Jason Helopoulos

So you think about there in the Corinth, Corinthian church there, where they're denying the resurrection.

That's subtracting from the faith.

Well, you think about adding to the faith.

You think about the Galatian heresy.

They're trying to add to the faith with putting circumcision as a requirement upon someone for coming to Christ.

That's subtracting, and there is adding.

If we think historically, we will see it time and again that there is subtraction by denying the sufficiency of Scripture or the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ, or we could think of a biblical view of sexuality.

Or if we think of addition, you have it with prayers to the saints or the need to walk down an aisle or to pray a specific prayer.

The faith has to be contended for.

Anything that would subtract from it, anything that would add to it has to be fought against.

That's worth fighting for, he's saying.

Now, it never happens in a void.

This is what I want to warn us about and think about.

It's not happening in a void here either.

There is always a reason for adding or subtracting to the faith.

There's always a reason.

And usually it is because we are trying to make it more palatable in our day and age.

So take away that which is offensive or add that which might allure.

And this is usually the error of liberalism.

There's the other end of the spectrum, though, too, where we add or we take away because we think the church needs to withstand cultural pressures.