JESUS WOULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY IS RIGHT
By Todd L. Baker
We live in a democracy where, as a norm, the majority rules. But is the majority always right? History has shown us many times that the majority isn’t always right. Don’t be mistaken, democracy is arguably the greatest form of government known to exist, and the blessings of living in such a system are numerous and great. We are truly blessed to live in the country that we do, but what happens if we apply “majority rule” to spiritual matters?
Is the majority always right? The only way to know for sure is to consult God’s word and check what the majority wants to do against the standard the Lord has provided for us. The Bereans did exactly this in Acts 17:11, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Jesus warned His disciples that they must be more righteous than the spiritual leaders of the day who had begun binding human traditions on people. In Matthew 5:20 Jesus states, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Being in the minority on any issue is uncomfortable and challenging to say the least, especially when one finds himself in the minority on a spiritual subject. But take comfort; if you are following God’s word and the pattern He has provided, then being in the minority on this earth is not a bad thing. We are told that the way to salvation is narrow and few find it. In Matthew 7:13–14 Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Do these statements sound like Jesus believes the majority is right?
One popular belief is that there are many paths to salvation. This sounds like a nice idea, at least on the surface. If one believes this, then he can find salvation in any way that he chooses. Let’s follow the example of the Bereans mentioned earlier, and examine the Scriptures to see if this belief is correct. Jesus states in Matthew 7:21–23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Jesus does not support the idea of the “many” that there are many paths to salvation, in fact, He calls it lawlessness.
Today, the majority considers the telling of a “little white lie” to be a minor offense, and sometimes a “necessary” offense. But what does Jesus say about such things? Matthew 5:37 states, “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” We can see clearly that Jesus does not label lies and falsehoods as anything other than evil. He doesn’t have a scale that He uses to distinguish a “little white lie” from a “bold-faced lie” as is so common, and often expected, among the majority today.
When it comes to spiritual matters, study the Bible for yourself. Do not rest on what you are simply told by anyone, no matter how much faith, trust, or respect you may place in them. Read God’s word and see what He says He wants from you, and then do it! But don’t stop there; share what you have learned with those around you and remember to keep God as the standard of what is right, not what the majority says is right.
Think about where you stand in a spiritual sense, test your beliefs against the Lord’s word and see if you believe the majority is right, or if God is right.
By Todd L. Baker
We live in a democracy where, as a norm, the majority rules. But is the majority always right? History has shown us many times that the majority isn’t always right. Don’t be mistaken, democracy is arguably the greatest form of government known to exist, and the blessings of living in such a system are numerous and great. We are truly blessed to live in the country that we do, but what happens if we apply “majority rule” to spiritual matters?
Is the majority always right? The only way to know for sure is to consult God’s word and check what the majority wants to do against the standard the Lord has provided for us. The Bereans did exactly this in Acts 17:11, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Jesus warned His disciples that they must be more righteous than the spiritual leaders of the day who had begun binding human traditions on people. In Matthew 5:20 Jesus states, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Being in the minority on any issue is uncomfortable and challenging to say the least, especially when one finds himself in the minority on a spiritual subject. But take comfort; if you are following God’s word and the pattern He has provided, then being in the minority on this earth is not a bad thing. We are told that the way to salvation is narrow and few find it. In Matthew 7:13–14 Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Do these statements sound like Jesus believes the majority is right?
One popular belief is that there are many paths to salvation. This sounds like a nice idea, at least on the surface. If one believes this, then he can find salvation in any way that he chooses. Let’s follow the example of the Bereans mentioned earlier, and examine the Scriptures to see if this belief is correct. Jesus states in Matthew 7:21–23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Jesus does not support the idea of the “many” that there are many paths to salvation, in fact, He calls it lawlessness.
Today, the majority considers the telling of a “little white lie” to be a minor offense, and sometimes a “necessary” offense. But what does Jesus say about such things? Matthew 5:37 states, “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” We can see clearly that Jesus does not label lies and falsehoods as anything other than evil. He doesn’t have a scale that He uses to distinguish a “little white lie” from a “bold-faced lie” as is so common, and often expected, among the majority today.
When it comes to spiritual matters, study the Bible for yourself. Do not rest on what you are simply told by anyone, no matter how much faith, trust, or respect you may place in them. Read God’s word and see what He says He wants from you, and then do it! But don’t stop there; share what you have learned with those around you and remember to keep God as the standard of what is right, not what the majority says is right.
Think about where you stand in a spiritual sense, test your beliefs against the Lord’s word and see if you believe the majority is right, or if God is right.