Galatians 5:7-8 Watch Your Doctrine Carefully, Lest You Be Hindered

Galatians 5:7-8 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.

The Galatians had started out strong in the faith, or so it appeared. They were running the race well. They were well on their way to attaining the prize. However, they got sidetracked. Someone had hindered them. It was not that they were hindered by sin in their life (as Hebrews 12:1 speaks of), but by bad doctrine. They had failed to watch their life and their doctrine carefully. Because they were not watching these areas closely, as is necessary, they were being deceived and were probably also deceiving each other and all those with whom they spoke. This was leading them off the straight and narrow path to salvation (1 Timothy 4:16, cf. Matthew 7:13-14). If they would have been more careful, they would have discerned that these doctrines by which they were being persuaded to abandon faith in Christ were not from God, but were the doctrines of demons.

Brothers and sister in Christ, let this serve as a warning to you. If you do not seek good doctrine and you do not watch your doctrine (or theology) carefully, you too may be hindered from obeying the truth that has been given you in the gospel. And we know that “he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). Watch out for the false teachers. They come in disguised as sheep, but they are wolves in disguise (Matthew 7:15). No matter if you appear to be running the race of faith well now, if you succumb to these deceptive doctrines you will be hindered from finishing the race. You must forsake sin and hold to Christ and the gospel to attain to salvation (future salvation, that is) (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:1-3). Those who persevere to the end prove themselves to have been kept by the power of God for salvation—good fruit is the evidence that perseverance will occur (cf. 1 Peter 1:5).

Anything that does not coincide with the gospel is not from God. Thus, forsake whatever it is that does not line up with the teaching of God, the One who set you apart and thus has the sovereign right to define the terms and conditions of salvation. Let anything that is not in accord with this gospel be accursed to you. Let it be damned! Call heresy, ‘heresy’. Do not give in to the doctrines, as slippery as they can be, of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormons, Christian Science, etc. Though their teachings may seem true at first glance, when you look at them more closely and in light of true Biblical exegesis (considering the language and meaning used) you will find them to fail to measure up. Be careful, brothers and sisters, lest someone hinder you.