By Tammy Tkach
By Tammy Tkach
A wonderful world of books has opened up to us in the past few years.
Books can minister to us, help us know and understand biblical characters, shed light on certain scriptures and topics and testify of God's mighty workings in the lives of fellow Christians. Many of us have also been taking advantage of conferences, seminars and videos.
But not all books, conferences, speakers and videos are ones we can endorse to each other. Some state doctrinal positions or make statements that aren't biblical. We need to be discerning about the information we hear and read.
For example, I heard a retreat speaker state that God's Holy Spirit possesses us, in much the same way a demon possesses a person. Yet one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23 is self-control; and John 16:13 tells us the Holy Spirit guides us.
A lot of us have been using various popular Bible study series for small groups. Much of what they say is good.
They can help us grow in spiritual maturity, which is the ability to know, understand and apply Scripture in every circumstance. But we should be aware of errors and watch for proof-texting (using scriptures without regard for their context).
For example, one series infers that a Christian is substandard if he or she doesn't hear God's voice and receive specific assignments from him.
Misinformation isn't always as obvious as these examples. There are also more subtle errors we should guard against. We especially need to be wary of people who talk about requirements for salvation other than believing in Jesus and accepting him as Savior.
This is not intended to discourage reading. Reading is a valuable means of continuing our education, widening our horizons and being aware of what is happening in the Christian and secular worlds.
How can we protect ourselves from errors in books, videos and presentations? By knowing the Word. If we are knowledgeable of the Scriptures and are diligently studying, we will be better equipped to recognize when something doesn't quite match up with God's Word.
Let's enjoy this new world of books and ideas, but let's keep our noses in God's Word. Remember to read with discernment and sometimes a grain of salt too!
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