Tozer Devotional
 
Collective Writings from the Books of A.W. Tozer
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
We Travel an Appointed Way
Chapter #19
Heresy among the Saints
 

Selective Scripture Screening
Heresy is not so much rejecting as selecting. The heretic simply selects the parts of the Scripture he wants to emphasize and lets the rest go.
This is shown by the etymology of the word heresy and by the practice of the heretic. "Beware," an editorial scribe of the fourteenth century warned his readers in the preface to a book. "Beware thou take not one thing after thy affection and liking, and leave another: for that is the condition of an heretique. But take everything with other." The old scribe knew well how prone we are to take to ourselves those parts of the truth that please us and ignore the other parts. And that is heresy.
 
Almost every cult with which we have any acquaintance practices this art of selecting and ignoring. The no-hell cults, for example, habitually stress everything in the Bible that seems to support their position and play down or explain away all the passages that deal with eternal punishment.
 
Prayer
Father, through Your Word You rebuke, correct, encourage and teach. Thank You. I need it all!
Scripture
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
—Second Timothy 3:16-17
Thought
All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training. To be selective is to cripple ourselves spiritually.