From Matthew 16:5-12 / Beware the Leaven!

Note first: What we think matters; ideas have consequences.

One cannot imbibe false doctrine and it not have an ill effect. And the ill-effects of false teaching grow with the breadth of the system taught. Hence Jesus likening the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees to leaven. Once errant teaching moves beyond mere opinion about one or two issues, and blossoms into an entire paradigm or worldview – the effect governs the entire thought process.

This is why Jude is so exercised in his short epistle. The Church must – from the pulpit to the pew – be guardians of the truth once and for all delivered to the saints.

Innovations, new revelations, novel teachings are to be examines. And if they are not faithful to the Word already given – they are to be eschewed. Not entertained. Not toyed with. Not dallied with on the fringes – rejected. If not, make no mistake, like leaven, they will permeate the whole, puff up and create an entire false system.

We must be settled that God’s revelation is complete, sufficient and sealed until the final revelation of Christ Himself in His return.

No new doctrines. No tempting little off-kilter tid-bits. No new novel slants on the Word. Isa. 8:20 – “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”

Note second: How it is Jesus rebukes the Disciple’s faith here, and not their knowledge.

One would think Jesus would point out how little His disciples knew, not how little their faith was – at least in this context.

But the connection is this: faith must be rooted in what God has said and in His character. Always. Faith is never a baseless hope or conjecture. It is not something we can conjure up on our own.

Jesus was pointing out that faith must be based upon knowledge, and that given the track record of Christ feeding the multitudes, there is no way they should have thought Him ill disposed simply because they had forgotten something like bread. What is that to One who created the worlds by His word?

Faith does not exist in a vacuum. It is rooted in knowledge of Who God is in His character, and what He has revealed in His Word.

Note third: Jesus had not given them any reason to believe He was upset with them. They had no reason to fear that. And this is why depending upon our feelings for God’s attitude about us is so misguided. We must base those things on His revelations, not our subjective feelings.

We must always make our redress to the Word of God to formulate our opinions, and God’s.

One thinks of the tragic case of that great hymn writer William Cowper.

Given to write such glorious strains as:

1. God moves in a mysterious way
   His wonders to perform;
   He plants His footsteps in the sea
   And rides upon the storm.
2. Deep in unfathomable mines
   Of never failing skill
   He treasures up His bright designs
   And works His sov’reign will.
3. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
   The clouds ye so much dread
   Are big with mercy and shall break
   In blessings on your head.
4. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
   But trust Him for His grace;
   Behind a frowning providence
   He hides a smiling face.
5. His purposes will ripen fast,
   Unfolding every hour;
   The bud may have a bitter taste,
   But sweet will be the flow’r.
6. Blind unbelief is sure to err
   And scan His work in vain;
   God is His own interpreter,
   And He will make it plain.

And yet, for this and a multitude of others – written along with his dear friend John Newton – because of a dream he had where in the dream, God abandoned him – Cowper lived out the last days of his life believing he was damned.

Not because of God’s Word. Not because of the Gospel. But because he had a bad dream, which left him with feelings of despair, and concluded based upon those, he was beyond the grasp of salvation.

Beloved – we take our thoughts and our feelings from the teaching of the Word of God, nowhere else.

If not, we will live in the bubble of false doctrine. Looking large, but filled with useless air.

It is the The law of the LORD which is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Ps. 19:7-11)

Make your stand there.