One of the features of a mature Christian and a mature church is that it is not easily tossed about by every wind of doctrine. One example of this is the churches that are easily swayed by liberal teachings which deny the deity of Christ, or the reality of the resurrection, or the authority of the Bible etc. But all branches of the church are subject to this. In the charismatic type churches there is a tendency to be easily impressed by preachers who claim to have visions of angels or dreams, or churches are easily taken by all sorts of nonsense about the last days. We to be mature in our thinking.
Instead we are to hold to the truth in love. The answer to avoiding false teaching is not a dry or harsh correctness, but holding to the truth in love. We are to become more and more like Christ. Under Him the whole church fits together properly. Note the emphasis on unity again, and not a mere formal unity, but a living and functional unity. Mere human attempts to guard the truth have a terrible habit of ending in splits and disunity.
The goal is that each part of the church does its own special work, helping the church as a whole to grow in love and to live as the body of Christ.
Instead we are to hold to the truth in love. The answer to avoiding false teaching is not a dry or harsh correctness, but holding to the truth in love. We are to become more and more like Christ. Under Him the whole church fits together properly. Note the emphasis on unity again, and not a mere formal unity, but a living and functional unity. Mere human attempts to guard the truth have a terrible habit of ending in splits and disunity.
The goal is that each part of the church does its own special work, helping the church as a whole to grow in love and to live as the body of Christ.
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