Acts 23:9
“And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.”
One phrase from the mouth of the Apostle Paul changed the whole dynamic of his situation. Before he said the phrase, he stood alone against a crowd of Pharisees and Sadducees who accused him of false doctrine and speaking against the state religion. One phrase changed that whole dynamic when he said, “…Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.” This phrase divided the crowd so that one crowd stood with him and the other against him.
What changed the minds of the crowd? What changed was that he identified himself with one crowd, and to them that was good enough. What changed was that he said he believed in the resurrection of the dead which the Pharisees also believed but the Sadducees did not. Nothing changed in what Paul had originally said concerning salvation. Nothing changed concerning anything he said about the doctrine of Christ. Nothing changed concerning his belief that they were the crowd who crucified Jesus Christ. Nothing changed with his belief that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. The only thing that changed that crowd was that he identified with them and one of their core beliefs.
The mistake of the Pharisees was that they were more about identity with a crowd than they were about the truth. It shouldn’t have mattered to them if Paul were a Pharisee or a Sadducee. What should have mattered to them was the veracity of what he taught. What should have mattered to them was whether or not what he said was true; instead, identity was their measurement of truth and not the Word of God.
There is nothing wrong with identifying with a crowd as long as that crowd stands upon the truths of God’s Word. God’s Word is always the measuring instrument by which we should measure truth. I believe that it is wise to identify with the crowd who strongly stands for truth, but if that crowd ever strays from God’s Word, you should stand with God’s Word and not the crowd. If you allow a crowd to be your determination of truth, then one day if that crowd changes you will change.
Your measurement of truth should only be determined by God’s Word. If we need something outside of God’s Word to determine It’s veracity, then God’s Word is no longer the authority. God’s Word is the final authority even if every book in the world says something different. God’s Word is the final authority even if every spiritual leader in the world says differently. Spiritual leaders and religious books are never the final authority; God’s Word is our absolute final authority.
Don’t fall for Satan’s trap of allowing an identity with a group, institution or personality to be your determination of truth. The best thing you can do when not sure where to stand is to search the Scriptures and find out what they say. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth. Lay aside the books and let God’s Word speak to you. God’s Word is very plain and will speak for Itself. When you make the Scriptures your final authority in all matters, then you will find yourself never changing what you believe because God’s Word never changes.