While the term “suicide bomber” describes acts of terrorism in our daily news, there is an inescapable parallel to those who teach and practice false doctrines.
Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the doctrine, that is, the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (compare Matthew 16:5-12). In Matthew 23, Jesus severely criticized the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy, saying, “‘…For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in’”(Matthew 23:13).
Their doctrines were “‘the commandments of men’” (Matthew 15:9). Those who followed them could not and did not enter the path of eternal life! In fact, they all paid the ultimate penalty for their sinful conduct—they died (Romans 6:23).
The apostle Paul addressed Christians in his writings, warning very specifically of the dire problems which would arise—things which we now face:
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times SOME WILL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1; also, compare Jude 17-18).
These evil spirits seek to drag mankind, but especially the begotten children of God, into their own hopeless fate! They seek to destroy humanity! They have embraced the rebellion of Satan the Devil, the powerful spirit ruler and god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4) who is able to deceive the whole world (1 John 5:19). His goal is to destroy anyone he can (1 Peter 5:8).
These are adversaries of Christians—indeed, a kind of spiritual suicide bomber! Their “bombs” are false doctrines and rebellion against God! Our zone of safety is the Truth of God—it is the FAITH, “which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
If we depart from the faith to follow seemingly appealing compromised understandings of the Word of God, then we will destroy ourselves unless we repent—that is, unless we have not already gone too far in rejecting God’s Truth! And not only could we be jeopardizing our own salvation, but we may very well pull our family and friends into the same miserable fate!
Among Paul’s admonitions is this encouraging and critical challenge—something we must do:
“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27).
