"For most Christians today," says Robert Bowman, "the challenge of learning how to discern orthodox from heretical doctrine has apparently not been faced. Either they treat doctrine as minimally important and so regard charges of "heresy" as rude and unloving, or they treat doctrine as all-important and so regard anyone who disagrees with them in the slightest as a heretic. In short, most believers seem to think either that there are almost no heretics or that almost everybody outside their own little group is a heretic.

"The cause of doctrinal discernment, then, is in serious jeopardy. Although anticult and discernment ministries are mushrooming everywhere, many of them operate on the basis of an excessively narrow understanding of orthodoxy. Consequently, such groups are charged deservedly with "heresy hunting" and discredit the practice of doctrinal discernment. At the other extreme -- and often overreacting to such heresy hunters -- are those within the Christian community who reject any warnings of heresy among professing Christians." [1]

Orthodox Christianity has been under attack for two thousand years.  Paul gave this warning to the Church at Corinth, "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames" (1 Cor. 3:1-15 NLT).

Today, feelings and experiences have taken precedence over doctrine in much of Christendom.  Christians think they're free to pick and choose the parts of their faith that they agree with, and toss out the rest.  This helps explain why so many believers are involved in the pagan practices brought to us courtesy of the New Age movement.  When Christians lose their scriptural base they're open to almost anything! "[I]f you want to go deeper in your relationship with God, then you have to know about Him and who He is," says Ben Shin of Talbot Theological Seminary. "That's why doctrine and theology are really key because they give us deeper knowledge of Him."  Every heretical doctrine that has slithered into the Church has started with the misconception of the nature of God.

When someone's involved in any way, shape or form in the occultic arts, inform them what the scriptures say about dabbling in sorcery.  A Christian will want to know the truth about everything, above all the practices God detests.  If truth matters he or she won't be satisfied with anything else.  When confronted with truth, Christians are never to act proud and arrogant.  Those who have adopted an unbiblical doctrine or fallen prey to aberrant teaching must set aside their pride and own up to their mistake -- no matter what the cost.
 
There's no excuse for a serious Christian to settle for milk instead of meat.  "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.  You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:12-14 NIV). 

Mature Christians ought to be teachers!  Teachers must be equipped to handle the word of truth.  As well, they must have knowledge and spiritual insight, which comes only through the reading and study of God's Word--plus constant prayer! Mature believers are sensitive to the Spirit's leading.  They understand the difference between right and wrong, important and inconsequential, good and evil.  They're vigilant at all times--always on the lookout for Satan's weapons of mass destruction. 

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