#96 DON’T LET A GOOD THING BECOME A SIDETRACK 9-6-26
There are dangers in the Christian life that do not look dangerous at first. Sometimes the greatest spiritual distractions are not sinful things, but good things that have been given too much attention. A Christian can become so fascinated with a doctrine, a ministry, an experience, an interpretation, or a particular emphasis that the thing that was supposed to help him grow begins to keep him from growing. We must always remember that Christ is the goal, not merely the things we learn about Christ. (Philippians 3:8)
The Bible warns us about being carried away from what matters most. Paul told the Colossians to remain “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith.” (Colossians 2:6-7). Notice the words “in Him.” Christianity is not simply about collecting truths. It is about knowing Jesus, walking with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and remaining faithful to Jesus. We can become experts in subjects and still be strangers to the spirit of Christ. We can win arguments and lose our love. We can become very knowledgeable and yet fail to become more Christlike.
This is why we should be careful when something new captures our attention. We should ask more than, “Is there some truth in this?” We should ask, “Where does this lead?” Does it lead me closer to Christ? Does it make me more humble? Does it produce love, holiness, patience, forgiveness, and obedience? Does it help me walk more faithfully with God? Or does it produce pride, division, controversy, fear, self-importance, or spiritual stagnation? “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16)
One of the greatest dangers is mixture. Error rarely announces itself as error. It often comes wrapped in enough truth to make it attractive. That is why we must test everything by the Word of God. “Test all things. Hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We must never take one verse and build an entire system upon it while ignoring everything else the Bible teaches. We need the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
This applies to doctrine. A biblical truth can become unhealthy when we make it the center of everything. Election is important. Grace is important. Faith is important. Baptism is important. The church is important. Prophecy is important. Christian service is important. But none of these things is Jesus. Every doctrine must find its proper place beneath the lordship of Christ. If a doctrine makes us love Jesus less, love His people less, or obey His Word less, something has gone wrong.
Paul understood that knowing Christ was greater than anything else. He counted his former accomplishments as loss “for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). He did not want merely to know more information. He wanted to “know Him” and to be “conformed to His death.” (Philippians 3:10) His eyes were fixed on the prize, and he pressed forward rather than becoming satisfied with where he had already been (Philippians 3:12-14).
There is another danger we must recognize. We can become so occupied with being right that we forget to be righteous. We can become so concerned with winning a theological argument that we forget the command to love one another. We can know what we believe about grace and fail to show grace. We can defend truth while speaking without love. We can talk about holiness while neglecting kindness. But the Lord wants truth to transform the person who believes it. “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)
The question is not simply, “What do I believe?” The deeper question is, “What is what I believe doing to me?” Is it making me more like Jesus? Is it making me more compassionate? Is it making me more faithful? Is it causing me to forgive more quickly, serve more willingly, pray more sincerely, and love God more deeply? Truth is never meant to remain merely in our heads. It is meant to reach our hearts and change our lives.
So be careful of spiritual sidetracks. You can become distracted without realizing that you are distracted. You can spend years studying something that was supposed to help you and eventually discover that it has become the thing occupying the place that belongs to Christ. Keep the main thing the main thing. Jesus is not a subject we study and then move beyond. Jesus is the One we follow all the way home.
Let every doctrine point you to Him. Let every sermon lead you to Him. Let every Bible study deepen your love for Him. Let every ministry make you more like Him. Let every trial drive you closer to Him. Let every blessing make you more thankful to Him. And when you reach the end of your journey, may it be said that you did not merely discover many truths along the way, but that you found Christ, followed Christ, loved Christ, and remained faithful to Christ.
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Father, keep us from spiritual distractions and from allowing good things to become substitutes for the best thing. Give us wisdom to recognize error, humility to receive truth, and discernment to know where every teaching and pursuit will lead us. Above everything else, help us to know Jesus, love Jesus, follow Jesus, and become more like Jesus. Keep our eyes fixed upon Him until our journey is finished. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
BDD
