creed originated. I know this can be controversial, because many Christians consider the Nicene Creed as the ultimate litmus test for what it means to be a Christian. I however disagree. If you’d like to see why, I’ll have the link to this episode in the show notes: Episode 224 – Why Should I Believe in the Nicene Creed?
So let’s come back to the question of how to tell if a doctrine is man-made or not.
Are you following Jesus’s example?
If you are a Christian, the implication is that you are following Jesus, his teachings, and his life example to the best of your ability.
Let’s get back to basics. Hold fast to your love for God and your faith in Christ. But hold lightly to your theological belief system. Focus on what Jesus said and did, how he treated people, especially how he preached, how he healed, how he loved, and how he talked to God.
Hold up your firmly held convictions, doctrines, and theological beliefs to the light of Christ. Does what you believe find any common ground with the way Jesus spoke and acted?
Let’s come back to the doctrine of original sin. Did Jesus promote this teaching? Not at all. In fact, he taught just the opposite. Instead of telling all his listeners at the Sermon on the Mount that they were miserable sinners born in sin , like the preacher in San Antonio did, he said to everyone present, including anyone there who had sinned,
You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14 NIV
He didn’t say that only the perfectly righteous people in the crowd were the light of the world, but everyone, even all those sinners present.
Or are you following the Pharisees?
It was actually the Pharisees who taught a version of original sin. They said to the man Jesus healed of blindness,
They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out. John 9:34 NKJV
If you believe in the doctrine of original sin, you might want to think about whether you want to be in agreement with the Pharisees or with Jesus.
It’s time for all of us to quit arguing about and defending our theological positions with people we disagree with. It really never does much good.
What if, instead, we focused on understanding and following Jesus’s example? What if we actually did what Jesus told us to do? You know, like loving our neighbor as ourselves, being a peacemaker, loving our enemies, things like that.
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Recently I was talking to a couple of guys about their faith. They went back and forth quoting Scripture to support their views. I quietly listened to their theological bullet point list. It seemed, in an odd sort of way, they were just trying to justify their doctrines to themselves.
Now I’m not saying it wasn’t meaningful. And they quoted some beautiful Scriptures, but the discussion was all about what they believed. They were using their doctrines to define themselves as Christians. There was no talk about how we’re supposed to live our lives, love God and our neighbors as ourselves, or what it meant to follow Christ.
Here’s the amazing thing to me in all the debates about sound doctrine and theology: Jesus never said that his followers were to be known by their doctrines. As I mentioned earlier, he said we will be known by our fruits.
The litmus test of love
And here’s another thing Jesus points out.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34, 35 NIV
He’s saying our love for each other shows that we’re his followers.
And he gave another clear-cut litmus test for what it means to be one of his followers.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” John 8:31 NIV
And then to reemphasize this point, Jesus said,
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. John 14:15 ESV
Being a true Christian
Jesus defines what it means to be a Christian very differently than people who argue that their self-assumed correct theology makes them a true Christian.
You can have all the faith of the saints, you can be sure you have the right Christian doctrines, but if we’re not obeying the commandments of Jesus, doing what he told us to do and following his example in the way we’re living our lives, we’re not really Christian in the true sense of the word.
Jesus said,
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21 NIV
Can Jesus make it any clearer than that?
Your doctrines cannot save you. Calling Jesus your Lord, in and of itself, cannot save you. Jesus says. He makes it clear we must live our lives in accordance with God’s will.
The book of James puts it this way,
faith without deeds is dead. James 2:26 NIV
Taking an honest look
I encourage you to take an honest look at your beliefs. Are they in line with what Jesus said and did? Do they express the love he lived?
The best way to find out is to pay careful attention to everything Jesus said and did and follow his example and obey his teachings. Do this until it’s totally natural to love your enemies and forgive those who have wronged you, among other things.
Then look through this practice and obedience to Jesus as a lens to evaluate your doctrines.
