Before the year was over, he was making good grades, and he appreciated that conversation. Now, I don’t know what that would do in terms of “current politically correct psychology.” But I believe that. I believe it in the very bottom of my BEING that the time comes when a person has got to make a choice of Truth against error and, whatever is involved, will stand for what is right.

Well, I need to move to another area.

There are problems of false doctrine and false practice and false living. What are we to do about it? First, and foremost, we must know the Truth of God. That’s not as easy to learn as it is to say. I’m sorry to admit it, but I know preachers, and I know elders, and I know Christians, who can tell you all about sports activities and all sorts of things, but they couldn’t quote ten verses of the Bible correctly and give the location if their lives depended on it. Now, that’s not something that we ought to rejoice about. A man ought to be able in a lifetime as a Christian to know the Word of God very, very well, because that is the means of nurturing and developing his soul, and the means of his becoming a stronger and more mature and a more useful servant of God. Now, know that Bible, and know it well. Know the great doctrines of the Bible—the doctrine of God, of Christ, of the Holy Spirit, of the plan of salvation, of the church, of the worship, of Christian living. KNOW that! Know it so well that if somebody woke you up in the middle of the night, put a shotgun to your head and said, “Quote Acts 2:38,” you’d begin, “Then Peter said…” You’d know the Word of God!

Now, secondly, love the church. Love the church. Jesus loved the church. He loved the church enough to die for it. Question: Do I love the church enough to DIE for it? Do I love the church enough to LIVE for it? Do I love the church enough to BE FAITHFUL to it? Do I love the church enough to DEFEND it against the world? the devil? false doctrine? and all FORMS OF HYPOCRISY? Do I love it that much? So, LOVE the CHURCH!

And then, learn false doctrine that is prevalent in your area. Learn it.

Years ago, the late Brother Gus Nichols was supposed to debate a denominational preacher. It was a bitterly cold night, a large crowd assembled. Evidently the other man had difficulty making it to the building, and the time came to start the debate.

Well, they didn’t know what to do. Well, Brother Nichols said, “Why don’t we have a debate anyway?”

And the said, “How?”

“Well,” he said, “I’ll debate myself.”

They said, “What do you mean?”

He said, “I know his doctrine as well as I know mine. And I’ll just stand up and give his doctrine, and then I’ll reply to it.”

And he did that! And I said, “Who won?”

He said, “I did.”

Wellll…

You say, “I don’t want to take the time to do that.” Do you want to take the time enough to prepare yourself to love the Lord and His church and serve in the cause of Christ? If you do, whatever will hurt the church, you need to know about it.

What if you went to a doctor, and the doctor examines you, and he says, “I don’t have the foggiest idea in the world what’s wrong with you. AND, if I did know, I wouldn’t know what to give you.”

And you’d say, “Well, what kind of a doctor are you?”

He says, “I’m a good ‘un. I just don’t have anything [to treat] against sickness.”

I want me another doctor!