Philippians 3:1-2 NLT - 1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.

- KJV, “False Circumcision” which translates in the Greek, (katatomē) – To cut up, mutilate.

■ R.C Sproul, “Everyone is a theologian, but not everyone is a good Theologian.”

■ Theology – The study of the nature of God and religious belief.

Romans 10:14-17 ESV - 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

■ Heresy – belief or opinion that is contrary to Orthodox Christian doctrine.

Ligonier ministries and Lifeway research did a study asking US adults and Evangelicals in 2016 that “Who agree that the “bible” like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is NOT literally true.

2016 – Evangelicals (17%) US Adults (44%)

2022 – Evangelicals (26%) US Adults (53%)

4 Heresies that are growing rampant in the church today

1. Jesus isn’t the only way to God.

56%—of evangelical respondents affirmed that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam,”

John 14:6 ESV - 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

2. Jesus was created by God.

73% agreed with the statement that “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.”

This is a form of Arianism 4th century Roman empire - believed that Jesus was a created being, not divine, and was separate from God the Father.

John 3:16 NKJV - 16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 14:9 NKJV - 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

3. Jesus is NOT God.

43% affirmed that “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God,”

John 10:30 KJV - 30 I and [my] Father are one.

4. The Holy Spirit is NOT a personal being.

60% believe that “The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.”

Act 5:3-4 NKJV - 3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back [part] of the price of the land for yourself? 4 "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."

5. Humans AREN’T sinful by nature.

57 percent also agreed to the statement that “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.”

Pelagianism - a 5th-century Christian heresy taught by Pelagius and his followers that stressed the essential goodness of human nature, and the freedom of the human will.

Romans 5:12 NLT - 12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.

Psalm 51:5 NLT - 5 For I was born a sinner--yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

Philippians 3:3-11 - 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin--a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!