Defend your Church from all false teaching

Two truths
There are two important truths I want to emphasize in this post. The first is that God loves us. And the second is that the Gospel is good news. These two truths are not only a wonderful support, but are also a wonderful defence against false teaching.

God loves us
Think about the greatest love you have ever experienced, whether it be from a mother, a father, a spouse, a child, or an animal. Keep it in mind, but now think, too, about the greatest love you have ever given, whether it be to a mother, a father, a spouse, a child, or an animal. Keep a hold of those thoughts of love in your mind, and in your heart for a while; really enjoy them; really appreciate them. It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?

Now consider that as good as those feelings of love are, as happy as they can make you feel, that our God loves you, and me, more even than that, much more. God loves us even more than the person who loves us the most.

The Gospel is good news
The literal translation of the word, “gospel”, is “good news”. Every authentic aspect of Christianity is good news. It’s important to remember that, it’s important to share it: Christianity, and the whole Gospel message is Good News!

Defence against false teaching
How can this help defend us, and the Church, against false teaching? Those two important truths can be used to test things against. We, and the Church, can use them as a test to discover if we’re understanding a Bible passage, or personal revelation, properly; by judging our interpretation by its fruits.

Since the most important fruit is love, we can ask ourselves, “When someone who loves me is loving me the most, would they act in this way?” And, since every authentic aspect of Christianity is good news, we can ask ourselves, “Is it good news?”

If the answers to these two questions are “Yes”, our understanding is probably right. But if either answer is “No”, then we probably need to look again at our interpretation, because it’s most likely wrong, coming from false teaching.

Lord God,
defend your Church from all false teaching
and give to your people knowledge of your truth,
that we may enjoy eternal life
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

You search us and know us

In Psalm 139:1-6, we read:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
   you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
   and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
   O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before,
   and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
   it is so high that I cannot attain it.

In many ways, that’s quite a scary thought. We cannot lie to God; he knows the truth. In fact, he knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows all about our daily lives, when we sit, and when we rise. He knows all our ways, our mannerisms and character traits, our motives and goals. He even knows what we’re going to say and think, before even we do. A scary thought indeed.

But there are a couple of ways that, for me, make this a comforting thought too:

We don’t have to pretend with God; he knows us. We don’t have to try and be the person we think others want us to be; he knows who we really are. It’s the real person who we are that God wants, and calls into his service.

And, despite him knowing us so intimately, knowing all the bad things in our lives and character as well as the good, already knowing the things about us that we’re ashamed of, as well as those we’re proud of, he still loves us. God loves the real us, the real me — warts and all!

It’s because of that love that we can rely on him in strength, and rest on him in weakness.

Almighty God,
you search us and know us:
may we rely on you in strength
and rest on you in weakness,
now and in all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council