From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Part six of a series. Read part five.

Christ's true church is an exclusive remnant founded on exclusive truth. God tells us that we dare not presume to enlarge the boundaries.

Deadly Territory

The remnant - the true Church of Jesus Christ - is by nature an exclusive rather than an inclusive body. The essential reason for that fact is another vital one: Truth is exclusive rather than inclusive. Of all the millions of books in all the world over all of time, only one is absolute and unmixed truth - Holy Scripture.

In Colossians chapter two, the Apostle Paul warns God's remnant against mixing anything with His truth. He warns against Satan's triple threat of worldly philosophy, legalism, and man-made doctrines.

Colossians chapter two is one of Scripture's greatest defenses of the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ must have first place. Any time we presume to add anything to Christ, we actually diminish Christ. We go out of the realm of God's light into the realm of Satan's darkness. We go out of the realm of Christ's truth and into the realm of Satan's lies. We go out of the realm of Divine strength and into the realm of human weakness. We go out of the realm of obedience to Christ and into the realm of rebellion against His Lordship.

By the same token, we enter deadly territory anytime we seek to enlarge the boundaries of the visible church beyond the exclusive limits of God's remnant - those who have come to salvation by God's free grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ alone. We may enlarge the visible church numerically, but we diminish it spiritually.

In Colossians 2:20 and following, Paul asks a critical question of those who would, whether by audacity or intimidation, seek to do this. Why, Paul says, do you act as though you were still living "in the world" - still living in the realm where those who promote such things seek to exercise their power and authority?

Christian, why do you submit to such things? When you became alive in Christ, when you became a member of the true remnant, you became dead to those things, and those things became dead for you. They have no life. They have no legitimate authority. Christ is your life. His Word is your authority.

Scripture Declares Truth's Exclusiveness

Scripture declares this authority from beginning to end, and in many ways.

• Romans 13:1 tells us that "there is no authority except from God," and all authority that exists is "established by God."

• Scripture declares over and over that God is the God of truth (e.g., John 3:33, 17:3; Romans 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:9).

• Scripture declares that God's judgments alone are true (e.g., Romans 2:2, 3:7; Revelation 15:3, 16:7).

• Scripture declares that genuine knowledge of God is knowledge of the truth (e.g., Romans 1:18 and 25; Colossians 1:9-14).

• Scripture declares that Jesus Christ personally is the truth (e.g., John 14:6; Revelation 3:7, 19:11).

• In many places, especially in John's Gospel and in his epistles, God the Holy Spirit, the author of all Scripture, is declared to be the Spirit of truth (e.g., John 14:17, 15:26, 15:13; 1John 5:7).

• Scripture declares that the Holy Spirit's principal minisry is to guide the believer in the truth (e.g., John 16:13).

• Scripture declares repeatedly that the Gospel, "the power of God unto salvation," is the word of truth, the truth of Christ, and the way of truth (e.g., 2 Corinthians 6:7, 11:10; Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18; 2 Peter 2:2).

• Scripture declares unequivocally that true believers in Christ have found the truth and believed the truth. Scripture likewise declares that heretics and unbelievers have missed the truth and denied the truth (e.g., 1 John 2:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 5:9; 1 John 3:19).

• Hebrews 4:12 declares to us that "the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner (in the original, a critic) of the thoughts and intents of the heart." And therefore, the next verse tells us, "all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." God's Word alone has the authority to do that. God's Word is the standard by which every human being and every church will be judged in everything.

• Scripture declares that the invisible Church, the remnant, the true Body of Christ, is the pillar and ground of the truth - as long as it stands upon the Word of God alone (1 Timothy 3:15).

Do Not Add, Do Not Subtract

I am emphasizing the exclusive nature of God's remnant and of the Truth upon which it is built, because these things are the basis for another key principle that we find in the pages of the Bible from beginning to end. God says, over and over again, "Do not tamper with My Word." Do not add to it, do not take away from it. Sinful man, finite man, little man, you have no right to do that. You have no authority to do that.

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God... (Deuteronomy 4:2)

Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' (Matthew 15:6-9)

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19)

Scripture is the authority of Christ's remnant. The exclusive authority. The absolute authority. Do not add to it. Do not take away from it. This is the commandment of God.

Guarding Against Inclusivism - The Negative

And so we must ask the question: How are the Christian and the church to deal with those who add to God's Word, and take away from it? How is the remnant to deal with those who invent man-made doctrines that corrupt and pervert the pure Word of Truth? Scripture tell us two things.

First of all, we are to rebuke and reject those who teach man-made doctrines. This is how Paul puts it to Titus:

For there are many [who are] insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers...whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain...Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they [those who would be drawn away by these things] may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to...commandments of men who turn from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure [not even the Word of God]; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable [that is, detestable], disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. (Titus 1:10-16)

That is the negative. We must not compromise with or tolerate such people in the church.

Guarding Against Inclusivism - The Positive

But then there is the positive side of the answer. The positive is that we must cling to the truth. We must be immersed in the truth. We are to make the truth part of our very being. That is the sure way to guard against man-made doctrines. You learn how to recognize and reject counterfeits by studying the genuine article.

We find this principle stated for us all the way back in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter seventeen. Moses was giving God's final instructions to the nation of Israel before they entered the land that God had promised to them. This is what God said to them through Moses, beginning in verse fourteen. He said, the time will come when you will want to have a king to rule over you. When that time comes, look to the Lord your God to choose the king. The king will have no authority of his own. He is not the source of authority. I, the Lord, am the Source of authority. I will give the king the authority to rule over you.

The basis of that authority, God told them, will be obedience to My Word. As long as the king remains true to My Word, it will be well with him, and well with the nation. But if he does not remain true to My Word, he will face the consequences and the nation will face the consequences.

And then notice Deuteronomy chapter seventeen, beginning at verse eighteen. God says this through Moses:

Also it shall be, when he [the king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)

Dear friends, as it was to be for the kings of ancient Israel, so it must be for us today. So it must be for the pastor, the elder, the deacon, the Bible college or seminary professor, the Sunday school teacher, and the parent bringing up and teaching your children in your home. So it must be, even for the child.

Pastor, elder, deacon, Christian teacher, Christian parent, Christian child - you must read the Word of God all the days of your life. You must be careful to observe, to obey, all that is written in it.

Why? So that you heart may be right - before God, before your fellow Christian, before the unbelieving world. So that you will not seek to establish your own authority and your own doctrines. So that you will not turn aside from the pure Word of God to the right hand or to the left. So that it might be well with you individually. So that it might be well with your family. So that it might be well with your church. So that it might be well with the school or college or seminary where you may teach. So that it might be well with your nation, because of the influence of the Word of God on the nation through His remnant.

Next - God Deals in Remnants: Addition By Subtraction

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