How to know what you believe is true
Beliefs are powerful. They direct our decisions big and small. Looking at Jesus's teaching about the yeast of the pharisees in Matthew 16, this blog looks at how we can avoid false teaching.
Thomas Anderson
9/22/20262 min read
During our family devotions this week we read where Jesus warned his disciples about the teaching of religious leaders of the day, saying it was like yeast (or leaven). So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” Matthew 16:11
It brought to mind what we looked at last week when in Revelation chapter 2, Jesus warned the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira against teaching that was leading them astray.
It’s a good reminder to consider the power of the teaching we absorb. It really does have the power to steer our whole lives. It impacts the way we relate to God and each other. It can even impact our health, our career choices and the way we spend our free time.
James 3:3 says this about the power of words: we can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. A simple sentence can plant itself in our minds and quietly guide choices big and small.
That’s what Jesus is getting at when he compares deceptive teaching to yeast. It doesn’t take much to have a big impact. If you’ve ever seen dough rise from just a sprinkling of yeast, you’ll understand the metaphor.
The teaching we receive and what we do with it is therefore very important. Most of us would say we’re pretty good about detecting when something sounds off, but the thing about deception is it’s very good at slipping through our defences!
One way to detect false teaching is to look out for anything that directs our attention away from Jesus. If we find ourselves becoming superstitious or feeling we have to do certain things before God will fully accept us, it’s a sign something isn’t right.
Another way is to pay attention to the fruit of our beliefs. When we’re doing or saying something that isn’t producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness or humility, we can trace our actions back to something we believe. Why did I yell at that person? Why am I feeling this way? Why am I finding it hard to pray at the moment?
As we ask these questions, we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth.
Let’s be encouraged to make God’s Word the number one input into our lives. As we do so we’ll find the Spirit brings to mind what we’ve read when something untrue threatens to lead us down a harmful path.
Let’s continue to walk in the grace of Jesus and His truth that sets us free.
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Vision Christian Family is a non-profit Christian church serving the Ipswich community since 1975.
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