Hebrews 13:9
Christians should be steadfast and dependable. Nothing should be able to carry them away into rash an unwise action. Christians work to control their emotions and do not allow them to run free and unchecked. Christians also seek to train their minds and their thinking to conform to the teachings of Christ. Christians have to be on guard against false prophets and strange teachings. What we think determines how we act. When confronted by a dog we will act differently if we think it has rabies than we will if we think it is our family pet. What we think about God and salvation determines how we live as Christians.

The writer of Hebrews warns against strange teachings. Faith in Christ had resulted in the early Hebrew Christians’ salvation, but now some leaders were telling them they needed to continue observing Jewish tradition. How strange was that? Faith had saved them but now false teachers were telling them they needed ceremonial foods to remain saved.

Any teaching that tells us we need more than Christ is strange. Anytime we encounter something new in our spiritual journey we need to test it. We measure it against the scriptures; does it measure up or does it rip scripture out of context. How does it compare to the historical traditions of the church. Does it claim to be a new revelation? Is it something the church has never borne witness to before? A teaching that the church has never taught is strange. Does it pass the test of personal experience? Any teaching that we cannot verified by personal experience is strange.

Through the years, the method of proclaiming the gospel has changed. TV, audio tapes, tent revivals, crusades, Sunday Schools and radio programs were all new at one time. The methods change but the gospel remains the same. New age teachings will not carry Christians away when they stand on the Gospel. Only the Gospel of Christ passes the tests of Church tradition, Holy Scripture and personal experience.