At the close of a service during which I preached on the doctrine of ‘election’ I was invited to a home for some refreshments. As we talked together a gentleman said, ‘That election you preached tonight is a Hyper-Calvinist doctrine, and I do not agree with Hyper-Calvinists.’ The fact that election is a precious truth taught in God’s Word made no difference to this man. He preferred not to look into it because he classified it with a particular group or denomination.
Could it be that subtle Satan uses these tactics to turn people away from other precious truths? The priesthood, that is Catholic doctrine. The baptism and filling of the Spirit, that is holiness doctrine. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, that is charismatic doctrine. Soul-winning and witnessing, that is fundamentalist doctrine. Freedom from the law, that is antinomianism. Obedience and outward holiness, that is legalism. Such reasoning is an evil device of Satan to persuade people to close their minds to the teaching of Scripture by associating it with error of spirit, conduct or practice. Seven times in Matthew 5 our Lord says, ‘You have heard it said … but I say to you … ’ Let us forget what men have said about these things and listen to what he says
