Given the above title and photo, I’m quite sure that at least my wife will read this article! Pictured here is our dog Nova, a three-year-old Golden Retriever with whom I compete regularly for my wife’s affections. But with my wife now in Virginia, Nova and I are “bonding” (is that the word for it?) and working out our differences.
Actually, he’s a good dog — rather chill and easy-going. Each day I take him for his walk, which includes pulling out a plastic bag and picking up his you-know-what, which I deposit in the bin beside our house after our walk.
Usually before disposing of the bag, I take off Nova’s leash and let him back inside the house. But yesterday I didn’t do that. I figured I’d drop off the bag first, then have us both go in together. So I had the bag in one hand and the leash in the other.
As usual, Nova was a bit tired from his walk and was lagging behind me.
But just when I was about to round the corner from the front of our house to the side, I felt my arm jerk back hard. Nova had stopped dead cold and was pulling back, refusing to go forward.
This was totally unlike him, so I figured that maybe he saw something that scared him. I took a quick glance around but didn’t see anything, so I said, “C’mon, let’s go!” I went to move forward but then got yanked back again. Nova was pulling back hard!
“What is his problem?!” I thought, getting more irritated.
Then it dawned on me: By rounding the corner of the house, I was coming within a few feet of our invisible fence. “But, wait, that can’t be it” I thought, “because Nova’s wearing his leash collar, not his invisible fence collar.”
But that didn’t matter. Nova had been trained not to cross that line — not even to come near it. He refused to follow me when I moved that direction.
Within seconds a Scripture verse came to mind — Paul’s words to the church at Galatia:
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8).
These believers had been evangelized by Paul, discipled by Paul, instructed by Paul, trained by Paul. Nevertheless here Paul tells them that if he himself veers away from the gospel of Christ, they must not follow. Instead, they must remain true to the gospel. Paul issues a similar warning to church leaders in Acts 20:29-32 and in his letters to young pastor Timothy (1 Tm. 1:3-7; 2 Tim. 2:16-19; 3:12-16).
These warnings are serious and every bit as relevant in our day as they were in Paul’s.
Right now in my hand I’m holding a book on basic Bible doctrine that was praised by respected evangelical leaders like John Piper, J. I. Packer, Mark Dever, and Joni Eareckson Tada. This excellent theological resource was used to disciple many Christians.
But last year the author renounced his faith. He walked away from the gospel.
When a trusted Christian leader turns away from the gospel, don’t follow.
Here’s where my canine provided a good example for Christians. There’s a boundary that must never be crossed, a gospel that must not be abandoned, no matter what. Even if your favorite preacher, pastor, teacher, mentor, or ministry leader goes that direction — even one who has fed and cared for you well — don’t follow his lead. Stand your ground. Stay true to the gospel.