Does It Matter What We Believe?

How is it that Christians read the same Bible yet teach different doctrines? With so many denominations and only one Bible, who is right? Are they all right or are they all wrong? Does it matter what we believe and teach? The answer to this question should be obvious. Following God's word is always in our best interest especially with so much at stake. His Truth always guides us in the right direction and for this reason we need to give earnest attention to understanding it.

But are most people really interested in knowing and following Bible truth? Could it be that we reject truth (Jesus), because we prefer following our own thinking and drawing our own conclusions. Consider some reasons why the religious leaders of Jesus' day rejected Him as the truth.

• Disliked having the errors in their teachings and practices exposed.
• Closed their eyes to truth because of their pride.
• Lacked love for the truth (John 3:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
• Failed to diligently search the scriptures regarding the accuracy of Jesus' claims.
• Tended to listen more to the words of their teachers instead of the Word of God. (Isaiah 53).

Sound familiar? The truth was unpopular in Christ's day as it is today, and for some of the same reasons. Unfortunately, many of us have never engaged in an in depth study of the Bible. We often pride ourselves on being students of the Scriptures but in reality do not know them. As a result, we are more inclined to accept doctrines that are not based on scripture but on hearsay. Jesus said, "Ye err not knowing the scriptures" (Matthew 22:29).

The real battle is not between denominations but between truth and error. With each denomination claiming to have truth it is important that we rely on what the Bible teaches. And when we consider the consequences of not following Bible truth we can conclude that it does matter.