Doctrines That Free Vs Doctrines That Enslave

First let’s start off with the positive; the positions, postures, or doctrines, we adhere to which are Biblical, logical, practical, time proven, and Holy Spirit guided. The principles that you and I adhere to as Christians as in the Salvation Army are postures held by a majority of fellow Christians everywhere as well. Legitimate and enduring churches have doctrines based on God’s truth alone. Doctrines in general usually vary over the sacraments, or other traditions, but most everyone will agree on the basics of salvation. I love it that the Salvation Army articulates a basic 11 point doctrine that any Christian can agree with and understand! You must know what you stand for or you will fall for anything!

The Salvation Army Doctrines contain the basics of what a Christian should believe without obliging one to any dubious sacramental practices, elaborate rituals, concocted traditions, or mandated practices invented by man. In the Salvation Army there is no cult figure, no worship of leadership, no false spirituality by those who put on a show and no possibility of an uncontrolled financial gain because there are internal and external controls. The principle requirement is holiness, to live holy, faithful, serving others being an example of a true Christian! And if the uniform seems like too harsh of a rule, just recall that the uniform is simply a way to show that one is dressed to serve others as winning souls to Jesus is the ultimate agenda and goal.

4. In my 20 years with the Salvation Army I have seen dozens of people come and go from our loving serving community church Corps! It affects me and I have felt very sad and sorry for those who fell victim to some other church’s false doctrines. False doctrines are a curse! In Atlanta I recall one time a half dozen members moved over to a small church where they did prophecies over each person. To answer why they left our church, they answered that they felt (notice the word felt) that they had to go with that church’s way because there they were told what their mission would be by prophesy. And then some of them even accused that we had a false doctrine because we did not prophecy over people! Not every place that claims to be a church has truth guided followers of Jesus! It is not by ‘feelings’ but by faith, and not by strange words, prohibitions, sacrifices, sacraments, or self-proclamation that makes one holy!

1 Timothy 4

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

More and more so called churches today fit this bill of being a false church as described in these verses! I have observed that they seem to seduce people with the premise that no matter what church one is a part of, they will always accuse that that church and your beliefs are false! Ones that are false, as in the nature of Satan, always accuse the true ones of being false! The people of false churches are always holier-than-thou attacking your devotion to God as nothing belittling what you believe, criticizing your doctrine, good works, and convictions. If you don’t abstain from the things that they do, or if you don’t do things as they do and study their books only written by men then they claim you are false! False churches always claim that they, and only they, have the true doctrine! To clear up the prophecy part, only Jesus and no one else, has the spirit of prophecy and He spoke concerning the future of the world, not over others like a fortune teller. The only 2 times he spoke prophecy to his disciples was concerning how Judas would betray Him, and how Peter would deny Him 3 times. Not very pleasant prophecies, right? It is sad that people in ignorance follow what they are told without investigating deep in the Bible what Jesus really wants us to follow and obey! As Paul says in Gal 1:10 “for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ”.