See the last two articles for continuity. As has been suggested thus far in these articles most religious people, while recognizing the need for some kind of authority to justify what they believe and practice, use the false standards of men, rather than God’s standard to find justification for their religious practices. In the last issue two of these false standards were dealt with, 1. I do it because I like it. 2. If my conscience doesn’t condemn me it will be alright. In this issue let us notice another false standard used by religious people to justify their faith and practices.
As men continue to search for a reason or authority to do certain things in religion they may decide authorization is based on how many others are doing something. When some religious belief or practice is shown to be unscriptural, i.e. unauthorized by proper scriptural exegesis (science of interpretation), people often exclaim, “But, look how many people are doing it. How can it be wrong when so many think it is alright?” Think what they are really saying, that if the majority of people believe something to be right it must be so. They are justifying their actions on the number of people doing something, rather than what the word of God actually teaches and authorizes. Their standard is THE MAJORITY DOES IT, THIS MAKES IT RIGHT. This is another false standard. From a study of God’s word one sees that the majority are found on the wrong side of what God wants. I can think of only two instances in scripture where the majority was in right standing with God. One was in the Garden of Eden, before Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. The other was when Noah and his family first stepped out of the ark. In neither case did the majority remain in God’s grace for very long.
The majority of religious people in America give little thought to what God wants in matters of religion. They profess Christianity, and claim to believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. They demonstrate sincerity in their faith and practice. But, they are unable to explain why they believe and practice as they do. They are ignorant of what the New Testament actually teaches on these matters. They allow the majority to decide for them what they need to believe and practice because they don’t know any better, and don’t try to learn any better. They choose to remain ignorant of what God’s word says so they won’t have to deny their system of faith. If they learn the truth they will have to admit they are not following the Lord. Only the truth will free one from sin and error Jn.8:32.
People ignorant of the word of God are easily deceived and led into error. It was ignorance that caused Israel to go into idolatry. After they had conquered Canaan, and the generations that brought them into the Promised Land died, they fell into apostasy because they did not know any better, (and didn’t try to learn better). We read, “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose that did not know the Lord, nor the work he had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers … and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them, and they provoked the LORD to anger. They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths” Judges 2:10-13. A few centuries later Hosea stated, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” Hos.4:6.
This lack of knowledge allows people to pretend to serve God while doing as they please. A lesson found in the OT exemplifies this. In 2.Kgs.17, after the Assyrians conquered Israel, the Israelites were removed from the land, and the land repopulated with other nations. One of God’s priests from Bethel came to teach the people about Jehovah the true God of heaven. As a result the people in the land came to fear (recognize) Him as God, but at the same time they continued to serve their own traditional gods. They learned who God was, but they were not willing to accept His authority over their lives. In 2.Kgs.17:34-35 we read, “They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods – according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away. To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel.” V.41 continues, “So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.” These things were practiced by the majority, and it was popular, but God was not pleased with it. This attitude of pretending to recognize God, while at the same time serving gods of their own making and choosing, led to the downfall of both Israel and Judah and it will do the same today to those of like attitude.
Regardless of how many people believe something, or do something that is popular with the masses, if it has not been authorized by God it is still wrong. Following the majority is dangerous and deadly. They are going the wrong way and doing the wrong things. According to Jesus, the majority of people will be lost. He was very clear about this when He warned, “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” Matt.7:13-14. Beware! Following the majority will lead you to hell, not heaven.
On another occasion Jesus was asked, “Lord, are there few who are saved? And He said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able” Lk.13:23-24. Why? The answer is found in v.27. He refused to recognize them because they were “workers of iniquity.” They were acting without law, acting contrary to it, i.e. without proper authority (See last article 8/26/07).
A majority believing and/or practicing anything does not mean God approves of it, nor does it establish Bible authority. Our purpose is to please God, not man. Paul told Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” 2.Tim.2:15. He also wrote, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” Gal.1:10. Again he wrote, “But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts” 1.Thes.2:4.
(this series continued in next issue).
By Thomas Thornhill via THE BUCKHORN TEACHER Vol.6 September 9, 2007 No.8
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