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Heresy: The Greatest Sin of Rebellion

Heresy is often thought to be simply any doctrine that deviates from the true doctrines about Jesus. While doctrines that deviate from the true doctrine about Jesus is certainly heretical, that is only an example of heresy. Such an understanding of heresy misunderstands the real essence and the nature of heresy itself.   

Heresy is in essence, rebellion against God. It is the exercise of illegitimate authority against God through the perversion of doctrine. For in such doctrine is borne out of rebellion against God itself, a hatred of God, in particular, a love for that which is carnal. Jude 1:8-19 sums up the nature of heretics: 

Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots  raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 

These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

(Jude 1:8:19) 

This Scripture shows that heretics are people who teach strange doctrine that leads people astray from the Truth, which is the result of their rebellion, especially their carnality, to justify such carnality. To teach with the appearance of authority, they must use Scripture, but because their doctrines are evil and corrupt, they must then pervert Scripture on the very Nature of God Himself to justify themselves. 

In doing so, they reject all legitimate authority which stems only from God and God alone (Jude 1:8). They speak evil of dignitaries (Jude 1:8) because they expose and rebuke their error (Jude 1:8). Not even Michael the Archangel rebuked the devil, but let the Lord rebuke him, but these evil heretics, in their bold arrogance and their rebellion, speak evil of whatever offends them (Jude 1:9-10)! This simply shows how arrogant heretics truly are. There is absolutely no fear of God before their eyes. 

They elevate themselves above God, in seeking to determine the authoritative interpretation of Scripture by their own thinking, borne out of their carnality, when they have not been ordained to do so. Such ordinance by God is required for one to be a teacher who is exercising legitimate authority to interpret Scripture (James 3:1; Ephesians 4:11-16). These heretics, not only walk after the flesh, but seek to lead others into doing so, so that they may justify their carnality. They love the blessings of God, but neither obey nor serve Him, and live in utter rebellion (Jude 1:12-13). They are double-minded people as described in Jude 1:13, similar to how James 1:8 describes double-mindedness: 

They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Their double-mindedness manifests in their preaching of holiness, coupled with their justification of not only carnality, but their diabolical use of the Law of God to justify it, often in very subtle ways, full of sophistry. Such are those who love to argue that because the Scripture does not explicitly prohibit a particular sin, often a sexual sin, such as masturbation, or pornography, that such are not sins. They are often very subtle in the way they express their ideas, by arguing, for example, that because masturbation is not explicitly prohibited by the Bible, one cannot say that it is a sin, but can only say that it can be a sin in certain circumstances. This is effectively to argue that such a sin is justified, no matter what they claim otherwise! Failing to condemn a sin to be sin in the absolute sense is itself to endorse the sin. Such is the deviant sophistry of heretics, who dare to justify such evil! Such people are truly wicked and diabolical people! Avoid such people! 

The double-mindedness of such heretics also manifests in the idea that how many good earthly things one has is a sign of blessing.

The carnality that is characteristic of heretics is evident in the many heretical groups who believe that indulgence in gross carnality, is justified, demonstrating their use of such doctrine. Such endorsement of gross carnality in their teaching stems from their view about the nature of God Himself. For example, Mormons and Muslims, which are both heresies, in denying the true Nature of God, in particular, the Trinity, believe in polygamy, and having sexual relations with virgins after one's death, while the Gnostics legitimised and indulges in all forms of gross sexual immorality. Indeed, one shall know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16), and also, their fruits can be traced back to their fundamental doctrines about the Nature of God. 

All the beliefs of a person stem from his fundamental beliefs of a person about the Nature of God Himself. It is only by having the right beliefs about the Nature of God Himself, as exemplified by his belief in the Trinity, that determines whether all his other beliefs can be right. As long as he fails to affirm the truth about the Trinity, he is heretic. It is not even that one's doctrines about Salvation are sufficient to determine whether one follows the Truth, because the foundation of all a person's beliefs is the Nature of God. Rather, his beliefs about Salvation flow from his beliefs about the Nature of God.

It is therefore very possible for a person to believe that one needs to be saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, but yet still be heretical, precisely because of His false beliefs about the Nature of God. For the question that arises is, which Jesus does he believe in as his Saviour. He must believe in the true Jesus to be saved, for believing in a false Jesus leads to Hell.

Does he believe that the Jesus who died for the sins of the world and rose again both physically and spiritually, is the one who is both fully God and fully Man, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, comprising of God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, born of the Holy Virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit, lived a sinless life, with not even the ability to sin? Or does he believe that the Jesus who died and rose again is only half God and half man, or not divine in nature at all? Or even, does he believe that the Jesus who he claims to believe is even a spirit brother of satan, or a reincarnation of a woman? Or does he believe that Jesus resurrected only spiritually, but not physically as the Baha'i erroneously do? 

If he does not believe that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world and rose against both physically and spiritually, is both fully God and fully Man, the Second Person of the Trinity comprising of God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, born of the Holy Virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and who lived a sinless life, he is a heretic (See the Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed).


Furthermore, it is not enough to just simply believe to be saved, for even the demons believe in one God, but are not saved (James 2:19). Without good works, that are produced by that faith, and that are done in faith, one cannot be saved, for one's faith is not a saving faith. One's faith must lead to good works for it to be a saving faith. For faith without works is dead faith, that which does not and cannot lead to Salvation, and is therefore vain (James 2:14-17). Such works are works of obedience towards God, as Abraham was obedient towards God as manifest by offering his own son Isaac as a sacrifice before God when God asked him to do so (James 2:21). For faith is given unto us so that we may be able to obey God, and our faith is made perfect by works, that is, obedience to God (James 2:22) as demonstrated by Abraham's obedience towards God as an example:

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?


(James 2:21-22)

Abraham's obedience to God in sacrificing his son Isaac when God commanded him to do so was counted to him as righteousness: "And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God" (James 2:23). The mere belief that God exists does not show obedience that is credited for righteousness, but faith followed by obedience. It is evident that a person is "justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24).




While having a right view of the Trinity is necessary to have sound doctrine on Salvation, leading to true saving faith, it does not normally lead to such. For rebellion can manifest in so-called 'non-Salvific' doctrines pertaining to the commandments of Christ which is so often falsely dismissed as 'non-essential'. Such a view is patently false because a true follower of Christ is commanded to obey Jesus, and only those who obey Jesus, that is, do His Will, shall be saved (Matthew 7:21-23). This clearly shows that the commandments of Christ are not non-essential which can be compromised on, but that which cannot. The idea that the non-Salvific doctrines of Christ pertaining to His Commandments are non-essential is a doctrine of demons (1 Timothy 4:1)! For the Scriptures proclaim that:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.  

(1 Timothy 4:1-3)

These doctrines of demons are those which depart from the faith, being the saving faith in Jesus Christ. They are doctrines of demons because they deny Jesus Christ's authority as God, and therefore, denying His Person and Work. For it is not simply by believing in His Person and Work that one is saved (James 2:14-26), as even demons believe in Jesus Christ! To disobey Jesus' Commands, even to the slightest, is itself to deny His authority as God, and hence His Person and Work. That includes commands of Christ spoken through His Apostles. For it is to reject Christ Himself.

Heresy is not ultimately about false doctrine but rebellion of the most Adamic kind - to not only indulge in one's sins and find ways to justify them, but to pervert the teachings and commandments of the Word of God Himself, who is Christ, in usurping His authority as God, and replacing it with the exercise on one's own illegitimate authority.





 


















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