How To Avoid Bad Doctrines And Properly Respond To Good Ones
Christians should learn how to detect bad Bible doctrines as soon as possible (1Thess. 5:21). This skill will make you a less likely target for deception. Intentional deceivers as well as the sincerely misinformed, both want you to determine that they are telling you the truth. For your safety, you should always ask the important and difficult questions directly, clearly and as soon as possible. Christians will more efficiently weed out bad doctrines by first identifying who is speaking in the Bible verse(s). We should also ask to whom and are members of the body of Christ included in the audience. If you take these steps, you will specifically force the would-be deceiver to either try to lie more, or come clean with the truth.
At the start of your conversation with a suspected deceiver, you should do more listening and observing and less talking. Religious deceivers generally formulate their doctrines recklessly (seemingly out of thin air) and then they rummage around the Bible for verses that they want you to believe supports their position. However, we strongly urge all Christians not to assume the motives of anyone. Motives are invisible to humans, but not to God (1Sam. 16:7; Matt. 9:4). We can only judge words and actions. If the person in question doesn't tell us their motives, we must conclude that this information is above our spiritual pay grade.
You should make it a requirement that you be fully persuaded before you approve of any biblical information (Rom. 14:5b). In the sight of God (2Cor. 2:17), if you objectively conclude that the biblical information you are shown is correct, you should embrace it and proclaim it. Keep in mind, if you are not rightly dividing the word of truth (2Tim. 2:15), you are wrongly dividing it (2Cor. 4:2). There is no third possibility. After this life, in the presence of God, the Christian's service will be evaluated (Rom. 14:10,12; 1Cor. 3:9-15). Our service will be evaluated to determine what sort it is (Gold, Silver and Precious Stones or wood, hay and stubble). Remember, we make service choices based on our doctrinal beliefs. Do any of your doctrines need correcting (e.g., Acts 18:24-28)?
Finally, be firmly convicted about the things of God concerning you (His plan and purpose for the church, the Body of Christ (1Cor. 12:27). When people are sincerely convicted, their mindset changes and work gets done (e.g., 1Cor. 15:10). Too many Christians are not convicted about their doctrinal beliefs, they only have soft opinions. True biblical convictions have substance that shows up in the form of God honoring action (Eph. 2:10). Most importantly, be a Bible believer (1Thess. 2:13), not a Bible corrector or doubter. This is the best first step to becoming a strong Christian with good biblical convictions (1Cor. 4:1-2; 2Cor. 4:1-2; 1Thess. 2:4).