𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲?

𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗬 ?

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲?

Many grace believers find themselves on the fence about leaving churches that mix law and grace or preach doctrines contrary to Paul’s gospel.
They wonder:

“𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺?”
“𝗪𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗜 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲?”
“𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲?”

Let’s see what Scripture teaches about this.

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲

Paul is clear about how believers should respond to false doctrine:

𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭𝟲:𝟭𝟳 – “𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱; 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.”

We are commanded to avoid those teaching contrary doctrine, not stay and absorb or tolerate it.

>𝟭 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝟲:𝟯-𝟱 – “𝗜𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀…𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.”

Paul instructs Timothy to withdraw from those teaching doctrines not according to godliness.

𝟮 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟲:𝟭𝟳 – “𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱…”

God calls us to separate from error, not unite with it.

𝟮. “𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺?”

Many feel called to stay back to “convert people to right division” in these churches. But consider:
Where does Scripture teach this?
Paul never told believers to remain under false teachers to reform them. Instead, he warns:

𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭:𝟵 – “𝗜𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹…𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗱.”

False doctrine is not just a difference of interpretation.
It corrupts minds from the simplicity in Christ (2 Cor 11:3-4).
Bad doctrine corrupts good manners (1 Cor 15:33).
Staying under it will hinder your growth and confuse those you are trying to help.
You can still reach people without staying in the system.
Paul evangelized synagogues but did not remain under their leadership or teaching (Acts 19:8-9).

𝟯. “𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆?”

Hebrews 10:25 is often quoted: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…”
But we have to ask

𝗔) 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼?

Hebrews is addressed to the Hebrews – Israel’s believing remnant, not the Body of Christ. (Hebrews 1:1-2)

𝗕) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 “𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴”?

It’s not a weekly Sunday gathering.
It refers to the prophesied gathering of Israel at Christ’s return:

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟮𝟰:𝟯𝟭 – “𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁…”

The author was exhorting them not forsake this gathering by going back to perdition
𝗖) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 “𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴”?

The day of the Lord’s return to establish the Kingdom.
Hebrews exhorts Israel to remain faithful under persecution and not draw back to perdition (Heb 10:38-39).
Hebrews 10:25 is not a command to the Body of Christ.
It is about Israel holding fast to enter their Kingdom promises, especially under tribulation pressure.

𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆

To obey God’s command to separate from error.
To protect your spiritual growth and avoid confusion.
To stand for the truth without compromise.
To help others clearly see the difference between grace and works.

𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: “𝗡𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲?”

It’s true – no local church is perfect. Every assembly has flaws because it is made up of people still growing in grace.
However, there is a difference between:
Human imperfections (personality differences, style, maturity levels)
Vs
Doctrinal corruption (mixing law and grace, preaching a wrong gospel, denying Pauline truth).
We are not looking for a perfect church.
We are looking for a church that is faithful to what God has made clear – the gospel of grace, right division, and sound Pauline doctrine.

> “𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹.” (𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝗿 𝟰:𝟮)

Faithfulness is the standard, not perfection.
Staying in a church that teaches error and confuses God’s Word is not humility; it is disobedience to God’s command to separate from false doctrine.
Seek faithfulness to God’s truth, not worldly unity or comfort.

5. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝗴𝗼 ?

Some fear leaving because they have nowhere else to go. Remember:
Your identity is in Christ, not a building.
You can fellowship online with like-minded believers.
You can study with your family or a small group at home.
Pray that God will raise a grace assembly in your area.

𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

If you’re still on the fence:
Ask yourself: Am I staying because of fear, comfort, or social ties, or because of clear Biblical conviction?
Remember: God desires you to stand fast in Pauline truth without compromise.
Staying under false doctrine is not a ministry calling; it is disobedience to God’s clear commands to separate, avoid, and withdraw from error.
Leaving is hard, but it is worth it – for your growth, clarity, and ministry effectiveness.