VIRTUALLY EVERY RELIGION is learned…

New Testament Christianity is no exception to this rule.  When the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, after warning him of evil men he said, “But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).  Why then, in the realm of religion, do people believe and act as they do?

Why do our friends in the Catholic Church engage in so much ceremonialism in their various services?  If one should ask such a question, the answer no doubt would be, “This is the way we learned it.”  Ask a Muslim why he believes as he does and the answer most likely will be the same, “This is the way we learned it.”  Why do all people who profess to follow Christ engage in so many unscriptural practices?  The answer is still the same, “This is the way we learned it.”  But from where did they learn it?  Certainly not from the Bible.  If the source of our learning is corrupt, our learning will be no better.

It’s not enough to be taught.  We must concern ourselves with where and by whom we were taught.  Fortunately for Timothy, his faith was instilled in him by a godly mother and grandmother (cf. 2 Timothy 1:5).  So, a hand-me-down faith is not necessarily bad, provided of course, those handing down their faith are sound in the faith.

As Christians, we should ask ourselves why we believe as we do.  Where did we learn it?  We should be able to go to the Scriptures and say, “Here is why I believe as I do.  I learned it from the Bible.”  (Marlin Kilpatrick)

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me” (John 6:44-45).

Mike Benson