Now that You're Chosen, Stand Firm!

Paul really loves the Tessalonians. So, with fatherly concern, he encourages them repeatedly to hold on to the truth and stand firm. One of the problems today though is that so few church members are skilled at identifying truth. They get deluded by religions that incorporate human tradition and trust that equally or even more than the Word of God. But only the written revelation of Scripture can be our inerrant, infallible, inspired, and imperative rule of faith and practices. Cults and groups that believe human tradition continues to add to revelation (like Catholicism and Greek Orthodoxy) lead to dangerous conclusions on a foundation of shifting sand. Only the Word of God is the bedrock on which we should base our lives. Pastor Robert Rohlin takes a careful look at what Paul means when he encourages the Thessalonian Christians to stand firm in the traditions that they were taught. It clearly is a reference to apostolic teaching before the written Word was available. But he cautions them against the "traditions" of others because false teachers had already tried to pervert the faith of the Thessalonians. This message is preached in a spirit of love to plead with others to only accept a church or teachings that base all doctrines SOLELY on the Word of God with no mixture of church tradition or human philosophy.