"You Have Heard It Said"
by: Ivie Powell
As one listens to various religious broadcasts he hears many things. Observe carefully that the Lord said: "Take heed what ye hear..." (Mark 4:24) and "Take heed therefore how ye hear..." (Luke 8:18). Also the words of Christ in Matthew 5, Jesus took various doctrines that the people had been taught and said, "Ye have heard it said...but I say unto you." (Matthew 5:21-22). As stated, one hears many things taught in the religious world, but are they the truth? For example:
You have heard it said, "One is saved by faith alone or faith only."
The Bible says, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only." (James 2:24). Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16).
You have heard it said, "One doesn't have to be a member of the church to be saved."
The Bible says, "...and the Lord added to the church daily those that were saved" (Acts 2:47). Again we are told, "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church; and he is the saviour of the body" (Ephesians 5:23), and Ephesians 1:22-23 informs us that Christ is, "...the head over all things to the church, which is his body..."
You have heard it said, "Baptism is not essential to one's salvation."
The Bible says, "...Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." (Acts 2:38), and "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us..." (1 Peter 3:21).
You have heard it said, "Practicing homosexuals should be allowed in the church."
The Bible says, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination" (Leviticus 18:22). In Romans 1:26-28, the inspired Paul writes, "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which were not convenient."
You have heard it said, "A child of God can never fall from God's grace."
The Bible says, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12). Again we read, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4).
You have heard it said, "The Lord's Supper does not have to be observed weekly."
The Bible says, "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread..." (Acts 20:7).
You have heard it said, "God allows women to preach as well as men."
The Bible says, "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." (1 Corinthians 14:34). Again we read in God's word, "But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be silence." (1 Timothy 2:12).
You have heard it said, "God has laid it on certain preacher's hearts when Christ shall return."
The Bible says, "But of that day and that hour knoweth not man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." (Mark 13:32).
You have heard it said, "It is permissible to call the preacher 'reverend'."
The Bible says, "...holy and reverend is his name" (Psalm 111:9).
You have heard it said, "One can marry and divorce for any cause; be baptized and live with the present mate."
The Bible says, "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away commit adultery." (Matthew 19:9). Again the Bible says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
You have heard it said, "We can't all be one religiously."
The Bible says, "That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:21). And in 1 Corinthians 1:10 we read: "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
Yes, my friends, millions of sermons are preached every Lord's day. Not everything is the truth. One knows that to be case by simply comparing what is taught with the Bible (1 John 4:1). You will observe we aren't asking you to accept our word as the authority in religious matters, but rather the word of God! Peter informs us, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God..." (1 Peter 4:11). If what you have been taught is not in accordance with God's word then, please do what God says! Jesus said, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).
In the religious world there are many things that seems acceptable to man, but because they "seem right" does not mean they are right in the sight of God! Proverbs 14:12 states, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Let us then do as James says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22).