I have several friends who used to preach the doctrine of original sin, among other things, but when they held their deep convictions up to the light of the way Jesus lived and loved, they completely changed what they believed. This is happening more and more. People are going back to what Jesus said and did.
Arguing over man-made doctrines is a decoy
The debate over who has the right theology and doctrines is really a bit of a decoy from what Jesus wants us to focus on. He gave pretty clear instructions on what should be our primary activity.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, Matthew 6:33 NKJV
I’ve heard too many Christians seeking first to get and prove they have the correct doctrine. And in the process, prove anyone who disagrees with them as wrong. To Christians like that, and I’ve met my fair share of them, I say, “Who made you the official doctrinal police?”
Seek first the kingdom
If you are seeking first and foremost the kingdom of God, you will be focused on what’s going on in heaven. You’ll be focused on God’s supremacy, and His love for all His creation.
In the kingdom of heaven, there are no man-made doctrines. There is no incorrect teaching. There are no misconception of God or our relationship to Him. In heaven, we no longer “see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror,” or a “glass darkly,” as Paul said. (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT)
You can’t take your man-made doctrines to heaven with you. And it’s not your doctrines, even if they are correct, that get you into heaven.
In heaven, we all see God clearly. We know Him as He is. We possess all spiritual understanding and clarity.
There are no human opinions about God, Jesus, salvation, or our relationship to God, in heaven. There is only God’s clear understanding of all that is true.
That sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Where is this heaven? When will we experience it?
When is heaven?
Unfortunately, most man-made theologies teach that you must die before you go to heaven and see God face to face and understand all things.
But Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is at hand and within us. It’s right here, spiritually, not far off in time or space.
The more you do what Jesus said to do, the more you love the way he loved, forgave the way he forgave, the more you’ll see this heaven at hand. And the more you experience being in the presence of heaven, the more obvious it will become whether a doctrine is man-made or a truth revealed by God.
I used to be a Pharisee
Now you may be wondering why I feel so strongly about all this. Well, I have to admit that when I first got serious about my faith, I was a bit of a Pharisee. I thought I was right about all theological points, and it was somehow my job to correct everyone else. That didn’t work out to well.
What is the fruit of thinking you are right and everyone else is wrong? All too often, and I speak from experience, it is pride, lack of self-awareness, and self-righteousness, not to mention an extreme judgementalness.
Just in case you hadn’t noticed, these are not Christlike attitudes. They do not please God. They are bad fruits from a bad tree, from a bad way of thinking.
Fortunately, over many years, God has humbled me and opened my eyes. I no longer have the desire to prove that my theology is right to someone who disagrees with me. My goal is to let my life be proof that I am following Christ, walking in his footsteps to the best of my ability.
Take an honest look to see if you believe in man-made doctrines
Once again, I encourage you to take an objective look at your beliefs, your theology, the doctrines you hold so close to your heart. Are you more faithful to them than you are to Jesus? Do you rely on your doctrines to show you are a Christian? Do you judge whether someone else is a Christian by their doctrines?
Or do you strive with all your heart to obey the teachings of Jesus and put them into practice in your daily life?
When your goal is to follow Christ, you won’t be intimidated by anyone demanding that you accept the doctrines they’re teaching. They are never your judge. God is opening your eyes right now to any man-made doctrines you may have been influenced by.
Keep your eyes on Christ and seek the kingdom of heaven, because you are free and man-made doctrines have no power over you.
Photo Credit: Jared Orondu
_____________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
Make a donation to support the show
_____________
Bible References
Matthew 7:16-20 NIV
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matthew 13:26 NIV
26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds (the tares, or darnel) also appeared.
1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT
12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Matthew 5:14 NIV
14 You are the light of the world.
John 9:34 NKJV
34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.
John 13:34, 35 NIV
34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 8:31 NIV
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”
John 14:15 ESV
15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Matthew 7:21 NIV
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
James 2:26 NIV
26 faith without deeds is dead.
Matthew 6:33 NKJV
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
